High school is just one long
popularity contest. ?Charlie Bartlett? proves this with hilarity and
affection through the title character?s journey from a prep school expellee to
a public school phenomenon.?
The high school characters ? besides Charlie (Anton Yelchin,
?Alpha Dog?), of course ? are stereotyped into representatives of every
standard clique. Yet despite each individual?s designated posse, cheerleaders,
bullies, drama geeks and quiet, suicidal loners all eventually come to Charlie
for advice, or just someone to talk to. Charlie is a psychiatrist eager to
prescribe, who also has a penchant for a bad streak. With a little help from a
drug dealer bully, the school is flooded with prescription drugs ranging from
Xanax to Zoloft, all provided through Charlie.
The film embellishes the high school atmosphere a little
from time to time, but what movie of this caliber doesn?t? In one scene, a gymnasium
full of teenagers take Ritalin during their school dance, but not a single
person is reprimanded in the slightest.
Charlie?s charisma prevails throughout the film, as
demonstrated by a bevy of misguided youths who still seek his empathetic peer
counseling after one customer tries to off himself with an overdose, causing Charlie
to temporarily shut down the mini-pharmacy he administers from the boys?
bathroom.
Students address Charlie with all sorts of personal
problems, ranging from a breast implant dilemma to the loose cheerleader unable
to find a stable relationship because she puts out on the first date.
One of the most memorable roles in ?Charlie Bartlett? is that
of a scruffy Robert Downey Jr. as the alcoholic Principal Gardner. Scenes of
whisky guzzling, self-loathing and neurosis appear pretty close to home,
creating moments that are both funny and depressing. Downey does especially
well in a climactic scene involving a near-empty bottle of booze, a swimming
pool, a remote-controlled motorboat and a handgun.
Downey?s character was only outdone in a few scenes, each
involving the absurdity of Charlie?s mother (Hope Davis, ?The Hoax?), a classy
ex-hippy who ? always with a courteous smile ? is completely devoid of common
sense.
The characters are admittedly a bit over-the-top, but that
doesn?t stop them from being likeable. The notion of America?s youth being fed
prescription drugs and put under heavy surveillance for control is not easily overlooked
or easily missed.
In truth, there isn?t much substance to this film, and the
substance that exists is hardly revolutionary, and the whole feel-good attitude
of it doesn?t always jive well with the serious issues it tries to address.
In the end, it is Charlie Bartlett?s overwhelming
personality and Yelchin?s performance that really make this film. The blue
blazer prep school might ring a ?Rushmore? bell, but the movie definitely has
more of a ?Ferris Bueller?s Day Off? feel to it. Charlie?s charismatic antics
lead him on a quest for popularity, which is understandable, but his ultimate
realization and the resolution of the film don?t quite pay off.
Go see this movie, but don?t expect it to be an instant
classic.
?
3 stars out of 5
