Review #28 - Charlie Bartlett (2007)

From our friends at Netflix:

"This comedy follows the exploits of Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin), a miserable high school student who finds a way to fit in with his classmates: by pretending to be the school psychiatrist, dispensing advice and the occasional prescription medicine. Charlie's sympathetic ear and ready access to drugs make him popular with the students, but his activities soon attract the unwelcome attention of the school principal (Robert Downey Jr.).

Observation number 1- this movie was needlessly rated R. The deletion of a 3 second scene of topless teenage girls running down a hall could have dropped the rating to PG-13.

Observation number 2 - Anton Yelchin looks like Bobby Flay Jr.

Observation number 3- I don't know, exactly, why this movie didn't do better at the box office. It wasn't that bad.

I think it's a fine and difficult line to walk between the "teenage high school movie", a la "16 Candles", and a "serious relationship movie", a la "Footloose". (just checking to see if you were paying attention.) This movie was funny, but also tried to bring in some heavier father/son relationship stuff...the result of which felt a little, oh, disjointed at times. Is this funny or serious? But then again, disjointed isn't always a bad thing, is it?

I recall reading that this film was widely panned, and I think that's unfair. RDJR's portrayal of the burned-out, promoted-to-the-point-that-I-hate-my-career high school principal was great. Anton Yelchin was pretty darned charming. Nobody else really floated my boat.

The best line in the film? Our hero telling young Anton, "Don't you EVER attack a drunk guy with a gun!" Okay, maybe you had to be there, but it was pretty funny.

I give it a 7 for the pool scene.