Charlie Bartlett (Yelchin) is a bright young kid who cannot help but find himself in trouble as he is constantly rebelling against the status quo. As the movie opens, he has been kicked out of the latest in a string of private schools. His mother, Marilyn (Hope Davis), does not seem to understand his need to rock the boat, but at the same time she does not seem particularly upset about it. Anyway, rather than try another private school, Charlie is enrolled int he local public school. He promptly shows up in suit and tie which leads to his first high school beat down at the hands of Murphy Niven.
This experiment leads to him opening a pharmacy of sorts in the boys' room. He would listen to problems, take them to his doctor, get the prescriotion and then dispense them as needed to his fellow students, for a healthy fee of course. His dispensing of the medication finds his popularity rise exponentially. Almost overnight he went from being the weirdo outcast to the epitome of popularity, and Charlie is loving it.
Of course, his popularity doesn't last long, as the principal (Robert Downey Jr.), whose daughter he is dating, is clued into what he is doing and sets out to stop it. Now, you will probably be able to see where it is heading relatively early on, it is not about hiding where it is going.
The film was quite interesting int he way it took a look at the effects of prescription drugs on kids that may or may not need them. It seems like everyday we learn of high school kids abusing prescription drugs, be it Ritalin or whatever else they can get their hands on. While generally it seems like the kids are theones to take the blame for their abuse, in many cases it may not be their fault at all. Charlie Bartlett turns its eye on the disillusioned youth who have nowhere else to turn. Beyond that, it also looks at the effects of popularity and how easily it can be misused. This doesn't even begin to touch on other key components to Charlie's dysfunction, an absentee parent, an overly medicated mother, and being forced to mature before his time; all elements that could be pointed to as reasons for his need to act out and supreme desire for popularity.
It doesn't hurt that Yelchin has great chemistry with the rest of the cast, particularly with Kat Dennings, who plays his love interest, Susan. Their relationship crackles as it develops. Then there are the scenes he shares with Robert Downey Jr., also excellent. The cast is particularly strong.
Director Jon Poll makes the transition from the edit bay to the director's chair in fine fashion. He does not have a particularly distinctive style, but he does cast a loving gaze to the teen films of the 80's while retaining a perfectly contemporary look. The same can be said of the screenplay from Gustin Nash, also making his big screen debut. His words touch on a number of impotant topics that all tie together with the affable central character.
Bottomline. If anything, the film's wild tone shifts hold it back from greatness. It does prove to be much more entertaining than would be expected. It is at times laugh out loud funny, others it takes a satirical bent, while others are pure drama. It is well worth your time, the positives well outweigh the negatives.
Recommended.
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