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Charlie Bartlett (2007)

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62 out of 87 people found the following comment useful :-
Funny, witty, accurate, and absolutely beautiful, 8 April 2007

Author: blondy360 from Saudi Arabia

I saw an advanced screening of Charlie Bartlett at my school with a Q&A session with the writer and director last April, and I must say, I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in a VERY long time.

Anton Yelchin is Charlie Bartlett, a young rich boy who has just gotten kicked out of his private school for forging driver's licenses for his fellow students in an attempt to gain some acceptance. As a last resort, his strange mother, played wonderfully by Hope Davis, puts him into public school. At first, he is treated horribly as the 'new boy', until he appoints himself as the school psychiatrist and pharmacist, and the students begin to love him, fulfilling his dreams of popularity. Meanwhile, he begins an intimate relationship with Principal Goldberg's daughter, leading to many conflicts between Charlie and the principal.

Anton Yelchin portrays Charlie flawlessly - the best part was when he got high off of Ritalin - and Kat Dennings was just beautiful. Hope Davis, as always, played his eccentric mother wonderfully, and Robert Downey Jr. was absolutely great.

For any of you who are wondering about Mark Rendall's role in this film, he has a relatively large part as Kip Cromwell, the unpopular, depressed boy who comes to Charlie for help. I must say he is AMAZING. He does a beautiful job expressing his character's many and layered emotions.

Anyhow, GREAT MOVIE!!! Do whatever you can to see it as soon as you can. I would give it an 11/10 if I could!!

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53 out of 77 people found the following comment useful :-
A comedy with a message, wildly entertaining, 13 May 2007

Author: larry-411 from United States

Charlie Bartlett is a comedy with a message. Some may say that's an oxymoron. But Jon Poll, directing from a Gustin Nash script, takes on the task and turns in a hybrid of a film that is so incredibly engaging you'll wonder why few filmmakers take on such a challenge. The audience was so loud and boisterous at the World Premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival that it sent the laugh meter off the scale.

Anton Yelchin is Charlie Bartlett, a kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth and an enterprising, albeit mischievous, brain. His antics get him kicked out of one private school after another. But his clever and earnest sincerity is bound to hit the target sooner or later and it does when he is thrown to the public school wolves. The scheme he invents to endear himself to the student body is nothing short of genius, and his performance fits the bill.

Yelchin has made a name for himself playing the smart, sensitive, and innocent tortured kid. Here he gets the chance to stretch his acting chops in a completely different direction. He's confident and anything but vulnerable. The wide range of emotions and the talents he shows here are unsurpassed. He sings, he dances, he plays piano, he does physical comedy and has fight scenes and romantic scenes and just about everything that could be thrown at him. And he looks to be so thoroughly enjoying it, which comes across on screen and proves to be so central to the film. After all, to enjoy a film one must identify somewhat with the protagonist, or at least like him, and Anton does that better than many actors twice his age.

Hope Davis is a riot as his not-quite-all-there mother. It's easy to see the source of Charlie's quirkiness. The relationship between mother and son is playful and mischievous, the kind of "mom as best friend" scenario which often results in tragedy. Here it's played just for laughs, and it works. She is everymom - with a twist of lemon.

Tyler Hilton is perfectly cast as the bully who we know from the start is destined to soften up somewhere along the way. That's what movie bullies do. But he brings an especially charming quality to the role which plays perfectly against Charlie's leanings toward the dark side. It's a delicate balance but Yelchin and Hilton make it work.

Robert Downey Jr. is ironically cast as the substance-addled principal who also happens to be the father of Charlie's love interest. One has to wonder whether Principal Gardner or Downey is speaking in some of the more poignant scenes about alcohol and drugs. It's chilling. Perhaps for that reason alone he is a standout here.

Kat Dennings plays the girl who is out to win Charlie's heart. The dynamic with Downey and Yelchin is a natural source of drama. This is the film's most heartfelt storyline, and Dennings is admirably up to the task.

At times it all feels so real, and it's no wonder -- writer Gustin Nash actually continued to write scenes and dialogue specifically for those actors after the film got underway and it shows.

Charlie Bartlett has the look and feel of a studio film, which should help it find an audience. The subject matter demands an R rating, if only for its content. But it's a film kids need to see. The message is squarely aimed at teens, even younger ones, and parents need to take heed. In the guise of a comedy, a good one at that, Charlie Bartlett has something meaningful to say about the excuses we use to justify our behavior and the chemical coping methods so many of us cling to. And it's d*mn funny.

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30 out of 43 people found the following comment useful :-
A superbly acted and highly absorbing comedy film, 11 February 2008

Author: vovazhd from United States

Charlie Bartlett is a comedy film about Charlie, a rich kid who drops out of a private high school and experiences culture shock after enrolling into a public school. After being an outcast for a few days, he gains popularity by setting up a dubious enterprise that distributes medical drugs around the school. At the same time, he discovers that he has an ability to counsel and give advice to other students. Their problems include substance abuse, depression, and identity crisis. It turns out that the adults also have problems of their own. Charlie soon learns that things are not as simple as he originally expected.

The acting is the best aspect of the film. Anton Yelchin fits perfectly as Charlie. He has the ideal attitude and personality for the role. The gestures and facial expressions are spot on. This makes for an extremely likable and charismatic main character. For most of the film, Principal Gardner serves as Charlie's opposition. Robert Downy Jr. does a terrific job as Gardner, conveying a wide range of emotions that makes you truly sympathize him. The rest of the cast (mostly other students in the school) are likable in their own ways. Despite their personal flaws, you can see a change in most (although not all) of them throughout the film.

The plot has some good ideas in it. It carries some great messages about our personal and social lives. I would have liked to see some of the plot lines carried further. For example, the story surrounding Charlie's father is very artificial and felt like it was tagged on simply to make Charlie look more imperfect. With a little imagination, a whole lot more could have been done with it. Also, it felt like the conclusion did not implement all the ideas together.

The dialog and writing was a mixed result. Generally, it was good and even excelled at some moments. But there were other parts that seemed too over the top or plain silly. Granted, it was walking a thin line between comedy and drama, but it could have felt more realistic.

I hope I don't sound too critical, because I enjoyed Charlie Bartlett and would definitely watch it again. The characters were good and the plot was interesting. It has more substance than the usual comedy. If IMDb's voting scales were more incremented, it would perfectly fit in as a 7.5/10. A good comedy to start the year off, don't hesitate to check it out.

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22 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
Charlie Bartlett – Session is in, 19 February 2008
Author: soccer_superstar07 from Canada

I highly doubt many of those who are reading this are old enough to remember the year 1986, or the theatrical release Ferris Bueller's Day Off (John Hughes). Still, I trust that there are those of you have seen the movie on TV, or DVD, or even on the prehistoric VHS. Well, the small-budget, diamond in the dust movie of the year borrows heavily from it, taking both old and new material and making it into something fresh. This hidden gem is Charlie Bartlett.

Charlie Bartlett is the story of a young high school student with roots in royalty. Seemingly destined for a posh life, he constantly finds himself in situations involving expulsions due to fraud (hundreds of fake I.D.s given to schoolmates, for example). Soon, Charlie has been kicked out of nearly every private school within 100 miles of his house-mansion. With no alternatives left, Charlie quickly finds himself attending a public school with regular, everyday students. From here, he decides the only way to fit in is to become a lord of sorts, and begins handing out prescription drugs to those students truly in need with no way of getting them, while playing the role of psychiatrist. Of course, this bears consequences in the form of the principle…And said principle's daughter.

An intelligent and witty movie, Charlie Bartlett is this generations Ferris Bueller. From the smooth, careless main character, to the parents being completely exaggerated in every manner, it all fits. The dialogue flows well and is witty throughout. Many teens will walk out thinking "That's not how teens talk!" Well, take it from a teen. There are those out there who would rather die than be seen writing out "Lyke Omg I luv ur new shoez!".

Now, the acting. Easily the best part of the movie, and also the weakest link. Up and coming actor Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) plays the role perfectly, never missing a beat. He plays happy and carefree when he needs to, but the next second he's so smug you want to smack him. It's perfection in the form of a teen. And of course, we have Robert Downey Jr. (Zodiac, Iron Man) gracing the screen in the form of Principle Gardner. The chemistry between the two hits every note, and doesn't waver for a minute. But, where perfection is seen, flaws are even more defined. Next to the two leads, many of the actors filling in the smaller roles seem to almost be trying to match them. And it doesn't come off well, with over-acting filling many scenes. Still, do not let it perturb you, as the powerful presentations easily overshadow the lesser ones.

My only nitpick in the movie that really took anything out of the movie… It was very obviously written by middle aged men trying to put themselves in the shoes of teens. In places it worked, but in others it came across as very forced and unrealistic. The school is very paint by the numbers. Let blue represent jocks, play out red as the airheaded cheerleaders and throw yellow in for the geeks, and you can paint a portrait of cliché.

All this being said, the movie has its up and downs. Depending on your mood, this movie could be for you. If you're looking for a smart movie with witty dialogue and good acting, and are willing to temporarily suspend everything you know of high school, this movies for you. Otherwise, for those more plot less, action oriented movie fans… Well, there's always Jumper.

4 out of 5 stars

Words – 599

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43 out of 76 people found the following comment useful :-
Rare Heart, 30 June 2007

Author: Ben Zolno (hardcoresocrates) from United States

If no studio wants to invest in your film, it's because they know that unless all the stars align with your project, they're not going to make money. Well, the filmmakers here -- from the producers to the PA's -- obviously labored enough to force those stars into line, and make a terrific film that is bound to bring box office returns.

As a filmmaker watching this film, what confused me at first was how, as the story begins, there seems to be no structure, but it still made me hang on every word. Like any good film, that structure remained invisible throughout the whole film; it was only in retrospect that I could see how well this journey was laid out for us to effortlessly enjoy ourselves with realistic comedy, absurdist comedy, genuine romance, genuine father/daughter struggles and a variety of questions we should be all be asking ourselves. No filmmaker-knows-all solutions here.

This has an R rating, because the MPAA is afraid that kids can't handle talk about teenage Ritalin use. Either we all embrace the neo-comic book code era http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6543/, or we have to convince the industry to ditch this mindless censorship club that attempts to protect our children from the new perspectives that they need more than ever.

Tell them what you think at www.mpaa.org/AboutUsContactUs.asp

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25 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
A smart and funny teen movie, 9 February 2008

Author: desiplaya from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is one of the few teen comedies that actually works.

The script is fantastic and I loved the premise. Sure you can easily predict what will happen. The bully who becomes friends with the protagonist, the relationship with Charlie and the principal but it's still fun to watch. There are some illogical things in the plot such as how does he get time to talk to all the people in the bathroom during school. The effects of Ritalin were exaggerated but it was hilarious to watch.

The actors really do great jobs. Anton Yelchin, who plays Charlie, has a bright future ahead of him after see this. Kat Dennings plays her part right and Hope Davis is hilarious as the Charlie's quirky mother. Robert Downey Jr. adds another great performance to his resume as the alcoholic principal who just happens to be the father of Charlie's girlfriend. Another person I would add to this list is Tyler Hilton. He plays the bully who becomes friends with Charlie and I thought he did a really good job. If I had to pick two people who give the best performances it would have to be Anton Yelchin and Robert Downey Jr.

I really liked this movie and you should definitely check it out if you like teen comedies.

9/10

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11 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Ritalin and comedy mix well, 20 February 2008

Author: LayerCake from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

'Charlie Bartlett' follows 17 year old rich boy loner, Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yechlin). He doesn't have any friends and gets kicked out of numerous private schools. He is addicted to trouble and challenging authority. The main point behind that is that his father was arrested for tax evasion, sending his mother into a manically depressed state. Charlie was then forced to take care for his mother thus having no one to look after himself, he was an adult before he even became a teenager. You later find out that he hates his father for this, stealing his childhood.

Charlie is kicked out of his last private school, the reason this time is for making fake ID's, he is then sent to a public school. Right when he arrives, you see the typical clicks in an all too fake montage, the pot heads, skaters, jocks and outcasts. He is greeted by no one, except a mentally unstable mongoloid named, Len Arbuckle. He becomes friends with Len and people start to notice that Charlie is not like them. You are then exposed to other characters, Principal Gardnes (Robert Downey Jr.), his daughter Susan (Kat Dennings) and the school bully Murphy Bivens (Tyler Hilton). Charlie runs with an unusual crowd, that is for sure.

Next in the story is a loner named Kip Crombwell (Mark Rendall) who asks Charlie if he can get him prescription drugs after a fiasco involving a school dance and Ritalin. Charlie of course agrees, all he really cares about is becoming popular and fitting in for once. The word then gets out about this little drug cartel Charlie has in his power. He and Murphy start to to get medication for all the kids at the school. Charlie runs a little psychiatrist office out of one of the boys' bathrooms. He asks the kids their problems, then recites them to his own psychiatrist thus getting the drugs.

The story is good, it lacks certain qualities that just don't seem believable, but then again this is a high school comedy, those traits aren't required. Anton Yechlin is great as Charlie Bartlett, it shows that this young kid has potential. I envisioned the film to be this dark teen comedy, but it turned into a quirky film about the high school body and drug abuse. The two surprisingly worked damn well together.

Hope Davis plays Charlie's neurotic mother. Her performance is the best in the film. She is so estranged from reality by her own medication that she seems like Charlie's daughter. She plays with the same quirkiness Kim Darby did as John Cusack's mother in the film 'Better Off Dead...'. The other adult in the film is Robert Downey Jr. He plays an alcoholic school principal. He also is a fan of boats. Look for some great scenes with him and Yechlin in the end of the movie.

All in all this a great representation of what high school is like for certain kids in their certain clicks, it tackles these topics with witty dialog and humor. For the most part it works, but sometimes in the few serious scenes, the shouldn't have flipped the humor switch back on so fast.

See this movie Friday, it's the first great movie of the year.

MY RATING: 8.0/10.0

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21 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
Charlie Bartlett: Amateur Thievery, 12 February 2008

Author: arcticcarrot from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This film infuriated me enough that I'm not certain I can write sensibly about it. So forgive me if I begin to rant. The thing is, this movie blatantly rips off several movies that I love, including "Harold And Maude," "Pump Up The Volume," "Some Kind Of Wonderful," "Sixteen Candles," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Rushmore." It is not an homage to these films. It's simple thievery. And not done by an adept thief, but by an amateur. Meaning the thievery doesn't even work.

The song "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" was written by Cat Stevens specifically for the film "Harold And Maude" (one of only two songs written for that film, the other being "Don't Be Shy"). In this film it's used twice, the first time as a duet on the piano, just as it's used the first time in "Harold And Maude," which is annoying enough. But the second time, it doesn't fit at all. It's used to end a play - a play that is supposed to be controversial, by the way, but which clearly isn't - written by a student. So Gustin Nash has the student be a thief as well - this poor suicidal character (the suicide attempt, incidentally, is straight out of "Pump Up The Volume," as is Charlie Bartlett's speech near the end and his subsequent arrest - in fact, as he is put into the back of the police car in slow motion, I couldn't help but turn to my friends and say "Talk hard"). So the play within the film ends with a song stolen from a much better film - but doesn't fit at all. Also, they didn't get the lyrics right, but that's insignificant when compared to the larger problems of this movie.

If you do decide to see this film, I suggest a way to enjoy it: shout out the title of the movie each scene is stealing from. I'll give you a hint. When the movie begins - and I mean the second it starts - shout out, "Rushmore." You'll be ahead of the game.

The first scene is the first scene from "Rushmore." A teenager's fantasy about standing in front of his peers, being successful and leading the way - and then getting shaken out of his reverie by a teacher. Actually, the first several scenes are from "Rushmore." The boy gets kicked out of private school, ends up in public school, but still wears the blazer with the private school emblem on it.

But Gustin Nash is not content to steal from just "Harold And Maude" and "Rushmore." We're soon introduced to the bully from "Some Kind Of Wonderful," and - surprise, surprise - he and the main character become friends. And he, like Elias Koteas in the better film, has hidden artistic talent. He can act. So, like in "Rushmore," the bully is in the play at the end of the film. We also have the scene from "Sixteen Candles" where a couple leave a dance to go sit in the backseat of broken car within the building. Of course, before that we're treated to the school bus ride from "Sixteen Candles." That reminds me. There is a school bus sign to let Charlie Bartlett know where to catch the bus, yet no one else gets on at that stop. So why was the sign there? Did the bus always stop there, even when there were no students? Or did they just put the sign up that day for him?

Well, this movie is not the worst film I've ever seen. There is actually some good acting in it, especially by Kat Dennings as Susan, Charlie's love interest, and Tyler Hilton as the bully. And of course Hope Davis is always good. And Robert Downey Jr., an actor I love, does the best he can with the material - but he does fall flat in several scenes, particularly a horrible scene involving him waving a gun around next to his pool. I could go on for several pages about all that is wrong with that scene, but I won't. Because I hope by now I've convinced you to stay far away from this film. Don't let this amateur thief have a hit. Let him fade quietly away.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Downey Jr. and Davis are hard to Dislike, 21 March 2008

Author: Marty from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Robert Downey Jr. and Hope Davis deliver the best of this movie. Aton Yelchin (as the title character), who I've liked in previous films, turns an annoying and aggravating performance here. To understand all that Anton Yelchin has to offer in terms of film acting, rent ALPHA DOG and skip this.

The character-development is achieved with clichés. You have the bully, his sidekick, the pretty cheerleader, the nonconformist condemning the school's security cameras, the suicidal student, the jock, and the pretty girl who sees something in the nerdy new kid, Charlie Bartlett.

The movie's not a total loss; there are some funny scenes, such as the idea of Mrs. Barlett (Hope Davis) having a psychiatrist on call. And the principal (Robert Downey Jr.) has a humorous exchange with Charlie, after informing him his shenanigans put someone in the hospital.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
I wound up liking this., 3 July 2008

Author: Jay Harris (sirbossman6969@yahoo.com) from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

As a Senior Citizen, this type of movie is supposedly not for me.

I rented it for one reason the 2 Stars.

Anton Yelchin & Robert Downey.

Young Mr Yelchin, I predict will be one of our top actors, Besides having talent & good looks he has the rare ability of making his obnoxious rich kid brat completely likable. It is near the kind of role the exuberant Mickey Rooney played, BUT Mickey had Judge Hardy to reel him in & it was a different era.( NO DRUGS then) Here his father is missing (we find out why later( also a quirky mother played by HOPE DAVIS, you an hate & love her at same time, More than once I was wishing Charlie (Anton) would get a good hard spanking,BUT they don't spank them any longer/

After the first 30 minutes I was almost ready not to like the film, BUT I am glad I stayed, We eventually hear some real truths about how & why young people & adults act the way we do.

I must not forget to tell about Robert Downey as the overworked High School principal. As usual he is superb. There are a few scenes of his, that could of been taken from his own problems awhile back.

The rest of the cast(new faces to me) perform quite well. The entire production is equally good,It has a fitting song score.

Do not get me wrong, this is no prize winner BUT if you stay all the way y through it I feel you will be entertained,.

Ratings: *** (out of 4) 85 (points (out of 100) IMDb 8 (out of 10)

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