Charlie Bartlett

Quite possibly the Ferris Bueller's Day Off of our time, this 2007 film about the struggle of high school has a lot to offer. Charlie Bartlett covers a majority of the problems teenagers, and adults a like, deal with. Depression, anxiety, ridicule, violence, homosexuality, judgment, love, angst, sex, alcohol, parents, justice, all in all finding out who you are and where you want to go in life. Although, the film doesn't give the best ideas on how to deal with your problems, it does have a lot of good pointers, deep messages, and touching moments, proving no matter who you are, you are not alone.

Charlie Bartlett is a suave, rich teenage boy who's very mature for his age and plays piano like a star. He's also a bit ornery, and has been expelled from a majority of the private schools around. Charlie's calm, cool, and collected mother, Marilyn, decides it's time for Charlie to stay at home and go to a public school, and of course neither one of them have any idea what Charlie will be getting himself into.

West Summit High is full of diverse characters, but Charlie doesn't seem to fit in with any of them, although the rebellious Principal's daughter took his breath away and he shares pleasant small talk with her in the hallway. With his only friend being a boy he met on the bus who seems to be a little special, Charlie is subject to all sorts of ridicule and after school beat downs. After returning home, his shockingly calm mother decides to send him to the family therapist, who decides Charlie has attention deficit disorder and prescribes him Ritalin. When the pills have an adverse affect, Charlie has a revelation and comes up with an idea that will gain him all the popularity he could ever dream of. With his plan in full swing and working wonders, Charlie is approached by a depressed classmate and decides to expand his work. He hits the school library to read up on psychology, fakes symptoms to score meds from different therapists, and opens up a make shift pharmacy based on the school's men's restroom. All seems to be going well for Charlie, but trouble slowly arises and skeletons sneak their way out of Charlie's closet, proving him to be not-so-unlike his troubled peers.

Though the probability of Charlie running this cartel out of the school bathroom unnoticed is highly unlikely, I think the morals of the story are very touching. There is an array of colorful characters, from the blonde promiscuous Whitney, to the mohawk-sporting bully Murphey, there's at least one story you can relate to. Also, a few familiar faces, seeing how a few actors from the popular teen drama Degrassi grace the screen. There's a plethora of tag lines and inspiring quotes, all of which will make you pause the movie to think or leave you wondering, not to mention a delightful piano soundtrack that compliments the film wonderfully.

I rate this inspiring film an 8.5 out of 10 stars, and I highly recommend this movie to teenagers and adults alike.