Charlie Bartlett

The Borg Queen reviews another DVD release

Charlie Bartlett - B

I enjoyed this movie because it was different and generally well acted. It is a story about a rich teenage boy with a relatively unstable but likeable mother. He gets kicked out of private school and enrolls in public school, where he finds that his easy access to psychiatrists, and therefore prescription drugs, puts him in a position to become the counselor for the student body. The cast includes Anton Yelchin (Star Trek), Robert Downey Jr., (Iron Man), Hope Davis (The Hoax), and Kat Dennings (House Bunny). It is a charming, honest story about Charlie as he learns to adapt to his new school, befriend a bully, develop a relationship with the principal's daughter, and deal with the relationship he has with his mother and his non-present father. It also has subplots about the principal (Robert Downey Jr.) and his struggles to acquire the respect of his students, cope with alcoholism, and repair the relationship with his daughter. It is not oscar-worthy, but it is a good flick for a night in.