Charlie Bartlett
2008 · Directed by Jon Poll
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
- romance
The story
Awkward teenager Charlie Bartlett has trouble fitting in at a new high school. Charlie needs some friends fast, and decides that the best way to find them is to appoint himself the resident psychiatrist. He becomes one of the most popular guys in school by doling out advice and, occasionally, medication, to the student body.
What it’s like
Warm, slightly saturated suburban interiors with natural daylight through school windows, wood-panelled offices, and bright, clean hallways, shot in a loose, unfussy indie style that stays close to its characters. The mood is wry and bittersweet, a comedy with real melancholy running underneath, and it suits a lazy weekend afternoon or a comfort rewatch. Its pacing is brisk and conversational, with dialogue doing most of the work and small, awkward silences given room to land. A lonely, overly clever teenager gradually learns that being useful to others is not the same as being known, while the people around him are more fragile than they first appear. Depression, a suicide attempt, and drug addiction come up and are treated seriously, though never graphically; there is no gore and little physical violence, and the darker material is handled through conversation rather than spectacle. Mild profanity and some sexual innuendo appear. It is for viewers who enjoy witty, humane high school stories with an edge of sadness, and who are comfortable with difficult subjects handled gently.
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