Charlie Bartlett (2007)
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Reviews Counted: 131
Fresh: 74 | Rotten: 57
With engaging performances marked by an inconsistent tone, Charlie Bartlett is a mixed bag of clever teen angst comedy and muddled storytelling.
Average Rating: 5.9/10
Critic Reviews: 31
Fresh: 17 | Rotten: 14
With engaging performances marked by an inconsistent tone, Charlie Bartlett is a mixed bag of clever teen angst comedy and muddled storytelling.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 103,840
My Rating
Movie Info
Longtime film editor Jon Poll (Meet the Fockers and Austin Powers in Goldmember) makes his directorial debut with this coming-of-age comedy about a wealthy public school system newcomer (Anton Yelchin) who wins over his skeptical classmates by serving as a surrogate psychiatrist to the troubled student body. Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, and Kat Dennings co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Cast
-
Anton Yelchin
Charlie Bartlett -
Robert Downey Jr.
Principal Gardner -
Hope Davis
Marilyn Bartlett -
Kat Dennings
Susan Gardner -
Tyler Hilton
Murphy Bivens -
Mark Rendall
Kip Crombwell -
Megan Park
Whitney Drummond -
Dylan Taylor
Len Arbuckle -
Jake Epstein
Dustin Lauderbach -
Jonathan Malen
Jordan Sunder -
Derek McGrath
Superintendent Sedgwick -
Stephen Young
Dr. Stan Weathers -
Ishan Dave
Henry Freemont -
Dave Brown
Officer Hansen -
Eric Fink
Thomas -
Noam Jenkins
Dean West -
Lauren Collins
Kelly -
Annick Obonsawin
Daisy -
Sarah Gadon
Priscilla -
Aubrey Graham
A/V Jones -
Michael D'Ascenzo
Scott -
Dwayne McLean
Bus Driver -
Quancetia Hamilton
Mrs. Albertson -
Richard Campbell
Dr. Sam Costell -
Kim Roberts
Dr. Linda Jenkins -
David Fraser
Dr. Jacob Kaufmann -
Marvin Karon
Dr. P. Sarossy -
Brendan Murray
Dorm Head -
Abigail Bernardez
Cheerleader #1 -
Laura Jeanes
Cheerleader #2 -
Annamaria Janice McAndrew
Cheerleader #3 -
Amelia Tenttave
Len's Girlfriend #1 -
Annabelle Singson
Len's Girlfriend #2 -
Julia Cohen
Receptionist -
Abby Zotz
Kip's Mom -
Spiral Beach
Vocalists -
Maddy Wilde
Spiral Beach -
Airick Woodhead
Spiral Beach -
Dorian Wolf
Spiral Beach -
Daniel Woodhead
Spiral Beach
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Charlie Bartlett Trailer & Photos
All Critics (136) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (74) | Rotten (59) | DVD (9)
The movie as a whole is a sweet pill to swallow.
Top CriticCharlie Bartlett is a refreshingly entertaining character study that refuses to dumb down its youthful cast or bury their concerns in service of a catchy soundtrack.
The characters remain halfway between genuine comic creations and realistic individuals, and the whole narrative feels artificial, stuck in the tension between being a morality play and a freewheeling comedy.
Those waiting for the arrival of the next Juno may want to skip Charlie Bartlett, a relentlessly earnest teen film about a 17-year-old misfit who's been tossed out of one prep school after another for bad behavior.
Imagine an R-rated Ferris Bueller with only the most annoying parts of the younger Matthew Broderick's screen persona emphasized and you'll draw a bead on Bartlett.
A comedy that strains so hard to be edgy it nearly pulls a muscle.
Writer Gustin Nash and director Jon Poll have their Ferris Bueller thing working perfectly, with a few 2008 wrinkles.
There are sweet moments, and there are funny moments, but it all just becomes so eye-rollingly calculated that it's hard to appreciate.
'It is our duty as teenagers to piss off our parents,' Charlie says. The film succeeds only in pissing off the viewer.
The promising themes peter out as the film loses direction, though, and Bartlett is neither sympathetic enough to root for nor dumb enough to laugh at.
Charlie Bartlett plays it too safe.
Lightweight fare, but a pleasant outing.
Charlie Bartlett is a poor man's Rushmore. There is a great film waiting to be made about psychiatry, anti-depressants and our youth, but this isn't it.
Mostly this was a quirky, smart, inspiring, and surprisingly enjoyable High School movie.
Robert Downey Jr. playing an alcoholic principal lecturing on the dangers of drugs is one of those wonderfully ironic, Twilight Zone moments that only Hollywood can provide.
Charlie Bartlett is the Ferris Bueller of our drug addled age. Except he's not a fraction of the charmer ol' Ferris was.
Edgy high school comedy better for mature viewers.
Audience Reviews for Charlie Bartlett
Super Reviewer
"Popularity is a state of mind."
I am extremely pleased with Charlie Bartlett. Not that I am surprised I liked it so much, as I am a huge fan of both Anton Yelchin and Robert Downey Jr., and the premise was awesome. Sure there were plot elements that were less than unlikely and scenes that really turned up the melodrama for no particular reason, but for the most part it was a really good set in high school movie.
Charlie Bartlett gets kicked out of his fancy private school for selling fake ID's and must go back to his huge mansion with his mother and attend public school. Charlie less than fits in with the kids at this new school, so he tries to fins a way to win them over. He chooses drugs. All kids want to get high and that is his way to get popular and also make some cash on the side. Then he starts offering psychiatric help for all the kids in his school in the bathroom. The principal isn't very fond of him and that is heightened when Charlie and his daughter start hanging out.
I thought the film was extremely cool and had a pretty good concept. I like the idea of a kid no one likes finding a way to become the cool kid. Yeah it has been done before, but never like this. Yelchin owns every role he's ever had. Not once have I seen him in a movie and not been totally impressed and convinced by his performance. That is saying quite a bit since he started young. It doesn't look like he is going to fade out like some young actors do, at least I hope not.
The movie has some fun sequences and some insightful ones. The insightful ones are a little overdone, I'll admit; and yeah, there are some incredibly cliched characters. But come on, high school is one big cliche and all the characters in this film really exist in just about every high school in the world. Overall the film works because of its cool premise and two actors who nail their roles.
Super Reviewer
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- Marilyn Bartlett: Well maybe there's more to high school than being well liked.
- Charlie Bartlett: Like what specifically?
- Marilyn Bartlett: ... Nothing comes to mind.
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- Henry Freemont: This is a school not a prison!
- Principal Gardner: Thanks, because I couldn't read the sign.
-
- Dr. Stan Weathers: You don't feel normal?
- Charlie Bartlett: My Family has a psychiatrist on call, how normal can I be?
-
- Charlie Bartlett: Viagra! Virgin! Vino! Vagabond! Vagina!
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- Principal Gardner: Never attack a drunk guy with a gun.
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- Principal Gardner: There are more important things than popularity. Like what you do with that popularity.
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