Would've made a swell student film for Durst, a safe haven for the rocker to work out his film school inclinations. As a feature-length requiem for the disturbed soul, this picture is woefully ineffective.
The Education of Charlie Banks (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:26
Fresh:13
Rotten:13
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: Unevenness and earnestness mire this otherwise sweet, surprising coming of age drama.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] or pervasive language, some violence, sexual content and drug and alcohol use.
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Mar 27, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: This impressive directorial debut from Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst revolves around an intelligent young man named Charlie (played by Jessie Eisenberg of THE SQUID AND THE WHALE) and his tense... This impressive directorial debut from Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst revolves around an intelligent young man named Charlie (played by Jessie Eisenberg of THE SQUID AND THE WHALE) and his tense adult relationship with the neighborhood bully of his youth. Growing up in a tough part of New York City in the 1970s, Charlie notices, but makes a point of avoiding, Mitch, a kid who is chasing girls and beating kids up in the fourth grade. But Charlie's best friend, Danny (Chris Marquette), is eager to prove his toughness, and befriends Mitch as they enter adolescence. One fateful evening Mitch almost kills two guys in Charlie's presence, so Charlie goes to the cops--then becomes terrified and refuses to testify. But the potential cost of what he's done haunts him for years to come, until one day Mitch shows up unannounced at the prestigious college Charlie and Danny attend, bringing with him a silent threat. As Charlie prays for Mitch to go back home, Mitch takes everyone by surprise and tries to fit in and change. In his attempts to assimilate to a new world of intellect and wealth, he goes for the girl of Charlie's dreams, and changes the friendship dynamic Charlie has worked so hard to create. As Mitch becomes increasingly involved in a world unlike the one he came from, tensions grow and truths risk breaking the surface. THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS features stellar performances from Jesse Eisenberg as well as Jason Ritter, who manages to create a charismatic and sympathetic character with tragic limitations. Eisenberg forms the film's moral core, with Eva Amurri giving substance to the female character both men lust for. Durst succeeds in creating a real sense of place, with sets, wardrobe, and music choices adding up to a believable whole. [More]
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Chris Marquette, Eva Amurri
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Chris Marquette, Eva Amurri, Sebastian Stan, Gloria Votsis
Director: Fred Durst
Director: Fred Durst
Producer: Marisa Polvino
Screenwriter: Peter Elkoff
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
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Release:
May 28, 2009
Reviews for The Education of Charlie Banks
It's just a shame the story wasn't handled as a simple memoir, rather than some sort of cautionary tale.
One of those voice-over memory stories about a college student coming to terms with the bully who haunted his childhood.
An earnest, if romanticized, examination of the American class system in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the eternally confounding politics of acceptance and exclusion.
A surprisingly amiable coming-of-age tale that is especially remarkable for its honesty about class.
A film that succeeds at being good without really succeeding in being worthwhile.
There are some things to like about The Education of Charlie Banks, but also plenty that detracts from what could be an interesting story.
You take one scene that doesn’t quite get there followed by another scene that doesn’t quite get there, all of a sudden you’ve got a movie that doesn’t quite get there.
Unnerving and uneven college drama is well-acted but doesn't seem to know what it's trying to say.
Too often Durst's direction is overly earnest, heavy in long takes, atmosphere wise but scene foolish.
The Education of Charlie Banks wants to be The Great Gatsby of college movies. It falls a tad short.
Thanks to sincere performances (most notably from Mr. Ritter and Eva Amurri as Charlie’s upper-crust crush) and clever writing (by Peter Elkoff), the movie never becomes maudlin.
The film's potential cynicism is suffocated with a TV movie flatness, occasionally--and egregiously--spackled with sentimental music that makes it sag when it should slice.
There's enough sweetness, and enough just-under-the-surface intelligence, in "The Education of Charlie Banks" to suggest that Durst may have a future as a filmmaker.
If you're at all intrigued by the idea of exploring angst and anomie among the entitled upper crust, then this Ivy League variation on Fight Club just might satiate that effete brand of bloodlust.
Another nicely understated performance from Jesse Eisenberg anchors this shambling drama, the latest film from Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst.
If Banks had actually opened pre-Longshots it would have signaled a surprisingly smart start for Durst's filmmaking career.
Latest News for The Education of Charlie Banks
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