CHARLIE BARTLETT
CAROLINE: “Charlie Bartlett” is an hilarious film with Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis and my new favorite teen actress, Kat Dennings, who also played the daughter of Catherine Keener in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”
RYAN: And, as you reminded me, she had a very memorable role on “Sex and the City” as a precocious bas mitzvah girl.
CAROLINE: Why don’t we see her on the red carpet all the time like Hayden Panettiere?
RYAN: Because she’s not whoring herself out for the press. BTW in this movie, she is the perfect cross between Rose McGowan and Hilary Duff. She also sings in this movie, but sadly does not have a good voice.
CAROLINE: Really? I thought it was decent.
RYAN: She was on pitch, but I was like, “Why not hire someone who can really sing?”
CAROLINE: Well, I thought she really held her own in this movie. She’s a great actress, and I’m really into her. And the guy who plays Charlie Bartlett was equally great. He plays a rich kid who causes a stir at his public school by offering psychiatric services in the boys’ room.
RYAN: The tones of his voice totally reminded me of Christian Slater, which brings me to my next point. This movie was very “Heathers” to me. I think it’s “Heathers” for a new generation.
CAROLINE: Maybe a little, but to me it’s much more “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” It’s not quite as comic, but it’s got the whole high school rebellion thing. Overall, it’s just nice to see a smart high school movie that isn’t just a gross-out comedy.
RYAN: But it’s still very funny. We both laughed out loud several times. I think college and high school kids will love it.
CAROLINE: Let’s talk more about Robert Downey Jr. who is aging like a fine wine. Even though his liver and kidneys are probably black, the man looks fabulous. Why has no one cast him as a principal before? He was perfect.
RYAN: There was one scene when he was sitting behind a desk that he so reminded me of his character Larry Paul on “Ally McBeal.” This role in “Charlie Bartlett” is one of the most fantastic roles I’ve seen him in. Interestingly, he plays an alcoholic, which he definitely knows how to play.
CAROLINE: It wasn’t too big a stretch for him.
RYAN: Hope Davis plays Charlie Bartlett’s mom, and this might be my favorite role of hers ever. She’s funny, endearing and silly.
CAROLINE: She plays WASPy very well. She had the perfect hair, the perfect outfits and the perfect pill-popping habit. She really nailed the rich mom attitude.
RYAN: And the boy who played Murphy had really beautiful blue eyes.
CAROLINE: He reminded me of Link in the original “Hairspray.”
RYAN: What’s your bottom line?
CAROLINE: Some scenes were slightly melodramatic, but the acting was great and I really enjoyed this film. The casting was really well done, and it’s a combination of both a fun and serious high school movie.
RYAN: It was definitely entertaining, and I liked that the film was also able to be moralistic without hitting you over the head with the message.
CAROLINE: I think it addresses things that kids are actually going through like depression and self-medication in a pretty real way. Not that I would really know what high school kids are going through.
RYAN: But we’ve all been expelled before.
CAROLINE: Speak for yourself.