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Charlie Bartlett
MGM


6.7

based on 25 reviews
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based on 24 votes
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MPAA RATING: R for language, drug content and brief nudity

Starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, Kat Dennings, Tyler Hilton, Ishan Davé, Megan Park, and Jonathan Malen

Charlie Bartlett, a wealthy, intelligent 17-year-old, has been kicked out of nearly every boarding school in town and is now enrolled in the local public high school, headed by the reluctant Principal Gardner. Initially struggling to find a place in the new school, Charlie eventually establishes himself as the supportive listener who dispenses well-needed advice, and the occasional prescription, to mixed-up teens. As intuitive Charlie befriends and emotionally influences nearly every student at Western Summit High, the entire school begins to transform into a very different place. (Kimmel International)

GENRE(S):	Comedy
WRITTEN BY:	Gustin Nash
DIRECTED BY:	Jon Poll
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: June 24, 2008 Theatrical: February 22, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	97 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Yelchin delivers one of those performances that pop eyes... It's a breakthrough role.

Variety Ronnie Scheib

Rollicking story of a rich kid whose wildly successful bid for popularity has him playing drug-distributing shrink to an entire high school boasts pitch-perfect faceoffs between upstart Anton Yelchin and alcoholic principal Robert Downey Jr. that could fuel a chemistry lab.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

I would classify Charlie Bartlett as a smart teen film. It's more ambitious and overall more successful than its '80s forebears even though the resemblance is unmistakable.

USA Today Claudia Puig

A refreshingly entertaining character study that refuses to dumb down its youthful cast or bury their concerns in service of a catchy soundtrack.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

What the movie lacks in technical polish (it's not very handsome-looking) and dramatic perfection, it makes up for in unusual social sophistication.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

With its rebellious themes and pharmaceutical props - Ritalin, Prozac, Xanax all get doled out - Charlie Bartlett isn't going to win any awards from parent-teacher groups. But the underlying message of the film, with its nods to "Catcher in the Rye" and - '70s throwback here - "Harold and Maude," is a good one.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

It reminded me of "Pump Up the Volume" in many ways.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

The film functions as a high-wire act that can leave you giddy with laughter.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Starts to get a bit preachy as it works its way toward a climax heavily influenced by "Rushmore," but it's still well above average for this type of film.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Jon Poll's harmless, occasionally entertaining debut feature.

Empire Sam Toy

After a strong start, the story ceases to challenge itself and its characters, offering easy options and a Prozac-soft finish.

Village Voice Ella Taylor

Like most wannabe heroes of the eager-to-please teen comedy, poor little rich boy Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is too charming by half and not nearly quirky enough.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

If the attention span of Charlie Bartlett didn’t wander here and there, the movie might have been a high school satire worthy of comparison with Alexander Payne’s “Election.” But as it dashes around and eventually turns soft, it loses its train of thought.

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

Instead of a unique directorial style and a memorable soundtrack, we get a movie that, visually and aurally, pretty much goes by the book.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Robert Downey Jr. is an uncomfortable sight as the school's hard-drinking, overstressed principal.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Sequences like the silly montage of Charlie on Ritalin (which just looks like the precious doodles of a former editor), grievously underdeveloped characters, and heavy heapings of sap instead of snark keep Charlie Bartlett from making the dean’s list.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

Watching Charlie Bartlett only makes Wes Anderson's work seem more accomplished by comparison, because it underscores that thin line separating the agreeably fanciful from the overbearingly precious.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Decent acting forestalls the inevitable collapse for a long time.

San Francisco Chronicle David Wiegand

A relentlessly earnest teen film.

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

For the most part, it's an uneven if amiable and occasionally inspired comedy about getting through adolescence that hits some false notes along the way.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Actually, occasionally, does feel good. Now if only it had something to say.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Spending more time with Downey's character would have benefited this movie no end.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

The movie feels forced, cliched and derivative.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

The dismal high school comedy Charlie Bartlett has the look, feel and sentiment of a made-for-video cheapie that might have been grudgingly whipped together by Robert Downey Jr. as some sort of court-ordered community service project for his many drug busts.

Chicago Tribune Tasha Robinson

Are teenagers really supposed to identify with a clumsy caricature such as Charlie, who, in spite of all his expulsions and school crimes, comes across as a gawping, perpetually surprised infant in an adult body?

The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ryan M. gave it a3:
Ughh!! Unbearable!! So poorly acted. Lame, predictable, overbearing, egotistical character. Nothing real about the character or plot. Nothing felt sincere. Add in a horrible actor, and this movie was a huge disappointment. Was looking for witty, original, quirky and real. Everything seemed borrowed and quite the opposite of anything genuine.

Jay H. gave it a6:
Offbeat with a fairly original approach. More than one scene reminded my of Harold and Maude. Good use of music, nice score. Appealing film with effective performances.

Graham X gave it a7:
Pretty good film, light hearted and enjoyable if you don't take it all too seriously it's pretty enjoyable.

Kayleighms gave it a3:
Like its confused teenaged hero (Anton Yelchin), “Charlie Bartlett” seems to desire popularity, but isn’t sure where its target audience lies. Screenwriter Gustin Nash and director Jon Poll have compiled an indecisive mishmash of cinematic styles and genres, from teen flick to indie film, and used them all. In its best moments – either comedic or dramatic – everything clicks, and you see the “Charlie Bartlett” that could have been. Unfortunately, they are too few and far between to sustain the movie.

Drew T. gave it a9:
I loved this film, there were a lot of interesting plot twists, heck, story in general was awesome. Yelchin was excellent, Robert Downey was excellent. The only thing keeping me from giving it a ten was that I was disappointed about the truth of Charlie's father, as I was expecting something that Charlie would relate to, or something, but it wasn't.

Wayne C. gave it an8:
likely that not everyone will enjoy this quirky little film, but i got a kick out of it despite its uneven quality.

Pat P gave it a5:
In my opinion, this is another case of a deceptively well made movie trailer. I went in expecting something fresh and different, but wound up experiencing an occasionally entertaining, but heavily flawed movie. It continually reminded the audience that it was similar but inferior to Wes Anderson's classic Rushmore. There were some very funny scenes sprinkled throughout, and the overall premise and several of the characters were pretty strong. Unfortunately most of these strengths are overshadowed by the glaring flaws, including: some very illogical scenes that shatter the suspension of disbelief, the predictable plot, and personally I was quite annoyed by the numerous "high schoolers" that appeared to be closer to baby boomers than teenagers. Overall, this movie does not really deliver on its promise, or on the quirky fun shown in the trailer, and ended up disappointingly mediocre.

Charlie Bartlett MGM

Charlie Bartlett
MGM