Last night I watched the movie, Charlie Bartlett, on DVD, and it wasn't until the film credits rolled that I realized the young actor playing Charlie was Anton Yelchin, who plays "Chekov" in the new Star Trek movies. Yelchin is adorable as Chekov with his extreme youth, thick Russian accent, and "can do" attitude, and he was thoroughly charming as Charlie Bartlett.
It's a strange premise for a movie. A teenage boy with a privileged background has been thrown out of several private secondary schools, inspiring his mother to enroll him in the local public school. Charlie getting onto a school bus wearing a jacket with a crest inscribed in Latin and carrying an attaché case reminded me of how Niles and Fraser from the popular TV series must have looked going to school as boys. Of course, Charlie is a duck out of water and a prime candidate for a beating from the school bully. But Charlie just aspires to be popular, and he finds that by selling prescription drugs and playing father confessor to school mates with emotional problems. He also fancies a cool young lady who happens to be the daughter of the school principal, deftly played by Robert Downey Jr., interjecting both romance and conflict into the story.
The movie was released in 2007 and apparently a lot of it was filmed in Toronto, standing in for L.A., if I remember correctly. I borrowed the DVD from the library; if you can get your hands on a copy or watch it online, I strongly recommend it.
Enjoy!
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