 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Charlie Bartlett
- Review Date: February 17, 2008
- R
- Genre: Comedy
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Edgy high school comedy better for mature viewers.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this mature comedy about high school students is full of images of and references to pills, other drugs, beer, and liquor (all of which are used by the students, who also smoke). Characters discuss suicide, depression, and troubled parent-child relationships. There are images of brutal "fight videos" made by the students, a gun wielded by a potential suicide, and a raucous student demonstration. The hero loses his virginity (off screen, after some kissing scenes), and there's some strong language, including "f--k."
What's the story?
Angry at his absent father and alcoholic mother, the hero of CHARLIE BARTLETT looks for ways to act out. When he's expelled from yet another prep school for forging IDs, Charlie (Anton Yelchin) lands at a public school, where he becomes popular when he starts dispensing advice and drugs to his classmates, repurposing the medications (Ritalin, Xanax, Prozac) prescribed by his own doctor and listening to fretful teens in the faux confessionals of the boys' room stalls. While Charlie feels increasingly comfortable with school bully Murphey (Tyler Hilton) and his most enthusiastic "client," the depressed Kip (Mark Rendall), it's clear that he'll eventually need to come to terms with his choices. He gets precious little help from his mother, Marilyn (Hope Davis), and so seeks instruction and solace elsewhere -- namely, his new principal, the lonely, approval-seeking Mr. Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.), and his beautiful, rebel-ready daughter, Susan (Kat Dennings).
Is it any good?
Yet another movie-styled high school smirker, Charlie is surely clever, but he's also unoriginal. While he takes his search for identity/family/community/popularity to topical extremes (selling pills, offering psychobabbley counsel, and filming homemade fight videos), he follows a familiar coming-of-age course that's better suited for adult viewers familiar with his cinematic precursors than those currently in the throes of high school themselves. The contrivance of Charlie's story, the convenient ineptness of his mother, and the rallying of his peers don't so much extol the virtues of public education -- or even the wondrous discoveries of adolescence -- as they rehearse clichés (will Charlie lose his virginity as he so desires? Guess!).
This isn't to say that particular moments in the film don't resonate with a kind of energy or wit (particularly the featuring Downey, who brings a perfect pitch of weariness, frustration, and hope to his exchanges with the students). But as Charlie must learn his own limits and the value of being "himself," the film turns increasingly predictable.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the movie's messages about our "fast-fix" culture, in which drugs are prescribed to smooth over emotional or social problems. Do you agree with the statements the film is making? Which parts do you think are exaggerated for humor? Families can also discuss the tensions between Charlie and his parents. How does the principal become a surrogate father? How could the characters -- both kid and adult -- be more supportive and smart in dealing with each other?
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AGE
it's appropriate parents, so chill out
I honestly hate it when adults say movies such as this aren't age appropriate for teenagers. There is absolutely nothing in this movie that any highschooler hasn't seen or been exposed to before. Overall I felt like this movie was fantastic. The characters were well-developed and interesting and the story was unique. If you are debating on whether to watch this or not, GO FOR IT. You won't be at all sorry you did.
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AGE
SM, if you say that this movie is OFF for anyone under 18 then you are obviously ignorant of high school life. Do you even have a teenage child? This movie was a masterpiece dramedy. Yes, i will admit that there were some parts that may be inappropriate but I can almost 100% assure you that EVERY teenager hears and probably talks about these things every single day at school. I think anyone in high school could see this movie and should. It deals with some really important issues and it shows how people handle them..maybe not always in a good way..but they learn from their mistakes. I am 16 and I watched this movie with my mom. My mom is very iffy about watching movies and she hates the "f" word and drugs and there was not that much "f" word use in this movie anyway and the parts with drugs weren't presented as kids using them (at least the prescription drugs) to get high. The kids truly needed help and they were too scared to go to their judgmental parents to ask for it (which i'm sorry to say is a big problem today). If you are in high school, see this movie, it will make you think about your life in a positive way.
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AGE
ADULTS ONLY
Not, not, not for anyone under 18...interesting and entertaining for adults. Acting was very good all around--Robery Downey Jr is certainly back--he's fantastic--all the younger actors were spot on. Storyline is both funny and serious. Solid but no award winning here. Violence, sex, drug use....again, this one is NOT FOR KIDS.
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AGE
Good for kids in high school if they understand the characters aren't role models
This is a great movie, but not for younger teens. It captures the teenage feeling and the moments. Downey is fantastic.
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AGE
Charlie Bartlett is amazing... said by my whole family.
I went to this movie with my dad and stepmom. All of us agreed that it was one of the best movies this year. All these other reviews said it was so inappropriate but this was less than other movies. A little bit of cursing is not that bad. It had one or two scenes where a few kids were smoking some weed but the scene does not revolve around it. There is pill usage and cigarettes. Are legal cigarettes that innapropritate for a 13 or 14 year old to watch being smoked??? There is 2 parts where suicide is attempted but its not graphic. It may not be appropriate for everyone but it is a must see and isn't as innapropriate as said. Anton Yelchin and Tyler Hilton were amazing in this movie. It is a comedy with a message and is wildly entertaining. If you want a good, touching movie mixed with comedy... see this movie.
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AGE
GREAT MOVIE! mature 14+
This was a amazing movie! Great acting! It is about a boy faking metal problems to sell drugs at school. There is some school bullying as in punching and swirly's. There is some language but it can be handled by mature 14+. There is also a sort of "sex" scene. It does not show any nudity, but just kissing. When they are done he tells the school it was his "first time" which tells you it was sex.
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| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Jon Poll |
| Cast: | Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis, Robert Downey Jr. |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 97 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 21, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | June 23, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | language, drug content and brief nudity. |
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