Parents' Guide to Young Werther

Modernizing and changing the tone of a pop cultural phenomenon from the 1700s creates something that's refreshingly new. This winky, smart, fresh romcom feels something like (500) Days of Summer crossed with a Wes Anderson movie, without the aesthetic. (Though it does maintain some connections to the source material—for instance, in an early scene, a central character tells off a middle-aged man who's trying to marry her teen sister.) For parents, Young Werther might seem to be an antidote to decades of sarcastic cinematic man-babies (e.g., Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Vince Vaughn, Seth Rogen, etc.) who act irresponsibly and often disrespectfully and still get the girl, the job, and the happy ending. Young Werther is an enjoyable ride to an excellent, succinct, and memorable message.

Werther is attractive, zany, witty, and impulsive—exactly the kind of guy plenty of girls would want to hang out with before settling into a responsibility-filled but pleasant life. He's kind of a Manic Pixie Dream Guy, helping Charlotte "loosen up and enjoy life," only for her to realize that's the last thing she needs. Love triangles are much more interesting when the "rival" is actually a decent human being, and here viewers realize from the start that Albert—a world-class wonderful person who demonstrates trust, integrity, kindness, and altruism—is the catch and that the irrepressible and irresponsible dreamboat needs to grow up. (Frankly, you're never really rooting for him to get the girl.) A marvelous upending of the romantic comedy formula, Young Werther's quirky vibe and excellent soundtrack make it quite likely to appeal to teens.