CHARLIE BARTLETT belongs to the welcome category of teen movie that caters to both teens and adults.  Originally slated for an August 2007 release and then shelved, CHARLIE BARTLETT arrives at the appropriate time, hot on the heels of the box-office successful and similar JUNO.  CHARLIE BARTLETT is reminiscent of intelligent films about teens like ELECTION and 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT HER.

BARTLETT plays like NAPOLEON DYNAMITE with brains.  Charlie (Anton Yeltsin) is a rich kid kicked out from one private school after another.  Landing in his first public school, Bobby learns to deal with fitting in, settling bullies, romance while establishing himself as a student psychiatrist making a fortune selling prescription feel-better drugs.  Mother Marilyn (Hope Davis) doesn’t care – father is in prison – but the school principal (Robert Downey Jr.) and hard drinking father of the girl, Susan (Kat Dennings) he is dating is pissed off.  Think Mathew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon in ELECTION.

Director Poll (editor of the AUSTIN POWER films) moves his film fast with good comedic timing.  Yeltsin is winning as the underdog made good.  Whether being beaten up by the bully (Tyler Hilton), playing the piano or shagging his date, he does better than well.  And he cares for his dear mother.  Who cannot help but root for such a character?  The adult characters – Downey’s principal and Hope’s mother are well written with relevant things to say to the younger ones.  The film has an overall upbeat spirit aided by its lively music, slowing down only slightly during the romance scenes in the middle.

But one wonders what these teens learn in their classrooms.  Poll’s film is noticeably lacking in this department.  No teachers roles are written into the script either.

Though it might be argued that the film ties the ends too neatly together – Bobbie gets his girl; solves his mother’s pill popping problem and comes to terms with his father’s demise – Poll’s film about likeable characters with everyday problems takes one initially on a ride in which one isn’t sure of the outcome.  At times, the script rises to a certain brilliance.  Isn’t it the aim of every teenager to be well liked?” claims Charlie at two points in the movie.  The answer forwarded by the unlikeable principal is both relevant and a surprise.  At least this is one teen comedy rescued from fart, puke and ***censored*** jokes.