BART GOT A ROOM.  If the biggest geek got a room (later upgraded to a suite to make matters worse and more competitive), high school senior Danny (Newcomer Steven Kaplan) has to at least equal Bart.  The running joke obviously is heard several times throughout writer/director Brian Heckler’s sweet somewhat comedy based on his early experiences.

While the story hinges on Danny getting a girl (and room and limo) for the prom, the rather inventive script calls for other aspects in Danny’s life to evolve.  His relationship with his long term best girl friend Camille (Alia Shawkat) and with his recently divorced parents, Ernie (William H. Macy) and Beth (Cheryl Hines) are other neat sidetracks to the story.  Whether Danny gets his girl (obviously Camille) is immaterial, but as films in this genre go, Danny comes off smarter, coming-of-age and if a happy ending ensues, all the better.

Hecker’s film has an authentic feel to it – primarily because he has set in distinctly in South Florida where he grew up.  The surrounding environment from the retirement homes, neighborhood restaurants (one key scene takes place in a Cuban one) aided by a swing-era soundtrack create the atmosphere and backdrop of Danny’s world.  It helps too, that most of the characters are real despite the fact that Hecker attempts to go against cliché for example in segments where Ernie seeks his kid’s advice on his love life.  Though admirable, these parts look as if Hecker is too desperate to give his film an edgy feel.  The film contains a few neat comedic set-ups like the ice cream and the prostitute escorts scenes, but one wishes that Hecker would have milked them for more humour and bite.  His film reminds one of the Woody Allen films – partly for the reason that his hero is also Jewish but mostly that his hero is always trying to better himself and unable to do so because of circumstances beyond his control.  One of Hecker’s favourite filmmakers is Allen and it shows.

The trouble with Hecker’s film is much like the problem with his principal character.  Danny is an overall well-intentioned (wants parents to come back together; never wishes ill on his pals), reasonably intelligent and humorous guy.  And so is the film.  Sweet but not sour enough to have enough bite, BART GOT A ROOM is smart but not brilliant and funny but just not funny enough.  The end result is barely passable entertainment that could have been better in better hands.