Not only is this the second film to open this weekend that features a cast member from the Star Trek redux (star Anton Yelchin will be Chekhov and Vantage Point's Zoe Saldana is set to play Uhura), it is the second film that plays like a smash-up of two earlier films.
In this case it combines the renegade spirit of Ferris Bueller's Day Off with a little of the aesthetic and psychiatry of Running With Scissors. The end result falls somewhere in between the two; while it does not rise to the level of Ferris Bueller, it is much more watchable and, dare I say, feels more real than Scissors. It features an engaging lead character and takes a look at the effects of prescription drugs and the ignored and alienated youth of the nation.
Charlie Bartlett (Yelchin) is a bright young kid who cannot help but find himself in trouble as he is constantly rebelling against the status quo. As the movie opens, he has been kicked out of the latest in a string of private schools. His mother, Marilyn (Hope Davis), does not seem to understand his need to rock the boat, but at the same time she does not seem particularly upset about it. Anyway, rather than try another private school, Charlie is enrolled in the local public school. He promptly shows up in suit and tie which leads to his first high school beat-down at the hands of Murphey Bivens.
Following his pummeling, he finds himself in the office of the family's on-call psychiatrist. The visit results in a prescription for Ritalin, the effects of which on kids without the need for it have been well documented. So, after a few days of taking the drug, he finds that it could be put to better use. He joins forces with the school bully and sells the pills to the rest of the school population.
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