B - Rating by Robert W. Hammerle

"Charlie Bartlett" is as maddeningly enjoyable as it is wildly uneven. But even given its misses, it has an infectious spirit that is all but impossible to resist.

I must say that I admired director Jon Poll's attempt to make a 21st century version of the classic "Harold and Maude" (1971). Like Harold (Bud Cort), Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is rebelling against everything represented by his wealthy, socialite mother's world. Harold faked suicides to taunt his mother while Charlie repeatedly gets kicked out of private schools for rebellious acts such as making fake driver's licenses for his classmates.

Harold attends the funerals of strangers for entertainment, where he meets the mysterious, liberated Maude (Ruth Gordon), a headstrong feminist with a secret plan on how she will "celebrate" her forthcoming eightieth birthday. Charlie, forced to attend a public school, is a social outcast until he accidentally becomes a resident psychiatrist for all of the students and their personal problems.

Harold discovers the joy of living through his short association with Maude, while Charlie slowly begins to embrace life by providing prescription medication to many of the students in order to treat their emotional problems. Both movies use Cat Steven's (Yusalf Islam) song "If You Want to Sing Out" as its central theme.

The scenes where Charlie sets up shop in the men's bathroom stalls are hysterical. An outsider himself, he finds that he can relate to all of his emotionally troubled classmates. The strength of this movie lies in the fact that most adults still don't have the foggiest understanding of the trials and tribulations of adolescence.

Harold's socialite, clueless mother was memorably played by Vivian Pickles. (I just love her name!) The horribly underrated Hope Davis plays Charlie's mother, and she is irresistibly inept as a white wine swilling mom whose idea of discipline is never to get upset with your son. Ms. Davis is simply tremendous.

Furthermore, the irrepressible Robert Downey, Jr. also gives a memorable performance as both the principal of Charlie's public school and as the father of an angry daughter (Kat Dennings) who is Charlie's love interest.

Downey's performance in this movie is living proof of why I proposed a constitutional amendment long ago that would permit him to use illegal drugs. He is simply one of the special actors of our age, and it is a secular sin to deny the audience the pleasure of his acting in order to keep locking him up because of his drug use. (My proposal failed to find any political backing.)

In addition, Downey's principal/father is also fighting his own alcohol addiction, both past and present. His various exchanges with his daughter and Charlie are made all the more memorable knowing what he has gone through in the past himself. While this is clearly not one of Downey's great performances, nobody brings credibility to this type of character better than him.

While "Charlie Bartlett" does not have the sustained quality of superior films like "Juno," "Little Miss Sunshine" and the aforementioned "Harold and Maude," it does deserve to be mentioned in that same elite company. "Juno's" Ellen Page was the quintessential teenager wise beyond her years. As a result, she was able to bridge the gigantic gap between sixteen year olds and adults.

"Sunshine's" Paul Dano was devastatingly wonderful as the teenage son who was so disgusted with his family that he would only communicate with them in writing. (Remember his t-shirt which read "Jesus Was Wrong?") When he informed his Uncle (Steve Carell) that he wished he could just sleep through his last two years of high school, Carell reminded him that wisdom in life was usually gained only through suffering. Thus, Carell further advised, why would you want to sleep through your last two years of high school when they clearly are your "prime suffering years?"

Charlie Bartlett thought that the greatest goal in life was to be popular in high school. When he informed his mother of that fact, she responds in words to the effect, "Oh Charlie, there are so many other things." When he quickly answered, "Name one," she looked at him blankly as she took another drink of wine.

"Charlie Bartlett" is about a kid who learns that everyone feels incomplete in some manner, including adults. Any attempt at happiness in life comes only from being true to yourself and honest with others.

The ending scenes of this movie are meaningful and uplifting without in any way being hokey. One is left wishing that Hollywood had the courage to make more films like "Charlie Bartlett."