Charlie Bartlett

NEW YORK (CNS) - "Heart speaks to heart." This motto, popularized by the great Victorian churchman Cardinal John Henry Newman, establishes the ambitious theme of "Charlie Bartlett" (Sidney Kimmel/MGM).

Despite some positive messages, however, the off-beat comedy is marred by crude language and some low humor.

The maxim, in its original Latin form, appears on a blazer incongruously worn by the titular character (Anton Yelchin) on his first day in public high school. Charlie's enrollment there follows his expulsion from a series of private boarding schools and represents the latest gambit to help her son by his wealthy, weak-willed mother, Marilyn (Hope Davis). (Charlie's father, we later learn, is in prison for tax evasion.)

Predictably, Charlie's overly formal attire attracts the unwelcome attention of the school's scowling bully, Murphey Bivens (Tyler Hilton), who lets Charlie know what he thinks of such duds with his fists. It's not long, however, before the charismatic Charlie has won over this hooligan with a scheme to sell their fellow students prescription drugs.

Along with the illicit medication, Charlie also dispenses amateur psychiatric advice from his "office," a stall in the boys' room. Among the students opening up to him there is Susan Gardner (Kat Dennings), a "Goth" sporting black fingernails. The two begin dating, much to the chagrin of Susan's father (Robert Downey Jr.) the school's inept, borderline alcoholic principal.

As Charlie's popularity grows, so does his self-confidence. But his reckless behavior inevitably leads to a crisis that endangers the life of one of his "patients."

Director John Poll's often droll feature debut highlights the therapeutic value of open communication, the dignity of the marginalized and the dangers of narcotics, legal or otherwise. Yet the film's worthy intentions are undercut by a steady barrage of swear words and two particularly objectionable scenes.

In one, Charlie auditions for the school play by reciting a scabrous comedy routine involving a girl's first menstruation. In the other, Charlie loses his virginity in the back seat of a car, an event he then triumphantly announces to his assembled friends. It's a pretty good bet that Cardinal Newman would not be at all pleased.

The film contains nongraphic premarital sexual activity, brief upper female nudity, frequent coarse language, two profanities, a suicide theme and a gay reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

---

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops