Charlie Bartlett poster

2008·97 min·Released

Charlie Bartlett

“Popularity is a state of mind.”

Comedy
Drama
Romance

Awkward teenager Charlie Bartlett has trouble fitting in at a new high school. Charlie needs some friends fast, and decides that the best way to find them is to appoint himself the resident psychiatrist. He becomes one of the most popular guys in school by doling out advice and, occasionally, medication, to the student body.

6.7(699 votes)

Popularity2

Videos

Charlie Bartlett Official Trailer #1 - Robert Downey Jr. Movie (2007) HD

Cast & Crew

Anton Yelchin

Anton Yelchin

Charlie Bartlett

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.

Nathan Gardner

Hope Davis

Hope Davis

Marilyn Bartlett

Kat Dennings

Kat Dennings

Susan Gardner

Tyler Hilton

Tyler Hilton

Murphy Bivens

Mark Rendall

Mark Rendall

Kip Crombwell

Dylan Taylor

Dylan Taylor

Len Arbuckle

Megan Park

Megan Park

Whitney Drummond

Jonathan Malen

Jonathan Malen

Jordan Sunder

Stephen Young

Stephen Young

Dr. Stan Weathers

Ishan Davé

Ishan Davé

Henry Freemont

Dave Brown

Dave Brown

Officer Hansen

No editorial yet

Guides and articles for this movie will appear here after content sync.

CinemaSerf

Written on 2/19/2025

“Charlie” (Anton Yelchin) is the neglected rich kid who’s been thrown out of school so often that his mum (Hope Davis) resorts to him going to an ordinary school. Arriving in their stretched (and rather classy looking) old Mercedes bedecked in blazer and attaché case, he is quickly the plaything of school hard case “Bivens” (Tyler Hilton) only to be rescued by the principal “Gardner” (Robert Downey Jr.). Now spoilt he may be, but “Charlie” is no fool and after a few sessions with his own shrink, and the appreciation of just how empowering a little medication can be, he does a deal with his nemesis to go into business offering counselling services to his fellow pupils. One thing leads to another and his increasing awareness of their problems is used vicariously with his own doctor to procure not just medication but also treatments! Before we know it, he’s flavour of the month and even “Susan” (Kat Dennings) whose dad runs the place is becoming fond of him. Perhaps, though, he bites off a little more than he can chew when he starts to chat with the depressive “Kip” (Mark Rendall) and that leads to dangerous territory for all leaving “Charlie” having to rethink his priorities. Perhaps a new scheme might give him, and his schoolmates, a less toxic purpose? Yelchin just oozes charisma here as someone whom we ought to dislike becomes someone we actually quite like. Sure, he’s got no dad; his mum hasn’t really a clue and money is no object for him so we expect him to be a bit of a pratt, but you always feel that he just needs a stronger hand on his tiller - and who better than Downey Jr. whose character is not without some baggage of it’s own. The script is really quite fun at times and even when the romantic genes do kick in, it still manages to stay on the right side of sentimental as the engaging Yelchin delivers a characterfully mischievous performance that has just a little bit of the home truths to it, too. It’s tough to radically reinvent these teenage angsty style dramas, but this one emphasises more the characters and provides us with a decent story with less reliance on a soundtrack of AOR or power ballads. Downey Jr. does enough, and the others gel well to create something readily watchable and indicting of the whole pill-popping culture.

Media

Charlie Bartlett Official Trailer #1 - Robert Downey Jr. Movie (2007) HD

Charlie Bartlett Official Trailer #1 - Robert Downey Jr. Movie (2007) HD