Charlie Bartlett

"Popularity is a state of mind."

2008 1h 37m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 719

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

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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.

“Popularity is a state of mind.”

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Cast

Anton Yelchin
Charlie Bartlett
Robert Downey Jr.
Nathan Gardner
Hope Davis
Marilyn Bartlett
Kat Dennings
Susan Gardner
Tyler Hilton
Murphy Bivens
Mark Rendall
Kip Crombwell
Dylan Taylor
Len Arbuckle
Megan Park
Whitney Drummond

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jon Poll
Writers: Gustin Nash
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Canada

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 44% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Canada.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jon Poll, shot by Paul Sarossy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christophe Beck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Alan Baumgarten shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Anton Yelchin and Robert Downey Jr. and Hope Davis carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Popularity is a state of mind.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jon Poll directs. Paul Sarossy behind the camera. Christophe Beck scores. Alan Baumgarten cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, Canada. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 44% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 18 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Canada.
4Directed by Jon Poll, shot by Paul Sarossy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Christophe Beck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Alan Baumgarten shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Anton Yelchin and Robert Downey Jr. and Hope Davis carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Popularity is a state of mind.".
9IMDB entry: tt0423977 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "depression", "high school", "new love", "school performance".

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Sarossy
Original score: Christophe Beck
Editing: Alan Baumgarten
Production design: Tamara Deverell
Costume design: Luis Sequeira
Makeup / hair: Judi Cooper-Sealy
Sound: Ron Bartlett
Stunt coordinator: Branko Racki
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $12,000,000
Box office: $5,254,986
Return: 44% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Charlie Bartlett (2008)

Also by

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The Brink
2015 · ★ 7.0

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What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-02-19
★ 7/10
“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.

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