Would you like to talk about it? Charlie Bartlett Retrospective

(Video Article)

Hello, the name of this film is Charlie Bartlett, and if there is one thing I want you to leave here with today, it's that good movies always go unnoticed by the general public. Like most films cherished by a select audience, Charlie Bartlett was just too ahead of its time for audiences in 2008. The idea of a coming of age story, mashed with a satire of the pharmaceutical industry just didn't make much sense to the oblivious moviegoers of our past. Of course, audiences of today hear the concept alone and think, duh, bringing psychiatric drugs and teenagers together is like opening a lemonade stand in the desert. Media that focuses on the mental health of teenagers are few and far between, it is even more rare for that media to have a sense of humor, more often than not, an overly dramatic angle is chosen which is less than idle for this rather heavy subject. It may seem oxymoronic but let's put it this way, if you're trying to help a depressed teenager, do you want them to get invested in the drama of that situation, or would you rather them find the humor in that situation? I don't know about you, but I would rather live in a Sitcom, than a Soap Opera.

Charlie is a great portrait of the over-privileged white kid who just doesn't fit in, he's extremely sensitive, but also highly selfish. All he wants is to be well-liked, then again, what is more important during your high school years than your own popularity? After being prescribed Ritalin by a psychiatrist who was clearly more interested in diagnosing Charlie, than just listening to him, Charlie like any normal teenager decides to get high off his balls on said Ritalin, which causes Charlie to have an epiphany, Why take those drugs when you can sell them and become the life of the party?

Charlie quickly realizes that if he is going to push pills, he'll need some muscle, so naturally, Charlie recruits the school's bully Murphy who had previously played "fist meet face" with Charlie. At this point, I am making Charlie seem like an unlikeable prick driven only by his ego, however, the fact is, Charlie is just a stupid kid, he doesn't know who he is, and all he really wants to do is fit in. Charlie uses his longing to be understood, to understand those around him, he isn't just selling drugs to the kids to get them high, he's become the school's unofficial psychiatrist. You may be thinking, hold on, how does a teenager get access to all kinds of pharmaceutical medications? That's easy, just visit a few mental health professionals after you've read what drugs are used to treat certain symptoms, and voila. It sounds too easy, right? Well, it's still that easy today, for the most part, all you have to know is what symptoms to exhibit and most of the time, a Dr will write you a script without batting an eye.

To think, all it took for a bully and his victim to become friends were drugs and the promise of profit. That may seem sarcastic, but oftentimes the strongest bonds are forged out of necessity, necessity can breed prosperity which often leads to mutual understanding and admiration. All goes swimmingly for a while, that is until Charlie's first patient and friend Kip decides to overdose on the pills that were supposed to make him happy and calm. Charlie now has to decide what to do with his popularity, it was fun while he thought he was helping these kids, but when it becomes clear that these drugs will do more harm than good, Charlie makes the adult decision to end his pusher days once and for all. Of course, the kids and Murphy are pretty bummed, but, Charlie tells them he will still listen and help anyone who needs assistance in his office "A.K.A the filthy men's room", and the very next day the line is just as long as it ever was. As it turns out, people may think they want drugs, but what they really want and need is to be heard.

If you're in between the ages of 35 and 12, the odds are in your favor that you've have been on some kind of psychiatric medication. To be fair, some of you probably need to be on those drugs, but, I wonder how many of you were put on them because your doctor was more focused on finding your problem, than helping you through your issues. Then again, the people diagnosing you are just as fucked up as we all are, which is why the results of the blind being led by the blind will always be fascinating. We are all in need of guidance, shrinks just discovered they could find theirs and get paid for it. Obligatory legal bit, I am sure out there, somewhere, exists a sane, helpful and ethical psychiatric practitioner, so, good look finding that diamond in the rough. I am not trying to make help seem hopeless, but, if you look in the wrong place it will truly feel hopeless. Most of the time, advice won't solve our problems, and pills damn sure won't end our suffering, more often than not, a friends support will do wonders. "finding a friend is impossible", I won't lie and say it's easy, but the payoff is far greater than finding an ethical and affordable shrink.

Still, if you can't find one or the other, what are you supposed to do? Maybe spend that time focusing on others like Charlie did, if he can channel his need to be understood into understanding and helping others, then maybe you could find some friends that way and end up discovering your purpose. Of course, like Charlie, you're going to make plenty of mistakes, and because society will not be very forgiving of those mistakes you must learn to be. Sometimes people will see your artistic flairs as a fault, kinda like some critics seeing the film's varied plot elements and characters as distractions. I bet you thought this Retrospective had suddenly become a Ted Talk, nope, sometimes we travel down unexpected roads, doing seemingly unconnected activities, so that we can come home.

I have seen a lot of stories cover similar territory, but few of them do it with the earnest heart of this film.  It's difficult to cover Suicide, Depression, Social Angst and the confusion that comes with seeking your purpose in life, Charlie Bartlett manages to tackle these subjects and themes with hope, humor, warmth and a sense of affection for its audience. Past generations had Ferris Buller, and he carried a message for his time, have more fun and take life less seriously so that you can truly be alive. Our generation needed Charlie Bartlett, we needed to see ourselves not some fantasy, someone who was just as confused, and made just as many mistakes as we have. Everyone makes mistakes, people struggle, we all fight to discover who we are, and sometimes it feels aimless, but that isn't a detraction, it's the attraction. Charlie taught us that life is at it's best when you find meaning and joy in the most menial moments, when you stop focusing on your problems and start caring about the problems of those around you, most of all, he showed us with drive and determination, the sky really is the limit.