“Charlie Bartlett” is a comedy-drama that follows the misadventures of the title character Anton Yelchin, a rich kid with who has a knack for getting himself kicked out of prep schools for his rule breaking, crowd pleasing antics.

Charlie’s charismatic sincerity makes him likable and relatable as he conjures up a plan to gain popularity at his new school by prescribing pharmaceutical drugs to his classmates to help them with their problems.

For a moment it seems that Charlie has everything going for him- aside from being smart, handsome and charming, he wins school-wide fame and the heart of the principal’s daughter.

Although Charlie has a gift for listening and helping people sort out their lives, Charlie must confront his own set of issues when he finds himself at odds with the Principal (Robert Downey Jr.), who is all but excited to find out that his daughter is dating the school rebel.

Downey’s performance as an alcoholic father is reason enough to watch this movie which, like its protagonist, uses humor to offset the tragedies at heart.

Although the film is definitely corny at times, quirks are part of its charm.

Very reminiscent of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Charlie Bartlett offers a fresh perspective on high school and coming of age with the help of it’s talented cast. Definitely worth the watch.