[three-star-rating]Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Allison Janney, Bianca A. Santos, Skyler Samuels[/three-star-rating]
What makes a teen comedy a classic? Well, it has to be hilarious, of course. It definitely needs to tap into the youth zeitgeist. Other than that, it should follow the rules of other great films: intriguing or empathetic characters, an unexpected plot, and a fascinating theme.
The DUFF gets a C on most of these – it’s intermittently funny, and it sorta-kinda shows what kids are experiencing today, with a serious throwback to old-school movies about cliques. The rest of the report card is also mixed.
Whitman is the third friend to two hotties. She doesn’t realize she’s the DUFF – the “Designated Ugly Fat Friend.” At a party, her sexy, funny neighbor (Amell) crassly informs her. (He’s a jock and a man-whore, by the way.)
It seems that the DUFF is used as a gateway to the more desirable friends. She’s well liked, intelligent, funny, original, and sweet, but she’s the bottom feeder of the teen sexual food chain. See? Teen sex is still the top subject in all these flicks – nothing changes.
Amell is failing Chemistry, so Whitman strikes a deal. She’ll tutor him in chain reactions if he trains her out of DUFF-hood. The problem is, Amell’s on-again-off-again girlfriend Thorne is a major bitch who gets vengeful when she sees him with any other female.
It’s based on a novel, but The DUFF’s secret weapons are Whitman and – to a slightly lesser extent – Amell. They really work well together. She’s known as boring Anne on Arrested Development, and he was the lead in TV’s The Tomorrow People. She’s got genuine comic timing, really eliciting empathy for her character. He’s charming and very handsome, and he brings life to a part that’s a little two-dimensional. Only a couple scenes afford him opportunity to show depth, and he attacks them with relish.
There is the problem. Whitman’s sexy friends are very, very flat, only given qualities to play up later when the plot needs them. Thorne is a typical female villain. Whitman’s mom Janney gets some of the biggest laughs, but – like in many other teen films – she plays an absent, stupid parent. The other kids at school fit all the stereotypes Whitman swears at the top of the film no longer exist.
All of these actors are in their late 20s. We’re used to seeing this in high school movies – hi, Fast Times, Breakfast Club, Cruel Intentions, 10 Things I Hate About You, Easy A, and almost every other teen movie ever made. This did make me feel less creepy, staring at Amell’s abs amazing, knowing he’s really 26.
[rating-key]
At the risk of dating myself, what’s missing here is high style – the off-kilter comedy of Better Off Dead, the dark wit of Heather, the deep writing of Say Anything, or the sarcasm and clever editing of Mean Girls.
What The DUFF uses is Kubler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief as a structure. It was introduced in 1969. How topical! And what a laugh riot… There’s cute editing, not consistently, but every so often. The DUFF also uses social media as a major force; that it got right! However, we all can see the ending coming from the very first shot.
The DUFF is still occasionally funny. Amell is very pretty, and – as a performer – Whitman really shows she deserves more attention than a DUFF always gets.
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