Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is a wealthy over-privileged kid that gets kicked out of a private school and decides it's time to try a public one. He's eccentric and somewhat damaged due to his mentally challenged mother (Hope Davis) and incarcerated father. With a business suit, tie and briefcase, Charlie begins to counsel and prescribe drugs to his fellow students in the hopes that it will make people like him. When Charlie's supporters begin to get more vocal, the principal (Robert Downey Jr) starts watching Charlie a little closer.

Anton Yelchin, whose film experience includes "House of D" and "Alpha Dog," turned in an average performance. One flaw is that he portrays the straight-laced Charlie to one extreme and the rebel Charlie to another. It was hard for me to believe that the brilliant-minded Charlie would allow himself to go in the direction that the movie follows. For instance, straight-laced Charlie would say that his generation is being over-prescribed medicine, but the whole movie is based on his selling prescription drugs to teenagers.

The best parts of the film are when Hope Davis or Robert Downey Jr. are on screen. It seemed like the tone of the movie changed between Charlie's interactions with adults and the kids at school. When the grown-ups are gone, all that is left is a too-long after-school special about a drug dealing kid who takes advantage of his addicted friends. It doesn't fit the genre of teen comedy.

While Downey and Davis try their best to carry the movie, it's just not enough. It's also somewhat telling that the film was originally scheduled to be released last summer and is just now coming out.

"Charlie Bartlett" is rated R and is playing at Regal Lancaster Mall Stadium 11.