Review of Terri (2011) by Kitty G — 19 Sep 2011

Almost too subtle of a film to be highly regarded/regarded highly, Terri is a little film about an oversized, parentless (he lives with his elderly uncle) teenage misfit who is not comfortable in "day clothes" (for real [!] as he likes his pajamas) or school and who has few-to-no friends.

Taking care of his Uncle James (Creed Bratton of "The Office" believably goes dramatic!) -- who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's -- takes a toll on Terri and he oftentimes finds himself tardy/late to school .

.. which draws the attention/ire of the school's kindly vice principal, Mr. Fitzgerald, played by John C. Reilly (Boogie Nights, Step Brothers, Cyrus). This unusual pairing melds into a bond-of-sorts .

.. as both "reach out" to the other to overcome the tinges of loneliness in their respective lives. Mr. Fitzgerald strives to teach Terri how to stand up for himself and to make wise decisions/choices while planting a seed of self-worth in the boy.

.. and it is toward the end of the film that we DO see that Fitzgerald's words have resonated within the lonely boy. Not much ever really happens in Terri as it is the what does NOT happen when the opportunity arises that matters at the end of the film (which brngs about a BIG, Terri-sized smile).

A week earlier I had watched another film about wayward youths called The Art of Getting By that got everything in it wrong ... this one -- in comparison -- is much more in-line with reality and it is most definitely about the "Art of Getting By" Terri-style.

Terri has a "good heart" and all is good ... almost. [Now a NITPICK: As the film "pretty-much gets it all right", it is highly unfortunate that a SINGLE scene undermines it all and makes it illogically ineffective (this is ALL because of the UBER-unrealistic, lightning-fast metabolic rates of the teenagers during a single scene near the film's conclusion that single-handedly destroys the realism of the entire movie -- BOO!)] But, hey .

..