Terri (2011)

At turns funny, sweet, and disturbing, this is a story about an overweight small town high school outsider, his mentor, his uncle with dementia, and his damaged friends. Jack said it creeped him out (especially one late scene) but we both liked it, I perhaps more. Jacob Wysocki (he was in the series Huge about a fat camp, starring Nikki Blonsky and Hayley Hasselhoff) is the title character and he's totally believable as a good kid who cares for his uncle James (Creed Bratton, best known as Creed on The Office, but he was also lead guitarist in The Grass Roots in the 60s; he's the one in the stripes on the left in this old video) and tries to stay out of the way, but gets on the radar screen of the assistant principal Mr. Fitzgerald, played by John C. Reilly (after I listed my favorites in Cyrus, he was in Cedar Rapids), who takes a liking to him. Their scenes together are hilarious. The main other kids, Bridger Zadina (some TV episodes) as Chad and Olivia Crocicchia (Katy Gavin on 35 episodes of Rescue Me, more) as Heather, are equally good.

The screenplay is by newcomer Patrick Dewitt from a story by him and director Azazel Jacobs (nothing I've seen but he won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Short in 1997). This movie was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize: Best Picture earlier this year, but it lost to Another Earth. The music, by Mandy Hoffman, is good, but I can't find any clips for us. Shot in L.A., Pasadena, and Altadena (heads up D.G.!), it gives the feel of a small southwestern town. We have no clue as to why Terri's name is spelled the feminine way.

If you like awkward and cringe-inducement, this is for you. It certainly was for me. And critics agree (rottentomatoes score 88%, though the audiences were less kind at 66%). Have I mentioned he wears pajamas to school every day? Gotta love Terri. Oh, and it's rated R, for themes definitely not suitable for kids.