The DUFF Are there countless movies just like Ari Sandel’s The DUFF? Absolutely! Truthfully, a new high school, coming-of-age tale comes out every month or so. It will not be long until we get the latest entry into the John Green book-verse with Paper Towns. Many fall by the wayside. Few arrive as fully realized, standalone works of art - Boyhood, The Perks of Being a Wallflower - which also stars Mae Whitman. Where does DUFF lie? An accurate reading would be “somewhere in the middle, closer to the top.” Unfortunately, that may be the worst thing possible for the tale of Bianca (Whitman) and her journey of individuality. Not quite good enough to be great, but not memorably bad. As the DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - to her two “beautiful” best friends, Bianca struggles to be noticed, receive attention from boys, and various other things girls in high school are supposed to want. As these things go, she’s sick and tired of it. And for good reason, because Bianca is neither ugly nor fat. Of course they make Whitman up to look like a unstylish slob, but anyone can see that that is not the case. Whitman is not only a gorgeous actress, she’s also a killer funny-woman, good enough to go up against anyone in her age group. | Director: Ari Sandel Starring: Mae Whitman, Bella Thorne, Allison Janney, Ken Jeong Writer: Josh A. Cagan |
Whether or not Bianca has her Cinderella moment at prom or gets the guy is not even in question. We all know with one look at the first scene, the trailer, or even the promotional poster that the DUFF becomes the “hot one” by movie’s end. While the plot follows a strict teen-girl formula, there are distinguishing qualities that help to set The DUFF apart. For one, Bianca’s two attractive bff’s, Casey (Bianca Santos) and Jess (Skyler Samuels), never come across as superior or demeaning towards Bianca. Even when the friend’s have their inevitable mid-film rough patch, all three girls seem to truly care for each. That was refreshing.
So is the comedy. I’ve already mentioned Whitman has a killer presence. Kudos to Sandel and screenwriter Josh A. Cagan for giving the rising actress material worthy of technique. Cagan’s screenplay, based on the Kody Keplinger novel, is filled with more winning jokes than losing ones. One particularly great one refers to hills having eyes and “shrubs having bitches.” It’s snarky and fabulous.
Outside of three core characters, no one really has any dimension, especially the guys and the mean girls. Not to fear, The DUFF may be ordinary at times, but at least it tries pretty dang hard to be entertaining as it clings to its template. You cannot hate it for that.
So is the comedy. I’ve already mentioned Whitman has a killer presence. Kudos to Sandel and screenwriter Josh A. Cagan for giving the rising actress material worthy of technique. Cagan’s screenplay, based on the Kody Keplinger novel, is filled with more winning jokes than losing ones. One particularly great one refers to hills having eyes and “shrubs having bitches.” It’s snarky and fabulous.
Outside of three core characters, no one really has any dimension, especially the guys and the mean girls. Not to fear, The DUFF may be ordinary at times, but at least it tries pretty dang hard to be entertaining as it clings to its template. You cannot hate it for that.