Another quirky indie comes down the pike by the name of 'Terri'. It's about an obese kid who goes to school in his pajamas and tries to cope in a world of peers who are against him. 'Terri' basically fits my definition of the classic quirky indie which puts forth a "quirky protagonist who must go on a journey of self-discovery, shedding a repressed upbringing while thwarting the goals of a reactionary group that wishes to maintain the status quo." Here the "reactionary" group consists of the bullies who mock Terri and other ostracized kids at the school as well as unsympathetic teachers, who all seem to feel that any acts of kindness toward their students would be detrimental to their overall growth.
Other quirky indies such as 'The Descendants', have a protagonist that begins as a member of a reactionary group, but then rebels against them (think of George Clooney's character taking a stand against those members of his family who side with the developers). With Terri, there's a variation on the common theme: he must shed his repressed upbringing but is never part of the reactionary group he's opposed to. In fact, Terri is an outcast from that group, from day one! In contrast to the punks at school, Terri actually has a good heart. This is manifested in his loving concern for his Uncle James, who is afflicted with early onset Alzheimer's. Terri's issues revolve around lack of self-esteem, exacerbated by the bullying at school as well as a wellspring of anger that sometimes emerges at inopportune times. Early on, after trapping mice in the attic, Terri begins trapping mice in the woods which upsets Uncle James, as he feels Terri might be getting enjoyment from the act of killing instead of merely taking care of a rodent problem.
Enter John C. Reilly as Assistant Principal Mr. Fitzgerald, who appears to be in charge of all the school misfits. Fitzgerald is also an oddball himself, and pretends to yell at his charges behind closed doors, only to reassure them that's it's only an act. Fitzgerald tells the kids that the 'tough guy act' is primarily for the benefit of his secretary, Mrs. Hamish, who he views as needing some kind of invigoration as she is gravely ill and about to kick the proverbial bucket.
A good part of the film revolves around Terri bonding with the kindly Mr. Fitzgerald. At first Terri feels betrayed by Fitzgerald after he claims to be giving Terri an exclusive peek at a childhood yearbook . But when Chad Markson (Terri's new potential friend and fellow outcast) informs Terri that Fitzgerald also let him take a look at the 'exclusive' yearbook, Terri turns on him, in a fit of jealousy. Later, Terri apologizes to Chad for 'losing it' and eventually grows closer to Fitzgerald, who by film's end, has morphed into the teenager's good 'buddy'.
The plot thickens when Terri sticks up for the cute Heather Mills, who is also the victim of classroom bullies. Soon afterward Terri, Heather and Chad are popping pills (Uncle James' Alzheimer medication), down in the basement of Terri's home and strange things ensue. For one, Chad accepts a dare to urinate on his own pants. Later, Heather strips to her underclothes, and offers to have some kind of sexual contact with Terri. The shy Terri knows his limits and declines, but clearly Heather's offer has done wonders for his self-esteem.
Nothing much happens after that! Fitzgerald takes Terri and Chad to Mrs. Hamish's funeral and later Fitzgerald reveals to Terri that he's been having some problems with his wife at home. The conflict with the bullies at school has been dropped and Fitzgerald never goes mano a mano with any of his disinterested colleagues.
I'm sure 'Terri' has a good many boosters who are attracted to the offbeat characters and situations. But my problem with this kind of 'quirky' dramedy, is that there's something inherently distasteful in films of this ilk. Somehow the quirky outcasts (despite a few shortcomings) always manage to be of high noble stock, and the antagonists who they're pitted against, invariably are rotten to the core. It's a formula that's repeated over and over again and I find myself not wanting to root for the Terri's of this world, precisely because their underdog status is so undeserved (just about anyone would look good, if they were pitted against such nasty opponents).
I enjoy watching John C. Reilly since he's in so many films and I always wonder what kind of character he's going to take on next. Here he's a sweet guy who's helping kids who need some positive reinforcement. Jacob Wysocki ably conveys the loner Terri but the character is too distasteful at times to be considered even near heroic. The same goes for Bridger Zadina as the equally weird Chad, who's urination routine at film's end, is also thoroughly off-putting. I kept wondering why Olivia Crocicchia as Heather ends up on the misfit list, considering that she's the cutest girl in the school. Finally, there's Creed Bratton as Uncle James. Catch the DVD extras and you'll be amazed that Bratton is a sensational blues singer and guitarist. Of course he should be, as he's the former member of the Grass Roots, the eminent pop rock band from the 60s.
Other quirky indies such as 'The Descendants', have a protagonist that begins as a member of a reactionary group, but then rebels against them (think of George Clooney's character taking a stand against those members of his family who side with the developers). With Terri, there's a variation on the common theme: he must shed his repressed upbringing but is never part of the reactionary group he's opposed to. In fact, Terri is an outcast from that group, from day one! In contrast to the punks at school, Terri actually has a good heart. This is manifested in his loving concern for his Uncle James, who is afflicted with early onset Alzheimer's. Terri's issues revolve around lack of self-esteem, exacerbated by the bullying at school as well as a wellspring of anger that sometimes emerges at inopportune times. Early on, after trapping mice in the attic, Terri begins trapping mice in the woods which upsets Uncle James, as he feels Terri might be getting enjoyment from the act of killing instead of merely taking care of a rodent problem.
Enter John C. Reilly as Assistant Principal Mr. Fitzgerald, who appears to be in charge of all the school misfits. Fitzgerald is also an oddball himself, and pretends to yell at his charges behind closed doors, only to reassure them that's it's only an act. Fitzgerald tells the kids that the 'tough guy act' is primarily for the benefit of his secretary, Mrs. Hamish, who he views as needing some kind of invigoration as she is gravely ill and about to kick the proverbial bucket.
A good part of the film revolves around Terri bonding with the kindly Mr. Fitzgerald. At first Terri feels betrayed by Fitzgerald after he claims to be giving Terri an exclusive peek at a childhood yearbook . But when Chad Markson (Terri's new potential friend and fellow outcast) informs Terri that Fitzgerald also let him take a look at the 'exclusive' yearbook, Terri turns on him, in a fit of jealousy. Later, Terri apologizes to Chad for 'losing it' and eventually grows closer to Fitzgerald, who by film's end, has morphed into the teenager's good 'buddy'.
The plot thickens when Terri sticks up for the cute Heather Mills, who is also the victim of classroom bullies. Soon afterward Terri, Heather and Chad are popping pills (Uncle James' Alzheimer medication), down in the basement of Terri's home and strange things ensue. For one, Chad accepts a dare to urinate on his own pants. Later, Heather strips to her underclothes, and offers to have some kind of sexual contact with Terri. The shy Terri knows his limits and declines, but clearly Heather's offer has done wonders for his self-esteem.
Nothing much happens after that! Fitzgerald takes Terri and Chad to Mrs. Hamish's funeral and later Fitzgerald reveals to Terri that he's been having some problems with his wife at home. The conflict with the bullies at school has been dropped and Fitzgerald never goes mano a mano with any of his disinterested colleagues.
I'm sure 'Terri' has a good many boosters who are attracted to the offbeat characters and situations. But my problem with this kind of 'quirky' dramedy, is that there's something inherently distasteful in films of this ilk. Somehow the quirky outcasts (despite a few shortcomings) always manage to be of high noble stock, and the antagonists who they're pitted against, invariably are rotten to the core. It's a formula that's repeated over and over again and I find myself not wanting to root for the Terri's of this world, precisely because their underdog status is so undeserved (just about anyone would look good, if they were pitted against such nasty opponents).
I enjoy watching John C. Reilly since he's in so many films and I always wonder what kind of character he's going to take on next. Here he's a sweet guy who's helping kids who need some positive reinforcement. Jacob Wysocki ably conveys the loner Terri but the character is too distasteful at times to be considered even near heroic. The same goes for Bridger Zadina as the equally weird Chad, who's urination routine at film's end, is also thoroughly off-putting. I kept wondering why Olivia Crocicchia as Heather ends up on the misfit list, considering that she's the cutest girl in the school. Finally, there's Creed Bratton as Uncle James. Catch the DVD extras and you'll be amazed that Bratton is a sensational blues singer and guitarist. Of course he should be, as he's the former member of the Grass Roots, the eminent pop rock band from the 60s.