The Duff Deserved to Become a Surprise Hit
Film: The Duff (2015). Young Actresses: Bella Thorne, 16, and Mae Whitman, 26.
My post on the premiere, which several young actresses attended, is here.
When high school senior Bianca (Mae) suspects that she's been serving as a "designated ugly fat friend" to her two prettier best friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca A. Santos), she determines to shake off her Duff label. She renews her friendship with her next-door neighbor and childhood best friend Wes (Robbie Amell), who's now a popular jock, to get his advice on impressing the classmate that she likes. But while she's trying to win over another guy, Bianca realizes that she's actually in love with Wes, and of course he realizes that he loves her, and not the narcisstic mean girl (Bella) that he had been dating. This should sound familiar.
Is the plot predictable and formulaic? Yes, definitely. Have you seen this movie before? Yes, you have; for example, in the 1999 teen comedy She's All That (which starred The Baby-Sitters Club's Rachael Leigh Cook as the "pretty all along" girl that Mae plays here). But is The Duff worth watching anyway? Actually, yes. I wouldn't say that it's as smart as Clueless, but it does deliver some impressively funny and witty moments. Its look at how social media effects young people (and too often enables bullying) is interesting, especially for those of us who were in high school before the days when all your classmates could pull out their cell phones and record your embarrassing moments (which is one of the misadventures that befalls Bianca).
Bianca (Mae), right, with her two best friends, Jess (Skyler) and Casey (Bianca)
Casey and Jess were the names of Mae's character and her sister in her very first film
In 2012's Perks of Being a Wallflower, Mae was still just believable as a high school senior. Three years later, this isn't so much the case anymore, but Dawson Casting has been going on for decades, so we should be able to look past it and appreciate Mae's performance. (But it is a little harder to overlook that she's neither fat nor ugly.) The film relies heavily on her, and fortunately, she is a strong enough actress to carry it.
Although Bella is the second-billed actress - probably due to the fact that she's more famous than Mae, at least right now - she is very much a supporting role, and she somewhat weakens the film. I'm not sure whether it's due to Bella's acting or how her character is written, but she falls flat. (She also gets the "bad girl gets her comeuppance" scene that we're all sick of.) It's unfortunate, because a fun, love-to-hate villain can really draw viewers in.
Other reviews of Mae's films: When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), Hope Floats (1998), and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).
Teen Choice Awards: won Choice Movie Villain (Bella); nominated for Choice Movie Comedy, Choice Movie Actress Comedy (Mae), and Choice Movie Liplock (Mae and Robbie Amell).
My post on the premiere, which several young actresses attended, is here.
When high school senior Bianca (Mae) suspects that she's been serving as a "designated ugly fat friend" to her two prettier best friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca A. Santos), she determines to shake off her Duff label. She renews her friendship with her next-door neighbor and childhood best friend Wes (Robbie Amell), who's now a popular jock, to get his advice on impressing the classmate that she likes. But while she's trying to win over another guy, Bianca realizes that she's actually in love with Wes, and of course he realizes that he loves her, and not the narcisstic mean girl (Bella) that he had been dating. This should sound familiar.
Is the plot predictable and formulaic? Yes, definitely. Have you seen this movie before? Yes, you have; for example, in the 1999 teen comedy She's All That (which starred The Baby-Sitters Club's Rachael Leigh Cook as the "pretty all along" girl that Mae plays here). But is The Duff worth watching anyway? Actually, yes. I wouldn't say that it's as smart as Clueless, but it does deliver some impressively funny and witty moments. Its look at how social media effects young people (and too often enables bullying) is interesting, especially for those of us who were in high school before the days when all your classmates could pull out their cell phones and record your embarrassing moments (which is one of the misadventures that befalls Bianca).
Bianca (Mae), right, with her two best friends, Jess (Skyler) and Casey (Bianca)
Casey and Jess were the names of Mae's character and her sister in her very first film
In 2012's Perks of Being a Wallflower, Mae was still just believable as a high school senior. Three years later, this isn't so much the case anymore, but Dawson Casting has been going on for decades, so we should be able to look past it and appreciate Mae's performance. (But it is a little harder to overlook that she's neither fat nor ugly.) The film relies heavily on her, and fortunately, she is a strong enough actress to carry it.
Although Bella is the second-billed actress - probably due to the fact that she's more famous than Mae, at least right now - she is very much a supporting role, and she somewhat weakens the film. I'm not sure whether it's due to Bella's acting or how her character is written, but she falls flat. (She also gets the "bad girl gets her comeuppance" scene that we're all sick of.) It's unfortunate, because a fun, love-to-hate villain can really draw viewers in.
Other reviews of Mae's films: When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), Hope Floats (1998), and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).
Teen Choice Awards: won Choice Movie Villain (Bella); nominated for Choice Movie Comedy, Choice Movie Actress Comedy (Mae), and Choice Movie Liplock (Mae and Robbie Amell).