Movie Review - The DUFF

The DUFF ** (out of 5) (PG-13) The series of caps is not a typo. The title is an acronym for Designated Ugly Fat Friend - supposedly the member of a group that is less attractive, and therefore more approachable, than his/her higher-on-the-social-pecking-order friends. The term has supposedly been around for a while. This teen comedy is adapted from a novel about a girl who discovered she’s been one. Bianca always knew her two lifelong friends Jess and Casey (Mae Whitman, Skyler Samuels, Bianca A. Santos, respectively) were much hotter, but the shock of learning that their troika exemplified a cultural cliche was unbearable. Many changes ensue...as they must before the essential round of VALUABLE LESSONS and assorted healings can relieve the cast and audience from their assorted plights.

Such films can provide useful tools in developing a viable sense of self for adulthood. Each generation probably learns best from seeing its angst handled by its own peers via the likes of The Breakfast Club, Clueless, Heathers, Mean Girls, Juno, etc. Screenwriters - many of whom probably weren’t very popular in high school - purge their demons by penning comedies about how false and ephemeral that oppressive caste system really was, thereby empowering, or at least comforting, those who feel anywhere from invisible to underappreciated to bullied. The genre thrives on the idea of “it gets better”, which ideally will deliver a reality check for the cool kids, and a lifeline for the rest. In that regard, the emotional benefits from such films can exceed their entertainment value.

This one’s less funny than most of its ancestors. But if it helps a bunch of our current tweens and teens cope with their brand of growing pains, it will have done its job. If you’re older, you’ve probably seen better. The deservedly ubiquitous Allison Janney delivers the film’s funniest moment in the early going. The rest of the laughs are on the sparse and mild side. (2/20/15)