Movie Reviews
Bart Got a Room is Worth a Peek
By Lindsay Berg |
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 Over the past few years, Americans have become head-over-heels for quirky, eccentric and touching little genre films. First there was Napoleon Dynamite, then Sideways, followed by Little Miss Sunshine and most recently, Juno. Now, the latest greatest attempt is Bart Got a Room. And although Bart is quirky, eccentric and touching, the genre may need to take a rest for a bit.
Bart Got a Room stars Steven Kaplan in his feature film debut as Danny Stein, a nerdy teenage boy who is convinced the most monumental and important occasion of his life is the high school prom. Naturally, the central issue is finding a suitable date. Unfortunately for Danny, the strategy on how to find the right girl is complicated by the contradicting advice from his not-so-cool friend Craig (Brandon Hardesty), his out of touch father, Ernie (William H. Macy), and his encouraging mother, Beth (Cheryl Hines).
Danny’s first choice, and the most risky of them all, is cute sophomore cheerleader Alice (Ashley Benson). Through the delusional encouragement of his father, Danny musters up the confidence to ask her. The problem is he misinterprets her affection for brotherly-type love mostly due to the fact he’s her ride to and from school. Although his initial plan is crushed, he doesn’t give up and his determination to find a date only strengthens.
 When all else fails, Danny resorts to his safety net: his platonic best friend, Camille (Alia Shawkat). Originally he has hopes, like most deluded high school boys, that he’ll miraculously get “lucky” on the magical night of prom, so he avoids asking her from the beginning. As easily predicted, though, she moves on by the time he agrees to the idea.
In a fit of panic, he calls his father nearly 30 minutes before the limo departure. At first, his father tries to put him down softly and force him to face the facts that prom just isn’t going to happen, until one phrase immediately snaps him into action. Danny simply states to his father, “Dad, Bart got a room.” It implies that if Bart can do it, anyone can. (Once Bart is introduced at the end of the film, you realize that is exactly what it means).
The phrase alone causes Ernie to abruptly abandon his date and take off like a bat out of hell to find any age-appropriate girl to accompany Danny to the prom. He finds him a prostitute instead.
The plot is simple and hardly complex, and the film is mostly character-driven. Kaplan plays an awkward, insecure and confused teenager pretty convincingly, and his friends’ naiveté makes for a sweet little ensemble. Hardesty, a newcomer as well, is fairly talented as a comedic actor. Craig’s terrible advice to Danny is always shared poolside as he tans for months in preparation for the big day, and he hands out tips like he is a shoo-in for prom king (which he clearly is not).
 Macy, however, a veteran of character acting, is perhaps the most entertaining as a recently divorced father who continuously tries to make Danny his friend without the boundaries of parenthood. The most unforgettable scene in the movie is when Danny helps Ernie move in to his new place. After a casual disagreement, Ernie forces Danny to make sexual noises on the other side of the wall to prove how soundproof the house actually is. Not exactly the most comfortable task for an awkward virgin.
Hines delivers as she usually does: solid, cute and clever. She falls into a relationship for financial stability, despite the man’s obvious strangeness. Most of the movie’s comedy either originates from a remark by Hines or Macy, or the utter discomfort and awkwardness of Kaplan.
The dated wardrobe and South Florida setting are themes very reminiscent of recent quirky films: dysfunctional family in a small-town community with little to no regard of current fashion trends. The writing is above par, but you won’t leave with anything memorable. And although Danny’s mission is almost a PG-rated version of American Pie, it does possess a bit of originality. Bart’s nerd-on-a-mission plot is somewhat comparable to Superbad, sans the slapstick humor. Gross-out humor is replaced with accessible and endearing geekiness, which makes Bart a bit worthwhile.
 The accessibility of Danny’s character can be attributed to writer/director Brian Hecker’s real-life experiences. His semi-autobiographical screenplay translates just fine to the big screen, but I wouldn’t expect any Academy Award nominations. Although Bart seems to fit in perfectly with the genre, it doesn’t have the deeper elements or complexity other films such as Juno or Little Miss Sunshine have. Regardless, Bart Got a Room isn’t trying to be an underdog gem, but the nature and themes of the movie immediately place it in a category consisting of critically acclaimed films. That’s unfortunate, because it is still a nice film, just one that’s forced into a genre of great films. If given the opportunity, Bart Got a Room can be quite charming, just as long as it is seen for what it is and not what it’s not.
Bart Got a Room is now playing at the AMC Loews Broadway 4 in Santa Monica, AMC Town Center 8 in Burbank and the ArcLight in Sherman Oaks.
For more information, visit the movie’s official Web site.
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