Charlie Bartlett the character is an insufferably self-absorbed, irredeemably opportunistic teen philistine who'll do anything to maintain his popularity. If you want to spend 97 minutes watching his adventures, then by all means, have at it. Me? I'd pass.

Seeing itself as a Ferris Bueller's Day Off for the 21st century, Charlie Bartlett the film is instead a testimony to how low we as a culture can stoop. This is, after all, a comedy-drama (one, it should be noted, that never strikes the right balance) in which the hero is a high-school student who merrily gets almost the entire student body hooked on anti-depressants.

Charlie Bartlett (MGM) Starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr. Directed by Jon Poll. Rated PG-13 for language, drug use, adult situations. Time 97 minutes.