With its current wide scope and strong influence on people, many journalists, publishers and filmmakers have decided to discuss the very basic things that concern real people these days — love, war, money, sex and even drugs.
Charlie Bartlett is one of the recent movies that discussed the reality of teenage prescription drug abuse. It is a comedy-drama film that revolves around the character Charlie Bartlett, played by Anton Yelchin.
Charlie is a teen who came from a wealthy family yet attends a public school after being expelled from different private academic institutions. Other actors in the film are Robert Downey Jr. as Nathan Gardner, the school principal; Kat Dennings as Susan Gardner, Charlie’s love interest and the principal’s daughter; and Tyler Hilton as Murphey Bivens, the school bully. Nathan is an alcoholic, Susan smokes a lot and Murphey beats other students while an assistant films it. These characters have basically covered a lot of teen issues.
Charlie, as the new student in school, was initially unable to fit in. However, by acting as the students’ resident psychiatrist and supplying prescription drugs (with Murphey in charge of selling the drugs), he was able to gain influence in the community. He feigned symptoms during psychiatric sessions and was able to get prescriptions for several medications from different psychiatrists, a strategy also known these days as “doctor-shopping.”
Aside from prescription drug abuse, parent’s alcohol abuse, nicotine abuse and school bullying, the film also presents the issue of teen depression and suicide. One of the school’s students, Kip Crombwell, suffers from depression and attempts suicide by drinking the drugs Charlie has supplied. His depression was rooted on the need for acceptance and low self-esteem.
Some critics thought that the movie lack a clear train of thought, but others see it as a movie that embraced the many different pressures that teens face in their lives. The movie was released in 2007.
Tags: teen depression, teen drugs, teen prescription drugs, teen pressure, teen smoking, teen suicide
