'The DUFF': Designated unfunny and formulaic
If you've seen Mean Girls or Easy A, you've seen a far better version of The DUFF.
Mae Whitman is the best thing here, and the funny actress deserves better material than what's offered in this derivative and superficial ode to teen self-acceptance (* * out of four; rated PG-13; opens Friday nationwide).
She manages to be edgy, sweet and smart, despite a shallow and not very funny script. It's a mystery why a story objecting to the reductive nature of high school ends up resorting to so many clichés.
DUFF is a nasty acronym standing for "designated ugly fat friend". We're supposed to believe Whitman's Bianca falls into that role, though she is far from unattractive or overweight. She just happens to have two gorgeous pals and she's the least traditionally stunning of the trio. She's told by a jerky high school jock that DUFFs don't technically have to be ugly or fat, just not as hot as their close pals. Their role, for eager high school guys, is to be the approachable conduit to their gorgeous friends.
More importantly,Bianca is smart, a horror movie geek and quick with witty one-liners.
The film makes an early reference to The Breakfast Club, and we can feel it desperately seeking to fall in the same iconic territory. While there may be a vague overlap of themes about embracing one's uniqueness, the similarities end there.
It's just another movie about the nastiness of high school classmates.
Bianca's friends are two of the school's most attractive and popular girls, Jess (Skyler Samuels) and Casey (Bianca Santos). Her role as a DUFF is spelled out to her by her neighbor and childhood pal, the dimwitted but charming jock Wesley (Robbie Amell).
Of course she's offended. But she asks him for fashion advice, leading to the obligatory shopping montage, with her trying on crazy outfits and preening. This one's a bit funnier than the dozens that have gone before, but just barely. It's captured on film and turned into a viral humiliation by the meanest of mean girls, Madison (Bella Thorne), who is jealous that Bianca is spending time with her sometime boyfriend Wesley.
After some initial angst, Bianca doesn't let the cyberbullying keep her down. Cue more teen movie conventions. Everyone stops and stares at her when she walks into the cafeteria, and her walk of shame is highlighted in slow-motion. Sound familiar? If not, you've never seen a teen movie.
Allison Janney plays Bianca's self-absorbed mom, a motivational speaker who only speaks to her daughter in platitudes. It's a thankless role. Ken Jeong has a small role as Bianca's favorite teacher.
The film is based on a grittier YA novel by Kody Keplinger that dealt with darker subjects including an absentee mom and an alcoholic dad. Those story lines and other meatier subjects are jettisoned in this run-of-the-mill comedy.
Whitman tries hard to rise above material where the tones often clash. She succeeds in giving a likable, heartfelt performance, and perhaps this will be her calling card for a more complex part in a better movie.