Yesterday, Scott posted a terrific month-by-month report card looking back the 2008 movie scene from the halfway point. With the interval between theatrical and DVD release dates shrinking steadily, a lot of the movies from January through June are either already available on DVD, or soon will be. For your consideration, here are what I consider to be seven underseen, underexposed, and/or unfairly overlooked gems from the year to date. Something to consider next time you log on to Netflix.

In no particular order:

1. Charlie Bartlett - I'll clamber out on a limb and call Charlie Bartlett the most valuable movie for young teenagers this decade (despite its R rating). Most films for kids and teens unthinkingly implore them not to worry about being popular -- do your own thing! Don't worry about what your peers think of you! Good advice in the abstract, maybe, but completely detached from reality for most school-age kids, who have to, you know, go to school, and eat in the cafeteria. Charlie Bartlett is smart enough to realize this. Rather than imploring kids to "be themselves," it wants to say something about what the ones who are actually popular should do with their popularity. For once, it's a movie with a message aimed not at the misfits but at the leaders: the kids who are smart, charismatic and capable; the schoolyard trendsetters and tastemakers. It powerfully suggests the importance of using that influence for good instead of evil. Oh, and it's bright, sincere, and very funny, with a downright miraculous performance by Anton Yelchin.

In the next week or two, we're going to be emerging from what's generally considered a miserable cinematic wasteland -- a time when Hollywood treads water between Oscar season and summer, getting rid of scores of movies it doesn't have a lot of confidence in. It's a season most movie buffs dread, since the odds of a worthwhile trip to the theater are low, and time seems better spent contemplating the summer films that seem impossibly far away. Given the amount of time we've spent daydreaming about Iron Man and Speed Racer here at Cinematical, we're clearly not immune from the winter and spring haze.

Before you know it, Apatow cash cows, long-awaited sequels, and Wachowski extravaganzas will start making their way to the multiplexes. But I wanted to take a quick look back and ask what, if anything, you've liked from this sad stretch. I don't mean what the best film of 2008 is -- winter and spring can actually be quite a good season for festivals and indies, so one could come up with a number of worthy contenders from that stock. I mean the bright spots of the mainstream wide release dumping ground.

Charlie Bartlett is Juno's dorkier, needier cousin, the one who's watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off too many times. Am I talking about the teenage title characters or the films themselves? Both, to a certain extent. Charlie Bartlett is a standard coming-of-age comedy with some amusing quirks, but as with Juno, I found myself enjoying the company of the older characters in the film far more than the teen leads.

Poor little rich kid Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) wants nothing more than to see all his high-school peers look up to him. So he does crazy dumb things that get him kicked out of a progression of private schools, like making amazingly realistic fake IDs. As a result, his dippy but sweet mom (Hope Davis) sends him to public high school, where his private-school ways make him an instant pariah. But he's determined to fit in and tries to find a niche to fill. Charlie eventually ends up pulling more crazy stunts, but settles down to helping kids with his bathroom psychiatry gig. Still, his antics aren't going over at all well with Principal Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.), especially since Charlie seems interested in Gardner's daughter Susan (Kat Dennings).

(Note: I'm stepping in for Patrick this week, but fear not -- our beloved Patty Walsh will be back next week with another installment of The Write Stuff.)

At 26, Gustin Nash was an aspiring screenwriter working in a Burbank mall -- hanging with a bunch of kids (what he calls the "mall sub-culture") -- watching movies, and looking to his father, a psychiatrist, for advice on the future. One night, while down in the dumps and unsure of his path in life, Gustin's father told him to make a list of things he wants to accomplish and next to each write down, "You can do it." Later on, in bed, Gustin dreamt up a new character -- one that, no matter what life threw at him, would always remain optimistic and open-minded. Thus, his tenth spec script was born ... and he called it Charlie Bartlett.

Little did he know at the time, but Charlie Bartlett would become Nash's first produced screenplay. And not only was the film made (with a cast that includes Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr. and Hope Davis), but it's also heading to a theater near you this weekend. Cinematical spoke to Gustin about writing Charlie Bartlett, working alongside director Jon Poll on set and what it's like to watch your baby land on the big screen for the first time. Additionally, since I'm such a rabid Youth in Revolt fan, I also asked Gustin (who penned the adaptation) what we should expect from that film when it eventually hits theaters.

Look at movie photo. Insert caption. Win awesome prizes. Repeat. Last week, we asked you to get all kinds of witty for a photo from the new romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe, starring Ryan Reynolds as a guy who definitely knows how to entertain little Abigail Breslin with stories from his past. Throw a bunch of C.D.'s (what are those?) into the equation, and the musical references -- combined with your admiration for Mr. Reynolds -- were plentiful (and somewhat hilarious). Congrats to Bob B. who turned Ashlee Simpson (who's she?) into a household name ... again.

1. "I don't know how she does it, but Ashlee Simpson really knows how to speak to me in a way few artists can." -- Bob B.

2. "Ryan comes clean after castmates uncover a long hidden secret from his past, as Ricky Reynolds, the first American boy in the 1984 reformation of the boy band Menudo." -- Eric W.

3. "I'll be honest with you, I love his music, I do, I'm a Michael Bolton fan. For my money, I don't know if it gets any better than when he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman"". -- Anthony G.

See full image and all captions

This week, we're heading back to high school with the ever-so-optimistic Charlie Bartlett. The film stars Anton Yelchin as a rich kid who becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist to the student body of his new high school. (And can you guess where he holds most of his sessions? Hint: There's more than enough paper to go around.) One lucky grand prize winner will get to take home a totally sweet original Charlie Bartlett painting designed by pro skater/icon Steve Caballero. You can check out the painting to the right, and click on it for a larger version. Sound off below fellow captioners ... but do take it easy on the toilet humor. Zing!

Read the official rules for this contest

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for Charlie Bartlett (click on the image for a larger version), starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis and Kat Dennings. In the film, Yelchin plays a Ferris Bueller-type kid who, after being booted from his prep school for making fake I.D.s, quickly becomes his new high school's self-appointed psychiatrist ... with a little help from his nutty mom (Davis), his new girlfriend (Dennings), her (recovering) alcoholic father/principal (Downey Jr.) and, of course, the school's teenage drug dealer. Directed by Jon Poll, Charlie Bartlett first premiered at last year's Tribeca Film Festival, where yours truly called it "a film that carries a heavy message about the mis-use of prescription medication amongst today's teens, but does so in a very clever (and fun) way." Additionally, you can also check out our interview with Bartlett director Jon Poll and star Anton Yelchin. I dug this film -- it's cute and quirky, sure, but it packs a pretty entertaining punch. Go see it. Charlie Bartlett arrives in theaters on February 22, 2008.

Pay no attention to the August 3rd release date that's come attached to all those Charlie Bartlett commercials and advertisements. Cinematical received an email yesterday stating the film has been pulled from its release date and they're currently looking for better placement. The reason given for the change apparently has to do with "today's overwhelmingly competitive market;" basically, that means they didn't want to go up against The Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Rod and Bratz: The Movie. Which I can totally understand, since Bartlett is set in a high school and is designed to cater toward that audience. But since it was given an R rating (which I'll come back to in a moment), there's no way it can compete with the PG-13-rated Hot Rod and, I'm assuming, the PG-13-rated Bratz.

Currently, there isn't another release date in place, which means it will either get shoveled out on a weekend this fall that doesn't feature any teen-related comedies, or it will get dumped sometime shortly after the new year. Charlie Bartlett premiered earlier this year at The Tribeca Film Festival where I managed to review the film and interview its director (Jon Poll) and star (Anton Yelchin). It's a cute flick that revolves around a Ferris Bueller-type student who decides to become the unofficial therapist of his new high school. The film was rated R because it deals with kids giving other kids prescribed medication -- but it's totally justified (kind of) and in no way over-the-top or raunchy. In fact, it's a real shame this one got slapped with an R because it's a film that should be made available to teenagers. There's a strong message, sure, but it's told in a fun way. And Yelchin (who I happen to like very much) shines in the role, as does Robert Downey Jr. (who plays the school's principal). We'll let you know when we hear more, but here's hoping Charlie Bartlett eventually finds a date and doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

During the course of the Tribeca Film Festival, I've tried to sit down with as many filmmakers, actors and writers as I could. In order to bring Charlie Bartlett to life, it took help from a rookie director (who also happened to be a 20-year Hollywood veteran) and a very talented up-and-coming actor. What I was most interested in was finding out was how you go about making a film like Charlie Bartlett; one that deals with some serious topics like teenage drug use, deperession and even attempted suicide -- yet, at the same time, create this charming little comedy. Earlier this week, I sat down with the film's director, Jon Poll, and it's star, Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog), to discuss some of these things. Check it out:

Cinematical: Who's the target audience for this film? Is it for kids, is it for adults, or is it for both?

Jon Poll: Well, I'll say two things: It's for teenagers, anyone who's ever been a teenager or had a teenager -- anyone who's a human being, really. I mean, I hope it's a movie for humans. I do have to say that it is an R-rated film, and there are kids giving other kids drugs, but ultimately the film is a very hopeful, positive one, but we need to be careful saying that kids should come with their parents if they're too young. But I do think it's for mature kids who come with their parents; I think they'll really like it.

Cinematical: That's one of the interesting things. I didn't know it was R-rated when I first saw it, but I think it's a film that teenagers -- especially young teenagers -- should see. So, was it risky going for the 'R'; were there people trying to pull for a PG-13?

JP: Well it was risky; we initially tried to get studio financing along with SKE. They jumped on pretty early, and I had relationships with a couple of different studios ... but everyone shied away; they were too terrified. But SKE still really wanted to make the movie. And they believed in the movie enough to say yes. There were questions about the 'R' rating, but all along I said you're not going to get away from it. The truth of the matter is the minute you have a kid giving another kid drugs, you're in an 'R' rating. So, we let people swear -- ya know, honestly, in our previews, people were shocked it was an R-rated movie. You'd ask a focus group, and 18 out of 20 people would say it was PG-13. Because, ultimately, it's a very positive film with an incredibly hopeful message and a character who is a hopeful optimist.

These days, it's rare to find an R-rated teenage comedy that doesn't bombard you with tons of gratuitous nudity, raunchy foul language and a couple of characters who will go to great lengths just to get laid. While some might consider that a bad thing, I happen to find it quite refreshing. Due out in theaters this August, Charlie Bartlett enjoyed its world premiere this week at the Tribeca Film Festival. Here's a film that carries a heavy message about the mis-use of prescription medication amongst today's teens, but does so in a very clever (and fun) way. You'd have to be living in a cave to not be aware of some of the issues currently circling the halls of our high schools. We live in a society where it's easier to hand a child medication then it is to sit down at the dinner table and have a conversation. A lot of parents are too busy, too self-absorbed to really talk to their kids. Thus, when something goes wrong, they've been trained to go to a professional. Johnny's having a hard time paying attention in class? Okay, well here's some Ritalin. Mary's been crying a lot in her room? Fine, give her some Zoloft. Zack can't sleep at night? Wonderful, try a bunch of this Xanax.

It's not that these pills are wrong; some of them actually do help kids remain healthy in a world that's evolving faster than you can text your vote to American Idol. The real problem lies with those who use these medications for recreational purposes. When I was in college, kids would take three pills of Ritalin, chop them up and snort them. And no, they weren't prescribed the pills -- they bought them from the kid who would rather make a few bucks than take some crummy pill he didn't feel he needed in the first place. Enter: Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin); a smart, sharp-looking kid who's been kicked out of every private school he's attended for scheming his way into the pockets of his fellow students. When we first meet him, he's getting the boot from yet another school because, this time, he's found a way to create near-perfect fake I.D.s. With nowhere else to send him, his filthy rich (and heavily medicated) mother (Hope Davis) decides it's time to enroll Charlie in public school. And while it takes some time for Charlie's suit-and-tie attitude to rub off on his peers, it's not long before this modern-day Ferris Bueller finds the attention he so desperately craves.