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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).

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.

Although Rob Vlock's first novel, which is set on Madison Avenue, is still making the rounds at lit houses in New York City, it's already been optioned for a feature treatment -- which should help its publishing possibilities just a little. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Jay Roach, the director behind both the Austin Powers and Meet the Parents films, has optioned Off Strategy. He will produce it at Sony, and has set up Jon Poll as the director. Poll worked as an editor on many of Roach's films, and has his first directorial feature, Charlie Bartlett, getting released next February.

The two comparable titles that are floating around this project are, believe it or not, You've Got Mail and The 40-Year-Old Virgin -- just a bit of a contrast. Basically, the studio wants it to be the modern AOL-named romcom, but THR sources say the humor is similar to Virgin. The story centers on relationships and romance, but from a male perspective. Specifically, it's about "an ad copywriter who falls for a woman who turns out to be a client with whom the copywriter already has an acrimonious phone relationship." So that's where the Mail comes in -- that acrimony through the invisible nature of technology.

Now the question remains: what sort of humor from Virgin will the piece have? Is the guy a virgin? Does he have friends who play videogames while playing the "You know how I know you're gay?" game? And who would star? Personally, I'd love to see someone like Campbell Scott, but he doesn't have the huge pull necessary for romcom history, and I'm thinking they'll want to go younger. Maybe Jake Gyllenhaal?

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.

Odds and ends from Tuesday:

• Hey, at least someone's involvement with Lindsay Lohan didn't end in rehab. Chris Pine, who co-starred with Lohan in Just My Luck, is in final negotiations to star in an untitled post-apocalyptic thriller with the Pastor brothers set to write and direct. Pic will revolve around four friends who, while trying to escape a viral pandemic in the American West, discover that it's not the virus they should be escaping, but each other. Recently, Alex Pastor was awarded the Sundance jury prize for his international short, The Natural Route (or La Ruta Natural). Here's hoping this new route propels these boys to bigger and better places.
• What is it about Las Vegas that's just so funny? The sex? The crime? The drugs? The booze? The bankruptcy? Actually, all of that is pretty hilarious -- strike that first sentence. 20th Century Fox has pre-emptively dropped a boat-load of money on a comedy pitch by Dana Fox (no relation ... I think) with Michael Aguilar and Dean Georgaris set to produce. The plot for Untitled Vegas Comedy (has a nice ring to it, right?) is being kept under wraps, but folks are saying it's a romantic comedy in the vein of Wedding Crashers. This leads us to assume it will have something to do with all of those Vegas quickie weddings and three-legged trapeze artists. Okay, so the three-legged trapeze artist was my idea ... but a boy can dream, right?
•  I've always said that if Robert Downey Jr. were ever to become a school principal, life as we know it would get a whole lot cooler. While the actor will not be a real-life principal, he has signed up to play one in a film called Charlie Bartlett. Also starring Hope Davis, Anton Yelchin, Kat Dennings and Tyler Hilton, the coming-of-age dark comedy will focus on a wealthy teen who charms his way into becoming his school's resident "psychiatrist." Jon Poll, who has edited for Jay Roach on films like Meet the Fockers and Austin Powers in Goldmember, will make his directorial debut.