Terri

Terri (Jacob Wysocki) is a misfit who comes to school in his pajamas. He lives with his spaced out uncle (Creed Bratton). His vice principal Mr Fitzgerald (Jon C. Reilly) tries to reach out to him. Terri becomes friends with two other misfits. Chad (Bridger Zadina) is an angry wired loner, and Heather (Olivia Crocicchia) is the disgraced beautiful girl who got caught in a sexually permissive situation while in class.

Jacob Wysocki is playing a very low energy character. They have to figure out how to show that character in a compelling manner. Watching him getting picked on all the time wasn't such a fun watch. Bridger Zadina has a nice role as the energetic crazy little guy. I think it would have been better to start the movie with them as friends. At least the movie would have the energy to drive it along. Olivia Crocicchia does a good job as the girl. The big scene feels voyeuristic. But all three kids play their roles well. It's an odd little film. I just wish they showed what happened to their friendship after that night.

The independent film "Terri" is not a bio flick about Berlin lead singer Terri Nunn; if that would be the case, it would be a surefire Oscar winner. OK, so I am bias; and I do promise I will provide "no more words" to this review on my fascination with Ms. Nunn. Anyways, "Terri" actually is a very sweet movie about an overweight outcast teen named (see movie title) who wears pajamas to school, and is not to expressive. Terri lives with his uncle who suffers from Alzheimer's. The main subject of "Terri" is Terri's meetings with his school's assistant principal Mr. Fitzpatrick. The best scenes of "Terri" is on the elevator relationship of Mr. Fitz and Terri, and how Fitzpatrick notices the good-heartedness in Terri even though he is constantly tardy and does not have the proper school attire. But life is not one big Pajama Party for Terri; he is so profoundly unemotional due to the constant bullying he must have encountered throughout his young life; it is a norm to his daily routine. Terri does develop a friendship with an unstable student named Chad who pulls his hair follicles out due to his mental condition. The attractive teen student Heather enters the picture and has a key role in Terri's development. She herself is bullied at school due to an incident where students saw a male student perform a sexual act on Heather during home economics class. I can't put my finger on which sexual act it was; OK, that is enough. Director Azazel Jacobs does an admirable job in directing the picture; even though I could have done without the mousetrap scenes, which to me were kind of cheesy. However, Jacobs mastered the interaction chemistry between Mr. Fitzpatrick and Terri. Jacobs co-wrote the screenplay with Patrick Dewitt, and I must say it was very "dewitty". Newcomer Jacob Wysocki was not sucky at all as the title character. He was very impressive. I am sure Jacob will be climbing up the thespian ladder in the motion picture industry. And there is the great John C. Reilly who was a stalwart as A.P. Mr. Fitzpatrick; I will discipline those that say JCR is not one of the best actors in the movie business. Impressive supporting turns were also turned out by teen actors Olivia Crocicchia as Heather and especially Bridger Zadina as Chad. "Terri" was solid enough to get me terri-eyed to notice how authentic this character-oriented movie was; and that really is enough for me to recommend to you to get terried-away with a "Terri" viewing experience. **** Good

The misfit in high school is a tried and true indie genre (were ANY indie filmmakers well-adjusted jocks in high school?). So one approaches yet another example of the breed with some weariness, expecting certain marks to be hit, especially when the protagonist is, as here, hugely overweight. And indeed he is unpopular with his phys ed teacher and gets more than one comment about his breasts. But all manner of subtle variations make this one unique from the start, starting with his mixed relationship with his uncle (a surprisingly touching turn by "The Office"'s Creed Bratton), whose condition - Alzheimer's? - makes him sometimes the one needing care, but whose age and fundamental compassion also make him the caretaker (in the never explained absence of Terri's parents). Perhaps because of this ambivalent situation, Terri has a strong sense of self which takes him from the start out of victim territory, prompting him, for instance, to defiantly wear pajamas to school. His relationship with John C. Reilly's assistant principal character is similarly ambivalent, since as a mentor the latter is both empowering and disappointing. The two other students who become his friends are similarly displaced yet defiant and the film is rich in both vulnerability and self-assertion. The quiet intrigues of the film are not the stuff of stirring plot, but do show Terri and his friends in their own messy, determined way becoming themselves in a way that is, almost unobtrusively, optimistic and uplifting.

I went to go see Terri a couple of days ago. It turns out, that, that was the best decision I've made this year. Terri is an extremely heartfelt movie without ever being sobby or begging for sympathy. Jacob Wysocki as Terri, is just a marvelous choice. He portrays a strong, but lonely teen suffering from, like we all do at some point, loneliness. Who knows, he might even get nominated for an Oscar. I mean, he's still relatively new, but anything can happen.

Another performance that was particularly well played was by John C. Reilly as the equally lonely, and pretty miserable vice president of Terri's school. He and Terri begin a friendship that seems very raw and real. The supporting performances also were very good including Bridger Zadina as Chad, Terri's misfit friend who likes pulling hair out of his head. Also Creed Bratton as Terri's somewhat delusional uncle, and Olivia Crocicchia as Terri's love interest.

While I was watching Terri, I found myself laughing, not chuckling, at many of the jokes. Terri is a truly funny movie, because it's realistic humor that many people can relate to: the ups and downs of high school. But in the end, Terri isn't a movie. It's a bold statement about life. Everything in Terri is amazing; the acting, the setting, the themes. And by the end of the movie, you realize there's hope for every teenage misfit in high school, as long as they have a fraction of the heart Terri has.

Terri comes off as your typical indie film with awkward characters dealing with unique, yet realistic situations. Several times in the film it felt as if long time micro-budget indie director Azazel Jacobs, and screenwriter Patrick Dewitt were trying to be different because that what indie films are supposed to do, but their strong cast refuses to color inside the lines and let that happen.

Newcomer Wysocki brings a true sense of realism as the title character Terri. He is an awkward outsider who doesn't fit in with the "normal" crowd in high school. After a series of late tardies and his refusal to wear anything other than pajamas to school he is sent to the principal's office where Mr. Fitzgerald (Reilly) takes an interest and gives the lost kid a sense of hope.

John C. Reilly is no stranger to the indie scene with scores of roles in smaller films including recently in Cedar Rapids and Cyrus. Reilly easily blends in as an actor into any size of film no matter how large or small. He knows when to turn up the silly, or ease into the dark side. Reilly finds the perfect balance in Terri.

The supporting cast discovers ways to make their mark as well. Bridger Zadina finds laughs as Terri's deeply disturbed new friend with scores of his own problems. Olivia Crocicchia, best known for her role as Denis Leary's daughter, Katy, on the long running television hit Rescue Me, has no trouble as the nice teenage girl slipping down the wrong path. She shows great promise, and is a role or two away from finding herself on the next big thing list. It was also nice to see Creed Bratton break away from his hilariously bizarre character on The Office. It's stunning to see him in a serious role.

Terri had many chances to slip into the pit holes that bring down any hopeful indie film, but finds away to dance over the trouble. Just when the film felt like it was being indie for Indies' sake it threw a curveball…and this is one audience member who is glad that some film's still attempt to be different.

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