Movie Reviews

Anchor Bay Entertainment

Review in a Hurry: It's high-school musical chairs, as nerdy senior Danny (Steven Kaplan) tries to land the perfect date for prom. Sweet at times, Bart is often a too-familiar dance of teenage lust and angst that leaves you—like prom night!—with unfulfilled expectations.

The Bigger Picture: This Miami-set comedy is a less-bawdy addition to the horny-teen canon of Superbad, American Pie, et al. While the script tones down the raunch and beefs up the sentimentality, it fails to muscle up in crucial areas like comedy and character. So Bart hits the beach as a 98-pound weakling—actually, a slight, 78-minute indie—that has a…nice personality.

Trumpet-playing geekster Danny (Kaplan) has sooo misread the signals from the hottie cheerleader he drives everyday to school. Planning to ask this dream girl to the prom, he declines a similar invite from gal pal Camille (Alia Shawkat). He rents a tux and limo and even books a hotel room. Mistake. 

Because the pompom-shaking sophomore shows no spirit for his proposal, and our hormonal hero is left to scramble for a date. As the special night approaches, Danny's quest becomes more desperate, and he even accepts help from his newly divorced parents (Cheryl Hines and William H. Macy in a hilarious fro).

Bart writer/director Brian Hecker assembles an appealing cast, but many are stuck in retread roles. A likeable mensch of a kid, Kaplan is basically Jason Biggs to Macy's Eugene Levy—the dorky but well-intentioned dad doling out clueless advice. And Brandon Hardesty plays the big-bellied, big-talking best bud, à la Jonah Hill.

Sublime Jennifer Tilly is criminally underused, appearing in one brief scene. Another missed opportunity is Danny's hooker date, a situation pregnant with comedic possibilities that's also quickly aborted. Some earnest moments also under-whelm, and the central relationships could use more exploration—and keener observation.

Still, as far as teen-centric comedies go, Bart's one you won't be too embarrassed to bring home to meet Mom and Dad.

The 180—a Second Opinion: The South Florida vibe is spot-on, especially with the aquatic birds—and snowbirds (i.e., transplanted seniors in tragic leisure-wear)—at every tern, er, turn.