[yasr_overall_rating]
Imaginative quiet teenager Rafe Katchadorian is tired of his middle school’s obsession with the rules at the expense of any and all creativity. Desperate to shake things up, Rafe and his best friends have come up with a plan: break every single rule in the school and let the students run wild.
“Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life” provides a very entertaining movie for children and parents. A lively cast keeps the tone mellow for the most part with a bit of heartwarming moments on the side. Lauren Graham plays her role as the mom like an old hat as she tries to keep a hold on peace. Her relationship with Karl, aka Bear, fails to be believable but he is still a necessary evil in the plot. Griffin Gluck plays the protagonist Rafe perfectly with a smart sense of humor and a flair for drawing. Rafe’s little sister Georgia, played by Alexa Nisenson, shines with spunk and her adorable pug sidekick.
Enjoyable to a fault, this film engaged me instantly with Rafe’s drawing coming to life and believable real-world troubles causing his family to struggle. Rafe’s best friend Leo is the perfect wise-cracking trouble-making companion. The majority of middle school problems were waylaid to focus on the importance impressed upon test scores and rules. I was afraid seeing this film would force me to relive life in middle school but was pleasantly surprised to find the streamlined plot avoided aggravating those three years of pitfalls in my past.
Introduced to Rafe’s expansive imagination, we find he prefers drawing even to sleep as a coping mechanism with his father’s abandonment of the family. Georgia, the annoying smart-mouthed sister, cares deeply for her family but has a tendency of driving the family car and her mother’s sanity into walls. Starting at yet another new school, Rafe is identified as a miscreant, and he is determined this school will be his next victim. The rule-obsessed principal, Mr. Dwight (Andrew Daly), has a god complex with an obsession with the old rule that children are to be seen not heard. Mr. Dwight sets his and the school’s fate when he destroys Rafe’s beloved journal full of drawing. Determined to retaliate for the loss of his journal, Rafe sets out with his best friend Leo to break every single rule in the school’s code of conduct.
The retaliation is the fun part, full of ingenious imaginative pranks to set the score even with the controlling administration. From Post-it notes wallpapering the halls, to paint in the principal’s hat, the laughter just keeps rolling. Rafe and Leo’s opposition to rules meant to reduce individuality soon sparks the attention of Jeannie (Isabela Moner), a do-gooder student determined to be an individual and save the world. One lonely teacher holds a firm grasp on inspiring children to stray from the mold. Mr. Teller (Adam Pally) is the teacher everyone wants, filled with charm and wit he fails to herd his children into cattle, instead letting them each maintain their uniqueness.
With Rafe’s family is still recovering from recent tragedies, he refuses to allow any more trouble to come their way until their mom leans on the wrong man for support. The Bear, or soon to be the stepdad to Georgia and Rafe, wants to commandeer their lives and have their mother’s full attention. His role as nemesis adds a fun level of strife with just one more adult unwilling to listen and understand the woes of adolescence. Between chronic problems with the Bear and Principal Dwight’s determination to maintain his school’s number one ranking in the BLAAR standardized test, the pranks are the only think keeping Rafe focused on life instead of the troubles in his head. When he finds the ultimate evidence to rid himself and the school of their evil dictator, he launches an epic attack with the whole school in cahoots. A few tenderhearted moments explain the need for Rafe and his feisty sister’s misbehavior as they learn to leave the past behind and work together to save their family, their individuality and make a whole lot of friends.
The trailers for this film do not do the story justice. Prepared for a standardized film with canned laughter, I found myself thoroughly engrossed and wishing I had been as inventive as Rafe in coping with the awkward years of middle school. My own middle school son thoroughly enjoyed the film, excited to see one of his favorite books come to life so vividly. With only a few kinks left to work out, this story of family and friendship still has lessons to teach. Despite my worries that seeing this movie would encourage my son to become a prankster, it instead taught him to turn to people for help, that loyalty is essential, and imagination is more important than pigeon-holing children’s potential. I highly recommend this movie for family night, parents will appreciate the finer hidden elements and children of all ages will enjoy the animated creativity.
In theaters Friday, October 7th
