Terri is an overweight high school student who is picked on at school. You might be thinking that you've seen this film or one very much like it before. But I assure you, you haven't. This is a film based on real life not any of those other movies. Director Azazel Jacobs and co-writer Patrick Dewitt have made a quirky comedy that is truthful and not gimmicky. All the pieces just fit.
Speaking of fitting, Terri wears pajamas to school each day because they are the only clothes that actually fit him. He doesn't know where his parents are, having been dumped on his uncle James (Creed Bratton, TV's THE OFFICE), who is slipping in and out of dementia. As a result Terri has been missing a lot of days of school to take care of him. Not that Terri minds all that much because when he goes he is tormented by classmates, who find ways of embarrassing him by getting under his skin in relentlessly annoying ways.
Vice principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly, CYRUS) calls Terri in to talk. He wants to set up one day per week where they can chat about how life is going. Terri responds well to feeling cared about, but then he learns the list of other freaks Mr. Fitzgerald meets with, which includes Chad (Bridger Zadina), a squirrelly kid who picks at his hair until he has a bald spot and has an impaired ability for proper social interaction. Chad isn't the kind of kid who doesn't know what to say; he's the one who says all the wrong things on purpose. Terri doesn't like being part of the "monster" club.
Reilly's Mr. Fitzgerald is a flawed guy who is kind and angry at the same time. He cuts kids off when their trying to open up, but he can also be an open-minded friend who just listens as well. He's the best school administrator I've ever seen in a movie. It's because he has a life outside of being the vice principal and that influences his decisions for better or worse.
In home ec, Terri witnesses Dirty Jack (Justin Prentice) one of his tormentors pressuring Heather Miles (Olivia Crocicchia, TV's RESCUE ME) into a sexual act in the back of class. Mr. Fitzgerald is not happy when he finds out. When Terri learns that Heather might get expelled, he sticks up for her. But the incident has labeled her a slut and made her an outcast. She just wanted to feel wanted and Terri relates to that. She likes her sweet defender and starts communicating with him via notes in class. The first note she writes, Terri puts in his wallet with a big smile. This detail is the kind of depth the film has. In one moment it says a lot about Terry without ever spelling it out.
Terri, Chad, Heather and even Mr. Fitzgerald are all outsiders trying to make it through life as best as they can. Terri doesn't really care about his appearance. He's practical, sensitive and curious. When his uncle asks him to set mouse traps in the attic, he's reluctant at first, but when the dead bodies he disposes of in the woods attract a cool hawk, he becomes morbidly fascinated. Chad attaches himself to Terri because he really wants a friend. But he doesn't know how to conduct himself around other people, especially girls. His opportunistic side kicks in when he finds out that Heather is coming over to Terri's house and he shows up with a bottle of whiskey and steals some of Uncle James' pills. All's fair in love and teenage hormones.
This human comedy is richly original, filled with characters you've never seen in a film before, but have seen in real life. Films this observant don't come along very often. It has a gag-filled moment or two (especially when dealing with a cartoonish gym teacher), but you'll never mind, because those scenes are funny too. TERRI is at its best when it's dealing with character dynamics. It's dramatic and funny and sweet. Mr. Fitzgerald says there are two kinds of people in the world — the ones with good hearts and the ones with bad hearts. He knows what Terri is and wants to protect that from the other kind.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
