Review: The DUFF
The inherent problem with teen flicks that center on ugly ducklings turning into swans is that the so-called ugly duckling or loser or outsider rarely fits the label. Even before her makeover, She's All That's Rachael Leigh Cook was an obvious beauty. Molly Ringwald's quirky charm would win most people over and yet Andrew McCarthy hemmed and hawed for the better part of Pretty in Pink's 96-minute running time. Some Kind of Wonderful may have had Eric Stoltz yearning for Lea Thompson's popular girl, but it was clear from the get-go that tomboy Mary Stuart Masterson had his heart. So it goes with The DUFF, which is better than it has any right to be thanks to the winning partnership of Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell.
Whitman is Bianca, a high-school senior who cruises the halls of her high school in old tees, flannel shirts, overalls, and combat boots. Smart and funny, she's the type who would rather stay home to watch a Vincent Price marathon than go to homecoming. She only exists to the rest of the school when she's with her best friends Jess and Casey (Skyler Samuels and Bianca Santos), whose good looks get all the boys a-gawping. As popular jock and lifelong neighbour Wes (Amell) points out, Bianca is the "DUFF" - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - of the group. One doesn't have to literally be fat or ugly to be a "DUFF," one just has to be the least attractive and therefore the most approachable of the group, the gatekeeper for those looking to find out about, or get closer to, the more sought after others.
The realisation of her status sends Bianca into a tizzy and, though neither Jess nor Casey have shown themselves as anything other than supporting and sincere, Bianca breaks it off with them to establish herself as dateable in her own right. She enlists Wes' help to land her crush Toby (Nick Eversman) in exchange for helping Wes raise his falling grades and secure his athletic scholarship. It's glaringly obvious their friendship is romance-bound, but they must first overcome cyberbullying and the mercurial possessiveness of Wes' on-again, off-again girlfriend Madison (Bella Thorne), the queen bee whose life is an audition for reality television.
Adapted from Kody Keplinger's novel, The DUFF does a solid job of humanising its archetypes and making them less one-dimensional than most in this genre. Allison Janney and Ken Jeong provide hilarious support, but the film belongs to, and is elevated by, Whitman and Amell. Best known for her roles in Arrested Development and Parenthood, Whitman has always been the secret MVP in any project in which she's appeared. The DUFF provides a good showcase for her formidable talent, allowing her to be warm and witty and altogether lovable. Her climatic monologue about self-esteem is too didactic and Afterschool Special for its own good, but Whitman delivers it with nuance. Amell is the real surprise here, relaxed and charming in ways he was not on the short-lived The Tomorrow People.
The DUFF
Directed by: Ari Sandel
Written by: Josh A. Cagan; adapted from the novel by Kody Keplinger
Starring: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Allison Janney, Ken Jeong, Romany Malco, Bella Thorne, Nick Eversman, Skyler Samuels, Bianca Santos
