REVIEW: ‘Youth in Revolt’ Disappoints With Uneven Story and More Hollywood Christian Bashing

“Youth in Revolt” is a movie with a good premise but a lackluster plot that revolves around a witty, intellectual teenager experiencing the isolation of adolescence while living with his mother (played by Jean Smart) and her boyfriend.  Played by the likable Michael Cera, the lead character, Nick Twisp, spends a lot of the movie trying to attract the attention of a girl he desires. Unfortunately, the movie frequently becomes unnecessarily crass and stereotypical, detracting from an intriguing premise.

At the beginning, in order to protect his mother’s boyfriend from a fight with some sailors he sold a malfunctioning car to, the mother takes her son and boyfriend for a brief vacation. On that vacation, Nick meets a girl he’s immediately attracted to but she’s dating someone else. However, Nick still thinks he has a chance. In order to make himself more attractive to her he develops an alternate and “dangerous” personality named Francois, who has a mustache and enjoys causing trouble and destruction. (more…)