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Actors: Jamie Bell, Camilla Belle, Justin Chatwin, Glenn Close, William Fichtner, Rita Wilson, Ralph Fiennes, Carrie-Anne Moss, Allison Janney, Rory Culkin
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Chumscrubber |
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Troy supplies “feel good” pills to all the kids at Hillside High thus spreading happiness all around. When Dean Stiffle (Jamie Bell) finds he's running low on his “happiness“ of choice, he pays a visit to his best friend (and neighbor) Troy. Mrs. Carrie Johnson (Glenn Close), in the middle of hosting a party, tells Dean that Troy is in his room. She hopes that Dean can persuade Troy to lower the screechy music he has been blasting all day. Once inside, Dean realizes that Troy has committed suicide by hanging himself from his bedroom ceiling. A shocked Dean leaves the house without telling anyone about his gruesome discovery.
The next morning, Dean's father Bill (William Fichtner), a child psychiatrist turned author, encourages Dean to discuss his feelings about Troy's death. Bill is particularly interested in knowing why Dean did not notify any of the adults at the party. Dean is tight-lipped, as past confessions have been fodder for Bill's recent novel, The Happy Accident. Dean finally admits he kept silent because he knew the adults would not care. As Dean predicted, Bill immediately begins scribbling on a pad. Exasperated with his son, Bill prescribes the drug Viloprex, to give Dean “a little balance“. Dean, desperate for any kind of fix, accepts the bottle without argue. At school, class punk Billy (Justin Chatwin) calls Dean “psycho” and menacingly warns that Dean should not ignore him. During lunch, the alluring and mysterious Crystal Falls (Camilla Belle) approaches Dean, wanting to discuss Troy's suicide. Dean is rudely giving Crystal the brush-off until she admits that Troy was her friend. As Dean begins to open up, Billy and his sidekick, Lee (Lou Taylor Pucci), appear. Dean realizes that Crystal, friends of the two boys, was just using Dean for information. Billy announces that Troy's bedroom contains drugs that Billy needs and Dean is to get them … or else. To ensure that Dean complies, the trio decides to kidnap his younger brother Charlie (Rory Culkin) and hold him for drug ransom.
Across town, Terri Bratley (Rita Wilson), a successful, demanding interior designer, is busy preparing for her glorious wedding to the eccentric mayor, Michael Ebbs (Ralph Fiennes). Consumed by wedding plans, Terri tells Michael to pick-up her son Charlie from school. When Michael arrives, he learns that Charlie has gone home on his own. Actually, Billy and company, mistakenly thinking that he is Dean's brother, have kidnapped little Charlie Bratley. When Charlie explains that they have the wrong kid, the group decides to keep him anyway. They take him to Crystal's house where her sexy mother Jerri (Carrie-Anne Moss) is delighted to have Terri Bratley's son in her home.
Crystal soon phones Dean and explains about the botched kidnapping attempt. Even though Dean briefly speaks with someone who claims to be Charlie Bratley, he is unconvinced and heads to the Bratley home. Terri and Michael are extremely preoccupied; they believe Charlie, supposedly locked in his bedroom, is refusing to communicate due to anger about the upcoming nuptials. Dean knows the truth but as before, he leaves the Bratley home without saying anything.
--Tara Dugan, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Chumscrubber |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- present (2000-2010)
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Kids:
- drugs
Age group
- trouble in high school
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a teen
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 80%
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting
- school
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- all mixed up
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
Any profanity?
- A lot of foul language
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Modern rock/pop
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Tara Dugan
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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