The DUFF is
a movie you can sit through without getting mad at the writers for the obvious
things you can guess will happen five minutes in.
What made me like this movie isn’t the story but its modernization. We’ve seen
many teen rom-coms with the same tale: someone is sidelined and decides to put
themselves out there. In reality, it’s not usually like that. The DUFF plays
on the reality that you can be socially awkward and still have friends who
aren’t. That being said, The DUFF designates the awkward person as a
D.U.F.F. (Designated Ugly Fat Friend), who doesn’t have to be ugly or fat—just
less popular and more accessible than the others in the group. The DUFF is the
one people go to for information about the other members of their group.
Nonetheless, I
didn’t feel the movie was great, as I’ve been through this story (not exactly
in this form) many times in other high school rom-coms.
The movie’s plot
starts with an introduction to the group our lead character, Bianca, is part
of. Bianca’s group consists of three people: her and her two hot friends. Life
was great in their circle until Bianca’s childhood friend and neighbor, Wes,
told her she was the DUFF in her group.
This statement causes Bianca to part ways with her friends and seek Wes’s help
to be less of a DUFF and more of a hottie so she can finally get a date with
the guy she likes.
I guess my
problem is my age. I was born in the era when She’s All That (1999)
was the movie to see—the teen rom-com for the ’90s. With that in mind (not to
mention the countless times I’ve seen it), every teen rom-com reminds me of it,
especially when it involves a girl coming to terms with who she is and wanting
to change with the help of a guy. That’s why this movie is just okay for me,
and why I find it hard to give it a 6. I’ll settle for a 5.
The movie wraps
up with Bianca’s acceptance of who she is, rather than the typical makeover
transformation we see in most high school rom-coms. I guess that’s why the
movie is a critical success, even though she does change her look to a sexier
version of herself.
Every other actor in the movie wasn’t nearly as good as Mae Whitman, who plays the lead, Bianca (The DUFF). She owned this movie, and I’d advise you to wait until your local TV network gets the rights to show it for you.
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