[8]

Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Ritter star in this tale of two boys from different sides of the tracks who form a tenuous, unlikely friendship over time, until one boy’s secret and the other’s temper threaten to pull them apart. I think this might be one of the most enlightening examinations of bullying yet put to the screen. I expected the story to unfold predictably and have its obligatory act three blow-up between the two characters, but writer Peter Elkoff and director Fred Durst have loftier ambitious than that. They make you feel for both boys without resorting to cliched or sentimental tactics, painting a provocative portrait of the complicated nature of bullying. When things come to a head, your allegiance is with both characters and there’s no perfect solution. Everyone is a victim in bullying, including the bully. I’ve always liked Eisenberg, who is put to great use here, but Jason Ritter steals the show. I’d never seen him act before, and now I’m interested in seeing more from him.