The DUFF shows the trappings of high school combined with the social media world. Courtesy of CBS Films.
By Nicole Horton
The DUFF, arriving to theaters Feb. 20, is a witty, entertaining take on traditional high school tribulations, cliques and the pit-falls of navigating the technology-driven social sphere. The marketing team for The DUFF certainly appeals to its target audience, young adults, by encouraging audience members prior to the screening to tweet or Instagram about the movie.
Bianca (Mae Whitman, “Parenthood”) is a content high school senior whose world, including her sense of self, is shattered when she learns her fellow students recognize her as “The DUFF” (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) compared to her prettier, more popular friends Jess and Casey.
Bianca enlists the help of her neighbor Wesley (Robbie Amell, “The Flash”), an attractive, popular jock, to reinvent herself and pursue her crush Toby, a seemingly sensitive guy who plays guitar. In addition, she must find the confidence to overthrow the school’s ruthless Regina-George- wannabe Madison (Bella Thorne, “Red Band Society”), who makes Bianca feel inferior to her friends and is threatened by Bianca spending time with her on-again-off-again boyfriend Wesley.
Whitman, Amell and Thorne discussed the preparation and experiences they brought to their roles in a phone interview with The Fordham Ram and other publications.
“To be honest with you, the main preparation for me was just hanging out with Mae and Bella, and the rest of the cast, and getting close to them,” said Amell. “So that you people would buy that we’re friends and actually liked each other.”
“I watch Jaw Breaker [and] Jennifer’s Body,” said Thorne when asked about preparing for her role. “I feel like the lingo in Jennifer’s Body is exactly how it is in our film.”
In addition, both Thorne and Whitman related to being bullied and stereotyped in high school.
“I’ve never been to a high school,” said Thorne. “But I was bullied throughout school for being dyslexic. So that kind of drew me to this movie too.”
“I definitely was bullied and called weird names, and stuff,” said Whitman. “So I wanted to, you know, use my experience to sort of maybe make people feel less alone, or like you know this is a real infrastructure at all because it’s definitely not. It gets better after school.”
Bianca must deal with the harsh effects of cyberbullying, in the form of a viral video and mean comments, that many young adults encounter nowadays. It is definitely thought provoking in regards to the long-term effects and how anyone can view videos or comments.
“Very John Hughes in Breakfast Club,” said Amell. “At the beginning, everybody has got their stereotype and then you get to watch them go on this journey, and it’s fun to see what they you know, what they turn into at the end of the movie.”
One feature of the movie that I did not like is how the plot culminates at the homecoming dance, which audiences have seen in countless teen movies. An aspect that I found refreshing is the way in which Wesley helps Bianca. He looks to build her confidence by how she interacts with others and presents herself, including talking to Toby and not resorting to oversized clothing.
She has fun shopping with Wesley, dancing around and posing in various ensembles, as opposed to her awkwardness when she attended a party with her friends. Therefore, it is not a makeover for her peers to find her attractive or her fit in, like how some view Sandy’s bad girl makeover in Grease and Allison’s more feminine look in The Breakfast Club.
Overall, I would say that this movie is a cross between Mean Girls and She’s All That, and the movie is both relatable and a lot of fun. Whether you chuckle while remembering your own awkward moments from high school, empathizing for Bianca or contemplating the validity of the term “The DUFF,” you will certainly have an enjoyable experience.
