Terri (film)

Terri
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Azazel Jacobs
Screenplay by	Patrick deWitt
Story by	Patrick deWitt Azazel Jacobs
Produced by	Alison Dickey Hunter Gray Lynette Howell Alex Orlovsky
Starring	Jacob Wysocki Creed Bratton Olivia Crocicchia Bridger Zadina John C. Reilly
Cinematography	Tobias Datum
Edited by	Darrin Navarro
Music by	Mandy Hoffman
Production companies	Verisimilitude Silverwood Films Periscope Entertainment KnowMore Productions
Distributed by	ATO Pictures
Release dates	January 22, 2011 (2011-01-22) (Sundance) July 1, 2011 (2011-07-01) (United States)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$655,802

Terri is a 2011 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Azazel Jacobs from a screenplay by Patrick deWitt, based on a story by deWitt and Jacobs. It stars Jacob Wysocki in the title role, with Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina, and John C. Reilly in supporting roles. It revolves around an oversized teen misfit who strikes up a friendship with his garrulous but well-meaning vice-principal.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2011, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 1, 2011, by ATO Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised the performances of Wysocki and Reilly, while deWitt was nominated for Best First Screenplay at the 27th Independent Spirit Awards.

Premise

Overweight and depressed 15-year-old Terri Thompson starts to slack off in school and wear pajamas, to the chagrin of his teachers. Soon Terri is taken under the wing of unconventional assistant principal Mr. Fitzgerald, who creates a series of Monday-morning counseling sessions for social outcasts at the school.

Cast

• Jacob Wysocki as Terri Thompson, a shy, bullied, overweight teenager
• Creed Bratton as Uncle James, Terri's sick uncle for whom he is sole caregiver
• John C. Reilly as Darryl Fitzgerald, an unconventional but understanding assistant principal who takes Terri under his wing
• Bridger Zadina as Chad Markson, a mentally unstable student at Terri's school
• Olivia Crocicchia as Heather Miles, an outcast girl who may or may not have been the willing victim of a sexual act
• Melanie Abramoff as Amy
• Tara Karsian as Mrs. Davidson, Terri's homeroom teacher
• Tim Heidecker as Mr. Flemisch, the gym teacher
• Mary Anne McGarry as Mrs. Hamish, the office receptionist
• Jenna Gavigan as Samantha Goode, the office receptionist
• Justin Prentice as Dirty Zach
• Eddie Pepitone as Joe Hollywood
• Nelson Mashita as Robert, the custodian
• Josh Perry as Marcus Bloom

Reception

Box office

Terri made $82,521 from six theaters in its opening weekend, an average of $13,754 per venue. The film ultimately grossed $655,802 in the United States.

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 87%, with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10, based on 98 reviews from critics. The website's "Critics Consensus" for the film reads, "Embodied with compelling sensitivity by newcomer Jacob Wysocki and supported by a wonderful John C. Reilly, Terri is an emotionally powerful character study."

A.O. Scott of the New York Times said, "What lifts Terri above its peers is not the plight of its protagonist or the film's sympathy for him, but rather the care and craft that the director, Azazel Jacobs, has brought to fairly conventional material" and Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times called it, "...impossible not to love". Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars out of 4.

External links

• Terri at IMDb