The Best and the Brightest (film)

The Best and the Brightest is a 2010 American independent film. Directed by Josh Shelov, the film stars Neil Patrick Harris and Bonnie Somerville as Jeff and Sam respectively, a young couple that moves into New York City. The film centers around the effort they have to put in to get their five-year-old daughter Beatrice (Amelia Talbot) into an elite private kindergarten.

This is director Josh Shelov's debut feature-film, co-written with Michael Jaeger.

Plot
The film opens with Jeff (Neil Patrick Harris) and Sam (Bonnie Somerville) moving from Delaware into New York City with their five-year-old daughter Beatrice. Sam takes Beatrice on a visit to several schools in the city to get Beatrice admitted for the current session, only to realize that there is very little prospect in such a short period. After losing hope, she enlists the help of Sue Lemon (Amy Sedaris), a consultant who helps couples in getting their kids admitted to schools. Though at first, Sue declines to help them, citing short notice, later she agrees after seeing Sam's stubborn determination.

Sue asks Jeff, who is a software programmer, to mention poetry as his profession. Jeff initially declines; however, Sam convinces him. On the day of the first interview, Jeff and Sam ask Clark (Peter Serafinowicz), Jeff's college mate, to babysit Beatrice and leave her with him. During the visit, Clark shares a copy of sex chat he had with a prostitute with Jeff. Later at school, the couple is interviewed by Katharine Heilmann (Jenna Stern) who mistakes Clark's sex chat print copy for a poem written by Jeff and is visibly impressed. However, a freak incident involving Clark makes her decline Jeff and Sam's application.

Upon failing to impress Katharine, Sam and Sue decide and plan to befriend The Player (Christopher McDonald), a rich guy who is also chairman of the school committee. Thus begins a series of comic plays and lies that the couple has to go through to get the approval of The Player, The Player's wife (Kate Mulgrew), and Katharine. Sam is forced to choose between living the life she has dreamed of – but lying to do so – or going back to Delaware as herself.

Cast

 * Neil Patrick Harris as Jeff
 * Bonnie Somerville as Sam
 * Amelia Talbot as Beatrice
 * Amy Sedaris as Sue Lemon
 * Jenna Stern as Katharine Heilmann
 * Peter Serafinowicz as Clark
 * Christopher McDonald as The Player
 * Kate Mulgrew as The Player's Wife
 * Bridget Regan as Robin, Jeff's college crush

Production
The film's casting was done by Jessica Kelly and Suzanne Smith (credited as Suzanne Smith Crowley).

Several scenes were filmed in the historic Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Reception
On Metacritic the film has a score of 26% based on reviews from 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".