Angus

Plot synopsis:
Angus Bethune (Talbert) is a teenage boy living in Minnesota who, despite his talents as a football player and in science class, holds deep insecurities about himself. Since kindergarten, he has been regularly harassed by handsome Rick Sanford (Van Der Beek) and his complacent cohorts, for not being "normal" due to being overweight and is, in their view, "named after a cow". His only friend is Troy Wedberg (Owen), who is also a social outcast. He also has feelings for Melissa Lefevre (Richards), though he is fearful of expressing it because she is dating Rick. Eventually, tired of the abuse from Rick, Angus applies to a magnet school where he hopes to be free of the constant humiliation. However, well aware of his feelings for Melissa, Rick rigs an election so that they will dance together in the upcoming freshman Winter Ball as King and Queen, respectively. While confronting Rick about the stunt, he is ordered by the principal not to lay a hand on Rick or he would be expelled and lose his chance to go to the magnet school.
To get ready for the dance, Angus gets help not only from Troy, but also his mother, Meg (Bates), and his narcoleptic grandfather, Ivan (Scott). Ivan tells him about a dance move called the Irish Swoon that he claims is a guaranteed lady-pleaser, but Angus fears that his largeness makes him an inept dancer and would embarrass both him and Melissa. To fix this, Ivan takes him to Madame Rulenska (Moreno), where despite his best efforts, he comes out worse than before (and injures her in the process). Later on, despite his request for a black tuxedo and wanting to be normal, Ivan purchases him a plum one and tells him that he can be normal and an individual at the same time. He tells him that running away to another school will not solve anything and that he needs to stand up against Rick while he still can. He also mentions that he doesn't let anyone tell him that his relationship with April (Anna Thompson) is a mistake because she is 30 years younger than him and they see each other as perfect.
One day after football practice, Angus opens his locker and sees that his favorite pair of boxers is missing. He and Troy later learn with their own eyes that Rick hoisted them up the flagpole for the school to see, which then fly squarely onto Melissa's face as she passes by. Angus storms home in anger, but Rick and company quickly kidnap Troy. Outside the school, they ask him for anything that would embarrass Angus at the Winter Ball. He refuses their request and tries to escape, only to break his arm as he trips to the floor while Rick gives him an ultimatum. At home, Meg tells Ivan that having Angus transfer to a magnet school would be for the best. She hates seeing him suffer another day with humiliation and does not think Ivan has the right answers. In turn, Ivan confronts Meg for over-mothering Angus and warns her that letting him run away from his bullies to another school is a mistake. He mentions if Angus stands any chance of ending his humiliation, he needs to make the change by standing up for himself and facing his bullies. Ivan admits he never let Meg run away from her problems and admires how strong she is today.
Meanwhile, Angus helps Ivan prepare for his and April's wedding. As Angus waits outside Ivan's room on the day of the wedding, he confides with him about his love for Melissa. Angus admits he is proud of him because he has the strength to not care if everyone else sees his marriage to April as wrong since they love each other. He wishes to have Ivan's strength to stand up to Rick and tell Melissa how he feels. When he tries to wake him, Angus quickly discovers that he has died and tells the wedding guests there. Distraught, Angus opts to stay home for a few days trying to cope with Ivan's death. By that time, fearful that Rick will hurt him even more, Troy gives him the videotape containing the footage of Angus practicing his dancing with an inflatable doll while confessing his feelings for Melissa. Troy visits Angus at home to offer his condolences, but he doesn't listen and it leads to an argument between them. When Troy calls him out for not understanding how it felt to be ostracized by Rick, Angus snaps and tells Troy that he knows better. Angus also admits he won't go to the Winter Ball mainly because he still plans to transfer, to escape both Rick's humiliation and to better cope with Ivan's death.
Later that week while cleaning up from the wedding that never happened, Angus receives a box from April and opens it, revealing the plum suit that he had earlier rejected when Ivan bought it for him regardless. She wishes him luck in the future and leaves. In that moment, Angus realizes that Ivan was right all along: he needs to stand up for himself and face Rick or nothing will change. Resolved to follow Ivan's advice, he rejects an interview from the magnet school, wears the plum suit, and marches to the dance in the school gymnasium. Outside the gym, Troy warns him to return home at once because Rick has a bad prank planned for him. A furious Angus rebuffs his request, revealing he is sick of enduring Rick's torment and marches inside anyway. He meets Melissa, and they converse for the first time. He is surprised when she tells him she is nervous because everyone will be staring at them. As they are introduced to the students, Rick plays Troy's videotape on the monitors, and the students laugh. A humiliated Melissa runs out in tears and Angus follows her, infuriated with Troy for betraying him to Rick. Outside, he apologizes, but she does not blame him. Surprisingly, Melissa shows her disgust with Rick and reveals to Angus that she is bulimic. She also mentions that Rick is very controlling and also abusive towards her and the other students, making them fear him. Angus learns that Melissa likes him more than Rick because he is kind and respectful of others. Finding common ground, they go back inside and dance, even as she helps him out with some of the steps. After they receive a mild reception from the students, Rick scolds her, while Angus comes to her defense. Rick begins aggressively shoving Angus and follows up with a hard punch to the face, breaking Angus's nose and sending him crashing through a table. Rick sarcastically tells him, "Welcome to high school", and adds that he's glad he's leaving the school. In spite of his broken nose, Angus defiantly rises to his feet and furiously shouts back, "I'm still here, asshole!" Angus then repeatedly pushes Rick back until he falls to the ground, petitioning him to realize that there are many people that don't fit his idea of "normal," and are unwittingly ostracized for it, and are fed up with the humiliation. He gives Rick a choice to join them and accept the students as individuals or continue rejecting them by thinking himself as normal. Rick selfishly chooses the latter by replying, "Whatever I am, it's something you're never gonna be," to which Angus retorts "Thank God!" The students congratulate Angus for taking a stand against Rick and even Rick's former friends abandon him. Melissa dances with Angus again and Troy enacts a little revenge on Rick by breaking his nose with his cast and impressing a girl upon whom he has a crush.
In the end, Melissa asks Angus to walk her home, and they kiss before Melissa retires for the night. Angus rejects the offer to transfer to the magnet school, realizing that his grandfather was right and that he doesn't have to run away anymore. Angus mentions that Rick was suspended for his video prank and that his popularity with the other students suffered because of it.

Tags: prank

Review:
Scott, Kathy Bates) and decided to sit it out.My conclusion, "Angus" is an overlooked gem.One thing baffles me though: this movie is listed as comedy, but I found not much to laugh about."Angus" is in fact a rather painful movie to watch sometimes, because the strongest subject matter it deals with is bullying.It deals some very real and emotional issues, about parents' frustration about their inability to protect their children all the time.
The acting is superb, and to be honest, the comic relief was a tad out of place.The movie contains some very good acting and some excellent scenes and dialogue.
It also features a heart wrenching monologue by Angus (played by Charlie Talbert) when he confides in his grandfather (George C.
Scott), who's about to be married.So, see beyond the awkward comic elements and "Angus" is an enjoyable, "actor driven" movie that did not get the attention it deserved.You'll probably enjoy the soundtrack as well.
At times gut-wrenching in its portrayal of high school cruelness, at other times sweetly heartwarming in its portrayal of high school innocence, "Angus" is an endearing good guy trapped in a waspy, snake-pit-like high school in Anytown, USA.
The strength of "Angus" is its believability; of course it's far-fetched at times, it's a movie, and yet it still works amazingly well.
Charlie Talbert and Chris Owen, Angus and Troy, respectively, are a real treat to watch as the pair of outcasts.
Some of the film's best belly laughs, in fact, are direct results of their all-too-believable dialogue.James Van Der Beek is one of the most hateable bad guys I've seen in some time, and boy he plays it well.
Scott and Kathy Bates; it was fun watching them in a heartfelt film like this, especially Scott, General Patton himself.
it followed the most basic of plot lines, but what i loved about it was the acting, writing, and directing, because those were what made Angus extraordinarily good and unique.
pps: james van der beek gave a great (though small) performance, very uncharacteristic of "the kid's movie villain"..
Scott (as usual) display their versatile abilities as their hilarious characters trying to cope with Angus' (Charlie Talbert) problems with him as much as work out their own issues.
Angus has always thought that the key was to be more like Rick (Van Der Beek) but then realizes that he truly needs to be himself.
Of all things, in my freshman year of high school this movie came out and I was stunned.
So of course I had to write a review on it here.The movie is about a fat kid, who like me was good at science and fair at football (though I truly despise football, thanks Coach!) who has a single mom and lives with his grandfather, both played marvelously by Cathy Bates and George C.
Angus wants to get with the popular chick, who just happens to be dating his arch-rival in school that has suffered numerous broken noses over the years from Angus' wrath.You grow to love his grandad who gives him advice on how its OK to be different, to just "Screw 'em!" If you're looking for a realistic movie about high school and you were different from the rest of the crowd like I was, then Angus is your movie.
Considering all the TRASH that Hollywood puts out every year, here you have a golden gem that would make a ton of money as more kids who are "first timers" in school would buy.This isn't the first movie that Hollywood has mis-labeled in the name of sales and won't be the last - but for pete sakes PLEASE put this on DVD ?
Guaranteed money maker every year.The only other film that I've seen come even CLOSE to showing a kid standing up for themselves is "Sleepover" - while I like that one too, it's not anywhere near as real as this.10 out of 10 for the movie, ZERO out of 10 for the idiots who haven't gotten it put to DVD yet..
I wasn't really one of those kids who got picked on, I just thought Angus was a true (real life) hero and I looked up to him.
Unlike other teen movies this one seem to show everyone's side of high school life, even though the two main character's are "outcast" they're not really nerds.
The whole movie has great gags that everyone can enjoy and they're really funny.Charlie Talbert plays Angus Bethune (Great name, right?) his best friend Troy Wedberg is played by Chris Owen (Can't Hardly Wait) and he is just hysterical throughout the whole movie.
Then we have James Van Der Beek (Varsity Blues) playing the bully and he does do a great job at it and Ariana Richards (Jurassic Park) plays Melissa Lefevre which Angus has a crush on.Overall I recommend this movie to anyone that likes teen movies such as the breakfast club, can't hardly wait, and sixteen candles.
The acting really is great and as a huge James Van Der Beek fan you get to see one of his earlier films.
Based on a short story written by Chris Crutcher, one of my favorite authors, ANGUS tells the story of a fat kid.
Well developed and wonderfully played by Charlie Talbert, Angus is one of the most memorable characters in film history, making this the stand-out movie of 1995.
Angus (1995) *** (out of 4) Charming gem about an overweight teenager named Angus (Charlie Talbert) who is constantly being tormented by the kids at his school.
ANGUS is a truly charming little gem and it's really too bad that it never found a bigger audience because it's really a good little movie.
Of course it's going to have a big message going throughout but what really makes this film work are the performances and the relationship that Charlie has with the people around him.
By the time it was over, I was pumped to have stumbled on to it.Angus Bethune is such an easy character to like and to pull for.
I loved how, at the climax of the film, they way Angus stands up for himself isn't really what we wanted to see, but it turns out to be even better.His mom and grandpa are great, and their dinner table banter is awesome.
The way the two of them support Angus in their own ways really works out for him well in the end.Van Der Beek is great as the high school villain.
It is a testament to his acting ability, then, that he was able to portray such an unsavory character so early in his career.I love the way that Angus' secret crush, Melissa, was treated.
We make assumptions about her based upon her standing at school, and when she finally opens her mouth, we are proved wrong.The flag pole scene is such an apt depiction of an embarrassing adolescent moment--we get glimpses of what it looks like through Angus' eyes, and just when you think it couldn't possibly get any worse, holy ****!
We've all had moments like that.All in all, this was just a fun movie with a great message.
Any movie that features Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" at the high school dance can't be all that bad..
Angus is a lovely gem of a film for anyone who wanted a movie were the boy with a heart of gold gets to have his day..
ANGUS is an excellent film with sensitive issues that relate to the outcast group of us that felt we were the odd individuals everyone hated.
Angus Bathune plays the underdog in this comedy about an unpopular fat kid who loves science.
Scott had to say..and now I must watch again to hear him again..Point is this movie is a gentle look at the life of a kid with a few problems that only others seem to have.
Well, as the prevous review mentions, this movie has a subject matter that could easily come out trite or sappy -- BUT I feel the people involved did a fantastic job of going past that and making the characters and the story more realistic so that the story rang true.
Watchable little coming-of-age film that stars Charlie Talbert as the titled character, an overweight teenager who is constantly humiliated by the more popular kids in school.
I'm not overweight, but I was an outcast when I was in middle school and I got a truckload of pranks pulled on me.Angus is about an overweight young freshman named Angus Bethune, who is a science whiz and a great athlete, but he is constantly tormented by golden Rick Sanford, played by the great James van der Beek, since the wound.
And from then on it is total chaos.Angus has laughs, tears, hopes, and satisfaction when the movie ends.
This movie changed my life in so many ways, that it makes me upset when I read some of the negative reviews of it, declaring it just another "Teen Movie", This is so much more than that, I have read comments by viewers on websites, saying this movie "changed their life" and I cannot agree more, I really think Charlie Talbert is destined for stardom, he is just sensational, but unfortunately, he has never gotten the recgonition, or the parts he deserves, he has so much range as an actor, I  definitely think Hollywood should take a closer look at him, and start sending scripts his way, and the rest of the cast is fantastic,  This movie is truly a miracle..
"Angus" is one of the most true to life, humorous and dramatic films I've seen in a long time.
Talbert did a very good job portraying Angus and so did Kathy Bates and George C.
A real movie about high school.
Instead, it is a well-crafted, gentle movie with an overweight hero, kids who look like kids, and the kind of dialogue that might have been taken from real life.
Watching Angus is like going back to a gentler time, when a finely acted moment counted as much as a special effect.
Where should I start?I think it's best to start with Angus Bethune, the fat kid who just doesn't seem to get a break, until an age-old enemy, Rick, rigs an election so that Angus can dance with his long-time crush, Melissa.
The supporting characters, geeky Troy, beautiful Melissa, and Rick the pest (played by a more credible James Van der Beek), form part of the fabric of appealing characters that dot the film.
Even some of the camera shots (especially with the irises to open and close the film) are dazzling.Although admittedly it's not destined to be a classic (or at least any time soon), "Angus" is a genuinely warm, funny, bitterly sarcastic, though strictly Hollywood, picture of that ever-so-turbulent, confusing, and questionable time of our lives known as high school.
Angus is a beautiful movie.
And it has one of the funniest lines in a movie that I've ever seen (the shocked response of Troy in the pep assembly).The acting is excellent in spots, and very good overall.
Scott and Kathy Bates deliver on their performances, especially Scott.While the ending may have been a little cliched, it still is a enjoyable movie, and much better than your usual teen flick..I'll never understand why people enjoy "Clueless" when there are movies like Angus that offer far more accurate portrayals of high school life.This one gets a solid 3 1/2 out of 5 in my book.
The characters are played so perfectly that you think you are actually watching a real group of people.Charlie Talbert is absolutely wonderful as Angus - no one else could have played him better.
Ariana Richards is great as Melissa and James Van Der Beek plays the nasty/popular/jock well.
Scott and Kathy Bates - they are awesome in all their movies.SEE ANGUS!
I saw it for the first time in September of this year and remember thinking that this is such a great movie why hadn't I heard of it.
A very strong supporting cast including Kathy Bates who played his mother, "Angus" deserves far more notice than it received.
Although to me it couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to be a snidely funny adolescent comedy or an Afterschool Special, Angus definitely has its moments, especially Angus' speech at the film's high point.
Scott and the two young men in the leads (the not-all-that-fat Charlie Talbert and the adorably geeky Chris Owen) and a really good soundtrack that includes bands like Pansy Division and The Muffs.
There is nothing really special about this movie that would make it stand out from the hundreds of movies that deal with a fat kid in high school.
His protrayal of the grandfather was the kind of typical Scott display that gave the movie it's best scenes.
Misguided, unfunny film adapted from the short story by Chris Crutcher concerning an overweight high school boy who struggles to gain respect from his peers.
Scott has a completely routine role as grandfather to Angus (his scenes look as if they were shot all in one day).
Not only is he overweight, but he is angry (I don't think the kid smiled once) and, according to him, 'I don't sweat, I rain.'I can't recommend or like a movie that has so little regard for all its characters.
Angus represents the high school outcast!.
Much like reality, Angus is a nerd but a likable one with a great personality.
That is the part of the film, Angus, that makes the difference.
It is a wonderful film overall and children and even adults of all ages can identify with Angus' plight to overcome acceptance.
Not that it couldn't have worked as a message movie, but the ending is so laughably implausible that it ruins everything that came before.I guess the best way to describe this film is to say that it suffers from an identity crisis.
If, however, you want a movie that pretends to have something to say, yet lacks the you-know-what to give us anything more than a predictable, warm and fuzzy ending...well, I guess Angus is your thing..
The comedy makes you cry, the romance makes you laugh and the overall message of the film is possibly the most sikening aspect of the whole """"""movie"""""" (Fat people can fit in too)I enjoyed other teen movies like american pie and road trip cos they didnt waste time with preachy messages and pointless sentiments.
"Angus" is a great film.
Just like most of the REAL teens in High School today.
Chris Crutcher (who wrote the short story this film is based on) knows exactly how a real teenagers life works who is not popular.
This is where our hero, Angus Bethune (played flawlessly by Charlie Talbert) is thrown in.
Angus himself thinks that, in spite of the opportunity to dance with the girl of his dreams, he knows that Rick will make a fool out of him, thus he should not go.
Music also plays an important role, as it balances teenage angst with feelings of longing and disillusion.How sad that you truly can't enjoy a film like this if you see it quickly!
This is not a masterpiece but for people who are different, abnormal or rejects from society because of what they look like or how react, this movie can change a life for the better!
The emotions are so real and I tell people to watch the movie if they want to understand what I've been thru...
I really think all teenagers should watch this at the beginning of their high school days.It will make things a lot easier for them due to the message of this film.Its about saying "screw'em" to the world and to just be yourself and that its OK to be abnormal because "there is no normal".Every teenager suffers from Self Esteem problems but after watching this film they should feel a lot more relaxed within themselves.From touching scenes to funny set pieces it has something for most people and will leave you with a nice feeling inside,how many movies do that these days where its all doom and gloom and ridiculous scenarios.This is also a very well acted movie and is lovely piece of work overall..
I watched it and loved the movie.
The plot point of the movie comes when Angus is chosen (by Rick as a joke) to go to the dance with his dream girl.
*At the end of the movie, Angus overcomes the troubles of high school and humiliates Rick, to get a kiss from his dream girl.The movie is just brilliant, with good character depth on all the characters.
Angus (1995): Dir: Patrick Read Johnson / Cast: Charlie Talbert, Ariana Richards, Chris Owen, Kathy Bates, George C.
Angus is overweight and the bunt of fat jokes at school.
Charlie Talbert pulls off a comical performance as Angus despite an outcome viewers will likely predict before he does.
The first time I watched "Angus" I thought : "what a great movie!
it was okay, for a typical high school film, but the idea had been over used.you know the scenerio, fat kid gets bullied, fat kid fights back with out fist, fat kid gets girl.
One thing that I absolutely loved about "Angus" was that the title character was not your typical Hollywood "fat kid".
This was not high school in '95, more like '75..
I graduated in 1993 and let me tell you, this was no example of what high schools were like during that time.
I've COME TO REALIZE THAT TEEN MOVIES ARE MADE BY DIRECTORS WHO ARE USUALLY 10 YEARS OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL.
SO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND A TEEN MOVIE IS MADE BY SOMEONE WHO WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL 10 YEARS BEFORE AND IDENTIFIES WITH SITUATIONS THAT ARE USUALLY NOT AS RELIVANT NOW AND THEY USED TO BE.