The DUFF 2015

Kyle Smith, New York Post: This winsome comedy is a little low in the stakes department, not to mention predictable, but it gets an "A" for charm. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: It works, but just barely. Read more

Nick Schager, Variety: It's hard not to see "The Duff" becoming an instant teen classic. Read more

Katie Rife, AV Club: This is [Whitman's] film, and she seems determined not to waste her chance at being a leading lady. Read more

Peter Keough, Boston Globe: A Derivative Unimaginative Forgettable Film. Read more

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: The ostensible message of accepting difference is overwhelmed by a spirit of blind conformism. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: You know what would be revolutionary? Making a really good movie about a three-dimensional teenage female character that doesn't start and finish with both eyes on the same old punishing character types. Read more

Kevin P. Sullivan, Entertainment Weekly: The DUFF won't stay with you far past its runtime. But as a vehicle, it's ample proof that we should be seeing more of Mae Whitman. Read more

Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter: Its central pair of unlikely allies will engage young audiences' sympathy. They're smartly played by Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell, whose warmth and comic chops keep the movie buoyant. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: Romance, or the desire to find someone special, isn't a bad thing - if it's not the only thing. But as it stands in "DUFF," the denouement at prom has cliche written all over it. Read more

Amy Nicholson, L.A. Weekly: The DUFF doesn't seem to know what its point actually is. It's pro-self-acceptance and also pro-makeover. It's about liking yourself, and how you'd like yourself better with a boyfriend. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: A smart, funny, straight-talking teen movie in the John Hughes tradition. Oodles of charm from the young cast. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It's not "Mean Girls." It's not even "Easy A." But it's definitely a solid B. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Most of the credit goes to Whitman, who stands in, and stands up, for the DUFF in all of us. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times: Even in this would-be subversive comedy, success means getting the guy. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: It falls short of the mark, even as it hits every one of the genre's conventions. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The DUFF would make John Hughes smile. Read more

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: This is a well-intentioned and sometimes quite sharp high school movie that falls just short of the mark due to a few way-off-the-mark scenes and too much heavy-handed preaching. Read more

Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com: Whitman displays flawless comic timing and consistently makes inspiring choices in terms of delivery, reaction, even the slightest facial expression. She shines confidently in a self-deprecating role, and it's irresistible. Read more

David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle: Sandel's film has heart, some good laughs and a decent message. In this age of cyberbullying, that's nothing to scoff at. Read more

Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press: While it's neither as biting as Mean Girls nor as sweetly referential as Easy A, the earnest and sometimes amusing The DUFF is a fine addition to the canon. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: "The DUFF" is a Dumb, Uninteresting, Formulaic Failure. Read more

Maggie Wrobel, Globe and Mail: It's the first great teen comedy since Mean Girls. Read more

Inkoo Kang, TheWrap: "Mae Whitman reveals herself to be one of the funniest actresses of her generation in a spot-on and endlessly quotable take on teenage 'dramz' in 2015." Read more

Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun: Especially because the young co-stars Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell are so appealing, The DUFF is charming, cheeky and relevant. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Mae Whitman is the best thing here, and the funny actress deserves better material than what's offered in this derivative and superficial ode to teen self-acceptance. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: Why is it so wonderful? Because wit and charm matter, and The DUFF has a good deal of both. The cast will be stars, the gags will be immortal, and you'll still be watching this movie years from now. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: What might have been a frank portrayal of high school culture and challenges ends up veering between being either too cynically hyper-sexual or preachy. Read more