There has always been a place in my heart for the novel “Youth In Revolt” and for the actor who defines nerd, MichaelCera.

That was until Jan. 14, the day “Youth in Revolt” the movie, came out into theaters. Since that Friday, the place in my heart those two had always occupied, has become vacant.

The novel, written by C.D. Payne, was a solid story full of details, but the tale was sadly raced through in the film adaptation.

All the characters in the book that you grew to love and know like friends were barely given more than three scenes in the movie.

Loaded with a cast of seasoned

actors that would normally

leave me satisfied and sometimes giddy with their performances, left me disappointed

to see that the experts didn’t act out a truly well written

tale to the best of their abilities.

However, Cera was the essence

of Nick Twisp, the main character, a unique, nerdy teen who daydreams of losing his virginity. When his mother and no-good boyfriend are on the run from sailors he ripped off, they take cover in a trailer park full of religious fanatics. It is there that Nick falls hopelessly in love with Sheeni Saunders (played by Portia Doubleday).

But his odd family life, her perfect ex-boyfriend and hours of travel separate the two. With their young love struggling

to stay afloat, Sheeni gets Nick to stray away from his dull life and try to join her free-spirited lifestyle. But that isn’t so easy for Nick to do, so with another obstacle in his way to his dream life with Sheeni, he creates an alter ego, named Francois. Francois carries

himself with confidence, a cigarette and a thin blonde mustache. Along with Nick, Francois is determined to get to Sheeni, no matter what gets in their way, whether it’s burning cars, Sheeni’s haggard dog, a French boarding school or the power of magic mushrooms on uptight parents.

Amazing actors with long resumes, like Jean Smart, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Justin Long, and Zach Galianakis

joined the project, but all should’ve re-thought their decision.

If I were to suddenly forget that this movie was based on a book and that this was all a figment of the screenwriter’s imagination, I would still be left asking for my money back.

They do use very subtle humor and move away from typical stereotypes we see in teen-based comedies, but the fact that they added in claymation

transitions and music that didn’t match the scenes just did not do justice for the plot.

Overall, a big thumbs up to the casting department for getting

this great group of people to sign on for the film, but that is where the praise ends. This film fell short of expectations. It needs a re-do.