Societal commentary, some magnetic performances, life lessons learned - or not, coming of age, trust, friendship. THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS is an education for us all.

Full Review | Nov 6, 2019

Though painted with broad strokes and marred by dialogue howlers during key moments, Education tracks Charlie's emerging sense of identity and perspective.

Full Review | Oct 20, 2014

The story of a street kid hiding out in a preppy college never leaves familiar ground.

Full Review | Aug 15, 2011

Would've made a swell student film for Durst, a safe haven for the rocker to work out his film school inclinations. As a feature-length requiem for the disturbed soul, this picture is woefully ineffective.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jun 15, 2009

perceptive and gripping

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 13, 2009

It's just a shame the story wasn't handled as a simple memoir, rather than some sort of cautionary tale.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Apr 17, 2009

One of those voice-over memory stories about a college student coming to terms with the bully who haunted his childhood.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 17, 2009

An earnest, if romanticized, examination of the American class system in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the eternally confounding politics of acceptance and exclusion.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 17, 2009

Travels in some unexpected, thoughtful directions.

Full Review | Apr 3, 2009

The cast is superb in their performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 1, 2009

A surprisingly amiable coming-of-age tale that is especially remarkable for its honesty about class.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 1, 2009

A film that succeeds at being good without really succeeding in being worthwhile.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 31, 2009

There are some things to like about The Education of Charlie Banks, but also plenty that detracts from what could be an interesting story.

Full Review | Mar 30, 2009

You take one scene that doesn't quite get there followed by another scene that doesn't quite get there, all of a sudden you've got a movie that doesn't quite get there.

Full Review | Mar 30, 2009

Unnerving and uneven college drama is well-acted but doesn't seem to know what it's trying to say.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 29, 2009

Too often Durst's direction is overly earnest, heavy in long takes, atmosphere wise but scene foolish.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 27, 2009

The Education of Charlie Banks wants to be The Great Gatsby of college movies. It falls a tad short.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Mar 27, 2009

Thanks to sincere performances (most notably from Mr. Ritter and Eva Amurri as Charlie's upper-crust crush) and clever writing (by Peter Elkoff), the movie never becomes maudlin.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 27, 2009

You will spend this film's entire 100+ minutes waiting for the inevitable moment of reckoning between Charlie and the young thug he fears the most.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 27, 2009

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 27, 2009