Youth in Revolt is a coming-of-age comedy that puts a fresh and outrageous stamp on a tale of adolescent obsession and rebellion. Based on the acclaimed novel by C.D. Payne, Youth in Revolt is the story of Nick Twisp – a unique, but affable teen with a taste for the finer things in life like Sinatra and Fellini – who falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful, free-spirited Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday) while on a family vacation. But family, geography and jealous ex-lovers conspire to keep these two apart. With Sheeni’s encouragement, Nick abandons his dull, predictable life and develops a rebellious alter ego: Francois. With his ascot, his moustache and his cigarette, Francois will stop at nothing to be with Sheeni and leads Nick Twisp on a path of destruction with unpredictable and uproarious consequences. Michael Cera adds to his collection of quick-witted young men with his portrayal of 16-year-old Nick Twisp. Born on the trashy side of the Oakland tracks, Nick hates his name almost as much as his life. Everyone he knows, including his divorced parents (Jean Smart and Steve Buscemi), gets more action than he does, but his luck changes when he meets junior femme fatale Sheeni (Portia Doubleday) during a trailer-park vacation. She may have overprotective parents (Mary Kay Place and M. Emmet Walsh) and a boyfriend back at school, but she also likes Jean-Paul Belmondo movies, Serge Gainsbourg records–and Nick. There’s just one hitch–she prefers bad boys, so Nick creates cynical, cigarette-smoking alter ego François Dillinger to win her heart (just as musician Gainsbourg created devilish doppelgänger Gainsbarre). Little does Nick know he’s playing with fire–literally–since François gives him license to set his pent-up inhibitions free: he sneaks into Sheeni’s private-school dorm, blows up his mother’s boyfriend’s car (Zach Galifianakis as the boyfriend), and trips on magic mushrooms with Sheeni’s burnout brother and a radical family friend (Justin Long and Fred Willard, both hilarious). As with Chuck and Buck and The Good Girl, Miguel Arteta’s adaptation of C.D. Payne’s young adult series offers equal parts sorrow and humor. The animated sequences add whimsy, but there’s something more disturbing than romantic about Twisp’s manufactured multiple personality disorder. Cera handles the two personas well, but Youth in Revolt still registers as a sex comedy for people who prefer crime dramas. –Kathleen C. Fennessy
Stills from Youth in Revolt (Click for larger image)
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Rating: 
(out of 21 reviews)
List Price: $ 28.95
Price: $ 5.95
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July 29, 2010
#1
Review by MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!!
Rating:
I found this movie to be very funny, it had it’s own personality,
and young Michael Cera did as amazing job as the odd, alienated, unsure-of-himself,
teenager Nick Twisp, filled with suppressed anger and pent-up sexual frustration
who has a mother, Estelle, (played by a very skinny Jean Smart) who is trailer trash,
lives for whatever man is in her life at the moment, and totally ignores (for the most part)
her young odd loner son, as long as it doesn’t effect her child support payments or he
doesn’t do anything to embarass her or come between her & her boyfriends!
His father, George, is played by the great quirky actor Steve Buscemi.
He has recently divorced the Jean Smart character and has taken up with a ridiculously
younger woman who occupies all of his time just trying to keep up with her.
He’s a pretty cool father, (though temperamental) just as long as the kid stays out of
his way and doesn’t cause too much trouble. Cena’s character also later develops an
alter-ego/evil twin/doppelganger named Francois Dillinger who is a complete sociopath
and rebel who doesn’t care about anything! (He reminds me a little of Kourtney Kardashian’s
arrogant, obnoxious and aloof boyfriend, Scott Disick!)
Social decorum, the property, thoughts or feelings of others, all mean nothing to him!
He scoffs at authority, isn’t respectful of women, just sees them as sex objects, and loves
to shake things up in a big way!—Michael Cena plays the dual roles with great finesse!
His comic timing is amazing and he is able infuse both characters with very believable
emotions, separate mindsets, and other personality quirks which will have you totally buying it!
Without giving away the rest of the story, I will just say that there are plenty of laughs,
mayhem, crazy situations, and memorable dialogue which some people will be repeating to
each other in that annoying way that people do when they parrot lines from their favorite
movies in everyday conversation! (-: The supporting cast is a stellar ensemble of actors!
Ray Liotta, Zach Galifinakis, Mary Kay Place, Erik Knudsen, Portia Doubleday, Justin Long,
Fred Willard and others all gave great comedic performances in this film which will keep you
laughing when you are supposed to laugh, assuming most people who watch this film will have
a pretty good sense of humor and fun. (-:
I must say that I enjoyed it overall and recommend it highly!
Those reviewers on here who are comparing it to “Fight Club” (?),
James Dean (?), etc., I don’t know what movie they saw or what they expected
this film to be, because it never pretends to be any of that!
It’s actually quite original.
Anywayz, it’s a good movie in my opinion, So check it out! (-:
July 29, 2010
#2
Review by A. Fox
Rating:
the only way i can compare this to another movie is mixing fight club with napolean dynamite by far the best part of this movie is francois. with his attitude of not caring what anyone else thinks. i was thinking this movie was another michael cera movie where hes the awkward teen which it is some what but a lot diffrent with him being a bad *** in this movie. all the surrounding actors were great in this movie. i was optimistic about this movie but after seeing a preview i decided to rent it this movie was a lot better then what i thought which is why im going to buy this movie. this is cera best role ive seen him play and this movie makes me want to watch his next movie scott pilgrim vs the world.
July 29, 2010
#3
Review by C. E. Prendiville
Rating:
Youth in Revolt is the adaptation of C.D. Paynes cult book by the same title. It follows the storyline of his first three novellas (later combined into a single book) that follow a young man by the name of Nick Twisp, who after discovering the love of his life does whatever he must to stay with her.
The film itself is a far cry from the hilarious prose of the witty novel that inspired it. However by itself, Youth in Revolt is surely a great romantic comedy, and Michael Cera’s best performance to date. If you are looking for a short, well-directed, well-acted and hilarious romp then look no further. This is a movie I think all movie buffs should add to their collection and one that sadly went unnoticed in theaters.
After you watch the movie, if you find the characters entertaining I highly suggest picking up the books. They are a light read, very entertaining and even more well-crafted than this short feature film.
Two Thumbs Up!
July 29, 2010
#4
Review by Robert Tilton
Rating:
Well, it’s been a long wait, but Youth in Revolt is finally hitting the big screen in a wide release. And it’s worth the wait. I laughed through just about the whole movie. And before I get deep into the review, I have read the book. So let’s get into it.
BAD:
1. Quite short. A 90 minute romp through a 500-page novel. What?
2. CUTS! Many characters from the novel such as Apurva and Fuzzy hve been severed from the movie. Maybe Apurva was cut from them film to emphasize Nick’s love for Sheeni. But Fuzzy’s cut? He’s the whole reason they can go to the French boarding school in Act II. What?
3. No Carlotta, really! If you have read the book you know what I mean with this.
That’s it for the bad.
GOOD:
1. Hysterical! Does this really need an explanation? It’s funny!
2. Animation sequences. These occur at certain points in the film to facilitate scenes. Very creative!
3. Good Acting/Cameos. The film has very good acting. Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday really steal the show. Also, they have an ensemble cast of cameos, such as Fred Willard and Steve Buscemi. Very well acted.
4. Quite faithful to the novel. Miguel Arteta did good with the novel. No new characters were introduced, only cuts.
Overall Score: 9.0 out of 10
A ten, but not really any Carlotta and no Apurva or Fuzzy. And, way too short.
July 29, 2010
#5
Review by Mohamed F. El-Hewie
Rating:
“Youth in revolt” might be improper title for this movie. “Irresistible” would be a more appropriate title. The two adolescents in the center of the story are common youth struggling with common family issues. On one side, the boy faces the consequences of divorced parents and has to endure hectic and insecure family settings. On the girl’s side, her religious family led too simple of a life out of touch of the needs of their growing daughter. The boy’s search for his rule to fit into society was the crux of the drama that made the audience applaud and indulge in the scenario. The boy acted wonderfully and succeeded in winning the sympathy of the viewers with his serious and desperate outlook.
You could easily indulge into the rule of each character as they fitted precisely in the story. The boy’s mom has no choice but to lean on each man who could shelter her while her boy was growing older and more conscious of his mom’s desperation. The boy was fortunate to run across his sweet heart in unexpected coincidences. His constantly unsettling family situation made him appreciate his newly found love as his only way for self-worthiness.
May be the only revolt in the story was the free spirit of the girl that led the boy to take her literally and turn bad. As the boy portrays a sense of innocence and desperation, his runaway with law appeared unintended act for the sake of breaking away from the boredom and hopelessness of his family situation.
The beauty of the movie lies in its great ability to invoke laughter in very real and reasonable scenario. Confronting the financial desperation of his single mom, the provocative nonsense of his step father and step mother, the detachment of his girl’s parents, and the pain of sexually maturity, all made the movie touches the hearts of the diverse audience. Each one could easily reflect on the struggles that each character in the movie were facing.