6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Abandoned by his parents, Terri is left with his ailing Uncle James, who needs the boy's help more than Terri needs his. Sensitive, overweight and awkward, Terri is painfully aware that his circumstances put him irredeemably outside the inner circle of high school life. He would love to make friends and flirt with girls, but the confusion and conflicts of adolescence keep him trapped in his singular...
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jason Wysocki, Creed Bratton, Bridger Zadina, Jacob WysockiComing of age | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
As every student knows, you can remember the difference between principle and principal with a simple mnemonic device: Your principal is your pal. Not that too many school kids—for whom the principal is usually a scary authoritarian overlord—actually get buddy-buddy with the administration. Still, it can happen, I guess. At least, it does in the low-key indie drama Terri, a high school coming-of-age story that’s poignant without going saccharine, understated but still interesting. Yes, John C. Reilly plays the principal in question, but don’t mistake Terri for a laugh-riot comedy; while there are some extremely funny beats here—almost all of which come from Reilly’s well-meaning but unswervingly goofy character—the film tends toward the quiet, tender, and occasionally uneasy, delicately exploring suburban teenage ennui and high school cruelty. Consequently, it’s the kind of tough-sell movie that does well at festivals but rarely makes it to the national multiplex chains. This is an unfortunate but understandable reality—most moviegoers want mindless escapism, not to be reminded of their own awkward high school days—but hopefully Terri will find a larger audience on home video.
Terri
With indie films increasingly moving to an all-digital workflow, it's always good to see one that's shot on 35mm, especially one with such gorgeous and understated cinematography. Tobias Datum's DP work gives Terri a slightly heightened realism that looks beautiful in high definition, with a 1080p/AVC encode that—despite sitting on a single-layer disc—is free of any compression-related problems besides some light noise. Likewise, DNR and edge enhancement are absent and completely unnecessary, as the image is very fine-grained and naturally sharp on its own. The level of clarity is consistently impressive, revealing the fine texture of uncle Jacob's flannel shirts, the stitching of Terri's pajamas, and the detail in the creases and pores of John C. Reilly's iconically clown-like face. Color is rich and saturated too—a bit more vivid than the hues of "real" life—and this is emphasized with dense blacks and punchy contrast. I really don't have anything negative to say about this transfer, so I'll keep this short; Terri looks fantastic on Blu-ray, and there's nothing about the video presentation that would steer you away from a purchase.
You may have noticed that I used the word "quiet" a few times to describe Terri, and that definitely applies to the film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. After all, this is a very reserved, dialogue-focused drama. Still, within that limited context, the mix here sounds wonderful. Although you'll hear few—if any—cross channel pans or effects, the rear channels are used frequently for environmental ambience, from blowing wind, birds, and other outdoorsy sounds to hallway clamor in the school and convincing acoustics inside the auditorium. What really carries the mix, though, is Mandy Hoffman's piano and violin-based score, which fits the mood of the film well and sound great. Dialogue, as you'd expect, is clean, perfectly balanced, and easy to understand. The disc comes with optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Between Cyrus, Win Win, and now Terri, Fox Searchlight has distributed a trifecta of restrained indie drama/comedies about outsider teens/twentysomethings forming bonds of friendship with discombobulated older adults. All three are quiet, thoughtful, and sometimes uneasy films—with a bit of humor to take the edge off—and I've enjoyed them all about equally. So, if you've liked one, you'll probably appreciate the others. As usual for Fox releases, Terri looks wonderful on Blu-ray, and aside from a shortage of special features I see no reason not to pick this one up if you're interested in the subject matter or actors involved. Recommended!
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