I'm a DUFF

Some books are good for escaping, and others take you to less than pleasant times. I was a DUFF in college. My two best friends, Carly and Jessica, were the hot ones and I was the loyal one. They got all the attention and I was the designated driver. They were tall and skinny, and I was short and chunky. They got attention from basketball players, and I was propositioned by an alcoholic. You get the picture. Being their friend could be exhausting at times, but I tried to own it. I loved being the one they could call when they needed someone to pick them up. I didn't mind being the one who didn't get drunk. I especially loved the lack of relationship drama. They were amazing friends, some of the best I've ever had. Of course there were PLENTY of times I wished I could have been as outgoing as Carly, or as pretty as Jessica. But I'm me. Savannah is introverted, uniquely beautiful with her mother's cheekbones and loyal to a fault.

Early this year I read "The DUFF" by Kody Keplinger only because I heard it was going to be a movie and I love Mae Whitman. Bianca (Mae Whitman) gets a rude awakening from the school hottie/man whore, but then finds him as an unlikely ally as she uses him to escape from her home problems. The movie plays a little bit differently, instead of using Wesley Rush (the hottie man whore) for sex, she uses him to make a change. In both the book and the adaptation she learns to embrace herself and her "duff-ness".

Most people cringe when movies are different than the books, but I'm glad. I think the book without changes would have made a depressing story and as good as it was, it was very singular in its focus. The movie took an extra step and decided to tackle an array of teen issues: body image, self esteem, bullying, relationships, labels, and insecurities. The moral of the movie is "everybody has problems."

Mae Whitman is not a dog or fat by any means, but she's not Hollywood standard beautiful, either. She's not a knockout by any means, but she is adorable and funny. She captures the vulnerabilities of being a teenager and having to navigate what can be a hostile social setting. She helps send a powerful message to young women how you carry yourself reflects how you see yourself and who you are inside. Bianca starts out changing herself to impress a boy until she realizes she needs to make a change for herself.

It's not up there with Mean Girls as far classic teen movies go, but it holds it's own. There aren't any memorable quotes, people won't remember Bella Thorne as the new Regina George. I'll never understand why they didn't give this a summer or fall release, but it's a cute little film and a great book.