it's certainly well made and acted. there are basically no real laughs in the story though, and it's pretty melancholy. the overt and subtle messages about enjoying little things and being comfortable in your own skin are nice, but i didn't leave the film feeling like there was a firm message.

i would definitely recommend this movie! and cry while watching that ..terri is strong related to my highschool life i been bullied by others cos my unique but i dont have any Fitzgerald tell me thats not on me ..and keep going .or it’s fine to be “weird “ .but anyway all the characters so great ,beautiful and must recommend that if you are sensitive one in the world either :)

Terri - the character- will stay with us. Not because we get to know him deeply, but because we understand his sensitivity. He’s not the only character who is likable and complex enough to make an impression. The principal is a great character as well. Again, we do not know these people but we understand their movements and we have an idea of their affects. The movie does a great job at allowing us to stand by these characters; but in a narrative that moves at a pace that’s too slow and also somewhat without much direction. It’s almost as though we are looking out through the window… we are watching something that began before we arrive and will continue after we leave; but if we were to get distracted for a few seconds or even more, we wouldn’t miss much. In other words, not the most exciting movie despite great and complex characters

Of the two Azazel Jacobs movies I've seen (The Lovers and Terri), he very much is in tune with the awkward and atypical patterns of life that we're all a part of, but just don't talk about all that much or admit that we're okay with. A vice principal palling around with an outsider student is bordering on a crossed boundary, sure, but the way the film portrays all of Terri's relationships is like they are crossing his own personal boundaries as his insecurities and malaise seem to ooze out of him at almost every moment. In the end, his friendship with the vice principal is his most fruitful one and it begs the question of is there really any harm in that? I don't know. This movie certainly doesn't communicate that. Not all people fit into a path that society has prewritten and I think Terri is about accepting and understanding these atypical rhythms people fall into and questions how healthy or unhealthy "fitting in" really is.

I thought this was quite a touching, quirky film. The central character is someone its easy to feel sorry for, he's a real underdog type character. It's sad to see the bullying that happens but there are some amusing moments too. I thought John C Reilly gave a good performance as the principal who sees something in Terri and the friendship the two of them develops is quite nice. Its not an entirely original storyline or anything but I enjoyed watching it for the characters. I suppose it reminded me slightly of Napolean Dynamite. It is sad and touching. I would recommend this film, yes.

Small, low budget but interesting. (Maybe boy bullied less if not wear jammies to school every day.)

Just didn’t feel anything while watching this. Too long

Decent watch at best, probably won't watch again, and can't recommend. I would have thought I'd want to J.C. Reilly to be my counselor, but it's a very awkward character, and has some potentially ill-intended implications. The main plot is about a troubled teen in an poor situation, and it is hardly ever addressed directly. The movie is a cycle of disappointing cycles, mirroring far too close to the mental hardships of teen-hood. The movie also just sort of ends. This is far too heavy a movie to be legitimately funny, and too casually constructed to be a powerful drama. I honestly don't recommend watching this,but it;s not a complete waste of time if you do, the movie has its moments.

Everything an indie film should be--quirky, uneven, charming and a glimpse into a unique world. The relationship between the two principals is quite enjoyable. It's time well spent.

Smart, mysterious and real emotions

cinegeek.de Der Film von Azazel Jacobs hat mich regelrecht vereinnahmt. Es ist die Geschichte eines dicken Jungen, der in der High School gequält wird. Die meisten High School Filme über Aussenseiter sind ziemlich gewöhnlich - dieser hier nicht! Terri wird so glaubhaft von Jacob Wysocki verkörpert, dass es wie ein kleines Wunder wirkt! Terri ist klug, freundlich und instinktiv auch schon weise, dadurch tut es umso mehr weh, wenn er gedemütigt wird. Seine Entscheidung, Pyjama in der Schule zu tragen, dürfte im späteren Leben sogar eine hippe Idee sein! Terri hat Charakter. Wir erleben mit ihm zwei oder drei Wochen seines Lebens, in denen er einige wichtige Hürden nimmt. Seine Eltern kommen im Film nicht vor. Terri lebt zusammen mit seinem Onkel James (Creed Bratton), inmitten von dessen Büchern und Musik. James ist genau wie Terri ein besonderer Mensch. Das Haus, in dem die beiden wohnen, liegt mitten im Wald und den muss Terri durchqueren, um zur Schule zu gelangen. Er hat bereits ziemlich viele Tage versäumt und wird deshalb zum Direktor Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly) bestellt. Der Direktor versteht Terri, denn er selbst wurde als Teenager gequält. Langsam entwickelt sich hier ein Gespräch von Mann zu Mann, ja von Freund zu Freund - was von Jacobs sehr subtil entwickelt wird. Insgesamt ist es nicht die Absicht des Films, einer seiner Figuren zu nahe treten zu wollen oder mit Eile die Handlung runter zu spulen. Terri ist ein wundervolles Beispiel, wie ein Film uns das menschliche Leben nahe bringen kann, ohne sich darüber jemals lustig zu machen! Es gibt noch zwei weitere wichtige Charaktere: Chad (Bridger Zadina) ist ein zweiter Problemkandidat von Fitzgerald. Ein mürrischer Aussenseiter mit hängenden Schultern, der sich zwanghaft die Haare vom Kopf zupft. Heather (Olivia Crocicchia) ist eine der schönsten Schülerinnen und Terri beobachtet sie auf dem Heimweg. Sie "macht gerade mit einem Jungen rum" (oder ist es doch etwas anderes?), weshalb Fitzgerald sie verweisen will. Terri aber macht sich stark für sie und beweist seinen Respekt vor Heather. Beide beginnen eine schüchterne Freundschaft und schreiben sich kleine Zettel. Schliesslich lädt Terri beide zu sich nach Hause ein: Chad, Heather, eine Flasche Schnaps und ein paar Pillen seines Onkels. Es wird nicht nur für die Drei ein denkwürdiger Abend, auch mir blieb die Szene bis heute im Gedächtnis. Ich denke nicht, dass ich jemals eine solche Sequenz gesehen habe... Irgendetwas in Terris Leben spornt uns an, genauso zu sein, wie wir sein wollen. Obwohl Terri sein Glück noch nicht gefunden hat, lebt er das bereits. Terri und auch die übrigen Charaktere werden nie eingeschränkt durch die Konventionen einer "Story". Alle fünf habe ich so nie in anderen Filmen gesehen! Sie werden mit Hingabe und Sympathie beobachtet und niemals vereinfacht - es wäre zum Beispiel interessant, etwas mehr über Heather zu erfahren. Hier ist ein Junge, der in einem normalen High School Film einfach "dick" und "merkwürdig" wäre. Hier ist er aber so viel mehr als bloss dick und merkwürdig! Bisher war mir der Schauspieler Jacob Wysocki unbekannt, aber er spielt seine Rolle so ruhig und selbstbewusst, dass ich mal weitere Filme mit ihm recherchieren muss. Die Gespräche zwischen ihm und John C. Reilly könnte ich mir alle noch einmal einzeln ansehen, so aufrichtig und denkwürdig sind sie gefilmt. Hier zeigt sich wahrhafte Meisterklasse!

I'm not sure "insightful" is the right word to describe Azazel Jacobs' Terri, but I'd absolutely call it authentic, believable. Little happens in the film that sheds new light on high school students or the difficulties of growing up obese, and that's fine when these subjects are tackled with such a delicate touch. Jacobs does a terrific job ensure the actions and emotions present in his first higher-profile effort are genuine. That combined with a pair of great performances makes this an indie worth seeking out. The film follows Terri (Jacob Wysocki), a 15-year-old student who's severely overweight, as he cares for his sick-with dementia-Uncle James (Creed Bratton of The Office) and struggles through school. Terri wears pajamas because they're comfortable, and he'd rather watch animals pick at the dead mice he catches in the attic than hang out with his classmates. He has no real friends, though the school's assistant principal, Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly), takes Terri under his wing. Things change for him, however, when a cute girl, Heather (Olivia Crocicchia) is ostracized for an incident in home ec class. Terri pities her, and decides to show her some much-needed kindness, and she gladly returns the favor. Terri doesn't really have any big emotional moments, nor does it reveal any surprising truths. Its strengths are in the small character-building moments-when Terri and Heather pass notes to each other in class, or when Mr. Fitzgerald shares his self-esteem-building philosophy with Terri. Generally, it's a sweet movie, and though the average 15-year-old's hormones take front and center in the film's final third, I never felt any moment was out of place, nor did I feel like Jacobs was resorting to manipulation. The final third, however, is decidedly less compelling than what occurs before it. The sexual politics at play are a little uncomfortable to watch, frankly, and after roping us in through the resilient spirit of a few damaged young people, it's odd to watch those very same people attempt to awkwardly hook up. John C. Reilly has quietly done a lot this year, yet his performances have been pretty underwhelming. I thought he was dreadful in Carnage, and he was easily the least effective member of the We Need to Talk About Kevin ensemble. He was OK in Cedar Rapids, but here, he's excellent. Mr. Fitzgerald isn't cookie-cutter, like most good-hearted mentor figures. He's fallible and occasionally does more harm than good toward Terri and some of the other students. But his mantra-that people are just doing the best they can-suits him well. Jacob Wysocki is a major surprise as Terri. His character has little to no personality, yet he's not the sad sack or wet blanket you might be expecting. He's just a little closed off, and understandably so, considering the grief he takes from his classmates. Wysocki's acting, therefore, needs to be very controlled, and thankfully, it is because without it, the film doesn't work. Terri probably won't be the most memorable film of 2011, but it's solid. It features believable performances and a strong script, which is a lot more than you can say for most high-school dramas. Seek it out if you have the opportunity. It's a nice, happy surprise. http://www.johnlikesmovies.com/terri-review/

This was such a depressing movie with totally unsympathetic characters, Terri himself was selfish and cruel.

Much like the main character, this film is sensitive...with hints of risqué. But it's overall blandness over-powers what it is attempting...which is something much bigger than the script allows it to be.

decent movie, great acting makes up for where it lacks in plot. Worth a watch

Warm but constantly at arm's length

Good example of indie and light drama movie. His life brought something new in our life. www.harianfilm.com

Jacob Wysocki is outstanding in the lead role in this film. John C. Reilly is also a delight to watch with another excellent performance. The plot is simple but there are a lot of real and interesting moments. I would recommend this movie.

Slow, short & & painful coming of age film with amazing acting by Jacob Wysocki. Luv John C. Reilly always (Brule rules! lol.)

Cute movie with likeable Jonah Hill clone, Jacob Wysocki, about an awkward, overweight non-conformist and his relationship with his understanding principal and chief advocate (John C. Reilly), his interactions with his dysfunctional friends and family, and his dysfunctional interface with the straight world at large. Terri is more of a darkly comic, bittersweet ballad than a film with a decisive progression from Point A to Point B; nothing is resolved, and Terri neither receives particularly sound advice, nor gains any meaningful epiphanies into how to make life easier for himself. Despite this, we do get the impression by the movie's end that Terri has at least stepped onto the long path to self-actualization. The film takes a cue from A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969), repeating that story's poignant message that the world isn't going to come to an end just because you fail to meet mainstream society's expectations, and that it's OK to be who you are.