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Ah, college: a time of all-night study sessions, late-night philosophies, and regrettable benders. It’s a time to let loose and have some fun while trying to figure out what it is that you want to do with the rest of your life. For a teenage genius in the indie comedy HairBrained, however, it’s also a time for brainy revenge.
This lovable hipster comedy stars Alex Wolff as Eli Pettifog, a wild-haired 13-year-old genius who’s spent his entire life dreaming of going to Harvard. But when his dream school rejects him, he ends up attending underachieving Whittman College, where his only friend is 40-something freshman Leo Searly (Brendan Fraser).
After a run-in with Harvard’s Collegiate Mastermind quiz bowl team turns his love of the school into fervent hatred, Eli names himself the new captain of Whittman’s downtrodden Collegiate Mastermind team and vows to humiliate the school that he once adored.
Simple yet satisfying, HairBrained is a cute college comedy with a charming cast and a predictable but pleasing story—all accompanied by an enjoyably easy-going soundtrack. There’s nothing particularly outrageous about it—and Eli’s adventures generally fit quite neatly into the usual underdog-story formulas—but the characters make it all worthwhile.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room here, shall we? Brendan Fraser hasn’t exactly wowed audiences lately—and, to be honest, the very mention of his name tends to strike fear in the hearts of most self-respecting movie lovers. But maybe he just hasn’t been taking the right roles—because here, as the overgrown college party boy, he actually works. Sure, he’s looking a little rough around the edges these days, but he was clearly born to play the lovable goofball, and he feels perfectly natural as the middle-aged sidekick to a crazy-haired teenager.
Wolff, meanwhile, makes Eli more than just a teen throwing a tantrum. Not only is he a teenage genius, but he’s also wry and witty and confident beyond his years. For the most part, he handles adversity with both strength and humor—and when he gives a dim-witted bully a verbal lashing, you’ll wish that you’d had the same kind of guts when you were his age.
Unfortunately, the development here is pretty light. Eli and Leo are both interesting characters, but the film merely hints at their pre-Whittman stories. In fact, even their side stories—like Leo’s gambling problem or Eli’s budding relationship with a cute townie girl—are simply glossed over. Still, though the story may not be especially solid, HairBrained is still an enjoyable on-campus adventure. So if you’re looking for some light laughs on a cold, wintery day, be sure to enroll in this laid-back college comedy.
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