It’s no Mean Girls, but The DUFF — about the ‘Designated Ugly Fat Friend’ is solid and worth a look

REVIEW: Mae Whitman is neither fat nor ugly, but she is still well cast as The DUFF — the ‘Designated Ugly Fat Friend’. Ouch.

The DUFF (M)

Director : Ari Sandel (feature debut)

Starring : Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Alison Janney, Ken Jeong, Romany Malco.

Rating : ***

What’s in a name? Everything, and nothing.

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Why the all-caps in the title of The DUFF?

It’s an acronym, standing for Designated Ugly Fat Friend, a social stereotype that supposedly acts as a buffer between attractive young females and any possible young male suitors.

Ouch. This being a Hollywood movie and all, the young woman who has been slapped with this less-than-flattering label is neither ugly, nor fat.

However, Bianca (Mae Whitman) does wear overalls a lot, which definitely makes her look a darn sight dowdier than her two hot best friends.

Based on the 2010 YA novel by Kody Keplinger, The DUFF is a moderately astute, consistently entertaining teen comedy about the evils of social-media shaming and the healing power of just being yourself.

Moderately astute ... Skyler Samuels, Bianca A. Santos and Mae Whitman star in The DUFF.

While you wouldn’t put it in the same class as the similarly-themed (and still superb) Mean Girls - or even the under-rated Easy A - this film has its heart in the right place, and a strong cast that covers for most weaknesses.

Some intrepid TV viewers may know of Whitman from her stint on the now-defunct series Parenthood. These people will not be surprised how great a fit she is for the character of Bianca.

Whitman has great comic timing, a genuine warmth about her, and the ability to deliver dramatically when the going gets a little tougher.

The core themes of high-school bullying and preserving a positive sense of self are adequately addressed by The DUFF’s screenplay, but are boosted with real urgency and surprising depth by Whitman’s performance.

Surprising depth ... She may not actually be `fat’ or `ugly’, but Mae Whitman, here with Robbie Amell is well cast in The DUFF.

Her chemistry with co-star Robbie Amell - playing the jock-next-door who agrees to help Bianca find her own way to beat that DUFF rap - is also very effective and endearing for a film of this type.

Dig a little deeper into the support ranks, and you’ll find some great work from the likes of Ken Jeong (no longer doing that corny-dirty thing from The Hangover) and Alison Janney (playing Bianca’s happily clueless, but nevertheless supportive mother).

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