Yet another film that sways dangerously from the plotline of its novel counterpart is “The DUFF,” based on the original story by Kody Keplinger.
The word “DUFF” is an acronym for “Designated Ugly Fat Friend.” The idea is that in every group of friends, there is a less attractive individual who highlights the beauty of his or her peers. That person then serves as a “middle man” whom everyone exploits and uses to eventually get to the DUFF’s more popular friends. Towards the end of the movie, we see that in truth, each person is a DUFF in his or her own way.
The film follows main character Bianca Piper as she struggles to accept that she is the DUFF in her trio of friends. Compared to her two best friends, Jessica Harris and Casey Cordero, Bianca is average in appearance. In support of social stereotypes, however, the more attractive characters in the movie are less intelligent, while Bianca is blessed with a set of brains that allow her to thrive academically. In fact, it is through her excellence in chemistry that she manages to land a date with the star of the football team, Wesley Rush, who is failing the course and desperately needs a tutor. While the movie is laden with clichés, the unique personalities of the characters, along with the way they interact, helps alleviate some of the damage left by the unoriginal plot.
The drama in the film begins when Wesley informs Bianca that she is the DUFF in her group of friends, something that had previously gone unnoticed. After speaking to Wesley (and throwing her drink at him), Bianca realizes that he is correct, and she begins to notice that others only approach her so that they can get closer to her friends. Bianca quickly confronts her two best friends and blames them for turning her into a DUFF. The movie also features a dramatic “un-friending” scene where the three girls take turns removing each other from various websites and “un-following” each other on Twitter and Instagram. While this particular event is not found in the novel, it was added to the film to reflect the recent obsession of teens with social media and the role that technology plays in our daily lives. Written five years ago, Kody Keplinger’s book is less up-to-date with current trends.
Another change made to the plot is the creation of Madison Morgan, the most popular girl in school and typical “mean girl.” Unknowingly, she becomes jealous of Wesley and Bianca, but she refuses to admit it. Instead, she sends one of her minions after Bianca with orders to document everything Bianca does through video recordings. Madison then devotes her time to humiliating Bianca by editing the videos and publicizing them across campus. Due to the introduction of Madison, the film becomes more of a traditional chick-flick and loses its originality. While the novel centers more on the relationship between Bianca and Wesley, along with the stresses of family and society, the movie shifts the focus to Madison and her adventures in tormenting Bianca. In doing so, the plot loses much of its depth and merit.
Another new character in the movie is Mr. Authur, Bianca’s supportive Journalism teacher who assigns her to write a story on Homecoming, much to her chagrin. Having prided herself as a social rebel, Bianca despises parties and avoids them whenever possible. In the film, Bianca also lives with her mother, instead of her alcoholic father, as featured in the original plot. As a result Bianca faces less stress from her family in the movie, which allows the story to focus more on her dealings with school and the social scene as opposed to issues with her personal life. We also don’t get to see Wesley punch Bianca’s dad, an event that exists only in the book.
Towards the end of the film, Bianca provides the audience with a typical speech on confidence and the unimportance of labels in society. Compared to the rest of the movie, the ending was bland and unsatisfactory. Madison is abandoned by her followers, Bianca writes her Homecoming article and accepts herself for who she is, and then she runs off into the sunset withWesley. Any hopes of originality are squashed in the last few minutes of the film. Also, Bianca’s spunk and individuality are seemingly negated by her adherence to social norms at the end, for she beautifies herself and dresses up for her first real dance. Because of this, the message carried by the film has less impact, and the traditional “self-esteem speech” is unimpressive.
Despite the issues with the plot and the changes made in the movie, the characters were strangely likeable, and the actors made up for everything with their splendid performances. In particular, Mae Whitman, the actress who played Bianca, reflected perfectly the attitude of the character and the nature of her relationship with Wesley. The movie also lived up to its title as a comedy, and it had me laughing throughout. For those who h ave already read the book and have expectations for the plot, be prepared to be disappointed. If you enjoy cliché chick-flicks and romantic comedies, however, this one’s for you.