This movie is really unlike any other Teen Comedy I've watch and I dedicated a year to souly watching them. From Frat Party to American Pie I watched most of the known ones. Now when I watched this I was thinking that it would be where a nerd finds this chick that is not into him and then he is there for her and then they love each other. This is not the case. Every part of this movie is unpredictable except that Peck befriend the girl and maybe that Emily is depressed but its not really a huge emphasis on that. Like who thought that Peck and Emily were not going to be together in the end. I did not. This is a rare highschool movie where events aren't trite. I never thought I would laugh in a movie about teenage depression. Bravo to the cast and to the remarkable writers

Just Peck lets us into the life of Michael Peck (Peck, for short), a shy high school student who, because of his parents' eccentric parenting skills, ends up competing in the class science fair. Inspired by his undeniable attraction to Emily, a popular girl in school, he sets off on a journey to create the best project he can think of, which unfortunately, will create more problems for his already complicated life.Peck's character is what drives the film. He's not your usual underdog kid who has no redeeming attribute whatsoever. He's not that smart but he knows enough. Most of the time, he is very awkward; he doesn't seem to be comfortable with what he's doing. However, he's someone who knows what to say and when to say it, something that catches Emily's attention. Although its central character is a teenager, the presence of profanity and drug usage alone are enough clues that Just Peck is not your average movie about a kid. Instead, we are shown how a simple boy copes with growing up, and how we may have forgotten that it's really not that simple.The movie is full of funny dialogue. It doesn't go out of its way to be funny like some comedy movies. Its awkward situations are enough to make you laugh every now and then. Peck's parents were hilarious in this film; they provided the much-needed comic relief when things were getting too intense. During Peck's presentation of his science project, there is a moment where it seems that Peck has finally revealed his true colors. The film could have gone anywhere from there, and so it is able to keep its viewers guessing and hanging on to every scene. Not being predictable and clichéd was definitely a strong point of the film.Kier Gilchrist and Brie Larson of United States of Tara star as the main characters in this movie, and they are able to prove through their solid performances that they can definitely shine given the chance.If you think about it, it's a loser kid/popular girl dynamic which we have seen so many times already, but Just Peck manages to rehash it in a way that it becomes interesting and lovable to watch. A good film should tell a unique, entertaining story, and that is what Just Peck is able to accomplish. It doesn't make you all fuzzy inside, but it does make you dish out one full, honest smile.

I watched this title knowing almost nothing about it other than I liked the two leads from the Showtime series, the United States of Tara. The setup is a well worn path, Keir Gilchrist plays Michael Peck, a 104lb Freshman invisible to his parents and those at school save for a small circle of friends. Through a chance encounter he befriends Emily (Brie Larson), an attractive and popular senior at his school. They bond through their subsurface similarities, both are intelligent and posses a sharp tongue matched with a darkly funny evaluation of suburban life. But each are neglected by their parents, Peck's parents are overbearing and deaf to their sons concerns whilst Emily's just aren't there. The two areas where this film just doesn't work are in the production values, this is obviously an independent film but unfortunately it sometimes looks like they stole set pieces from a direct to cable Disney film. The other let down is the direction, it is beyond flat. No style, no consistency in tone or the effort to create one, in retrospect it looks like they got their director from a Disney set as well. The real saving grace is in a surprisingly good script, still let down with some strange turns and the performances. Gilchrist and Larson do seem to be following a reasonably close path to their turns in United States of Tara but in this film they're allowed the time to develop a successful character arc that not only works, but works well. Both turn in tender and genuine performances, and by the end Brie Larson particularly, really proves she has the acting chops to be taken seriously as a professional.Whilst it has its flaws, Just Peck survives it's technical limitations through the talent of the cast and some originality and great laughs buried in an otherwise clichéd story.7/10