The live-action adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s popular series of cartoonishly illustrated “tween” books is not in diary form but is nonetheless sufficiently episodic (the “Cheese Touch” episode, the “Devil Worship Woods” episode, and so on), covering the hero’s traumatic first year in middle school, with no help from his tormenting older brother. The dishonorable, even dastardly hero, or better say antihero, can be charitably said to have a lot of growing up to do. But whatever lesson the target audience may take away, actual grown-ups can appreciate the spectacle in the full knowledge that the growing-up in many ways and in many cases never gets done. The universality of the character extends way beyond his age group. Zachary Gordon is, for all the character’s faults, vulnerable and sympathetic in the title role. No less is Robert Capron as his cherubic best friend, a mutual outcast than whom the antihero firmly believes he will soon find someone better. Though there are bits of mandatory, albeit moderate, gross-out humor (boogers and such), there are also truly witty touches (the montage of physical changes over summer vacation in children on the verge of puberty; the animated popularity rankings, forever open to revision, from the top of the class to the bottom; the screaming headline in the school paper, “Cheerleader Gains Pound”), and the photography by Jack Green is gaily colored, and the direction by Thor Freudenthal has energy and flair. With Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Devon Bostick. (2010) — Duncan Shepherd
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