The Duff: Movie vs. Book
As it sometimes happens, I see a movie trailer and it inspires me to read a book. The Duff falls into this wonderful category, along with its older mates, Twilight and Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
The Duff book and movie follow characters of the same name and an ugly nickname for the protagonist, but vary widely in everything else.
In both story forms, the plot follows Bianca Piper, a cynical honor student who is appointed as the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by the good looking high school jock, Wesley Rush.
The book deals with some pretty serious issues. Bianca’s mother is MIA for a few months, working as an inspirational speaker, and her father is not dealing with it well. When the divorce papers roll in one day, Mr. Piper falls off the wagon after years of sobriety. Not to mention, Bianca’s cheating ex-boyfriend is back in town, and he just happens to be one of her best friend’s brother. Side note: The ex-boyfriend was 18 when he dated a then 14 year-old Bianca. This is just creepy in my book.
In order to deal with everything in her life, Bianca starts having a fling with Wesley Rush, a very hot and cocky senior who constantly calls her DUFFY. The sex takes her mind off of everything and becomes her coping mechanism.
Wesley Rush, although sometimes extremely shallow, is actually a really good guy. He always wants to know how she’s doing, and he genuinely grows to care for her. Wesley defends Bianca from her dad’s violent drunken episode. As a teenage boy, you have to have mad balls to go up against a girl’s dad. In the end, he sweetly chases after Bianca, even though she starts to date another guy.
As with many young adult books, this one ended happily, with Bianca’s dad in AA meetings, and Bianca and Wesley together.
“The Duff” movie is a bit lighter in content, very understandably, as it would be hard to sell such a serious tale to the average movie-going teenager.
The movie focuses on Bianca’s desire to break her DUFF reputation, with the help of Wesley Rush. Cyberbullying makes an appearance, but is quickly overcome by Bianca’s fortitude.
Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell do great as the leads. Whitman is charmingly awkward and vulnerable. My favorite line is probably when she comes down the stairs and her mom says “You look crazy,” and Bianca replies “Crazy Awesome.” I think that pretty much sums up Whitman’s portrayal of Bianca — crazy awesome. She has great comedic timing, and she avoids being overly dramatic in her sadness.
Amell plays an equally charming asshole. He is the type of guy who is so cool, whether he is being a dick or a nice guy, he is always cool. Amell portrays him with a cocky confidence that makes him both attractive and funny. Throughout the film, you can see why Bianca falls for Wesley, even though he does act like a stereotypical dick jock sometimes.
One of my favorite aspects of the film is that the teenagers actually speak like teenagers, cussing and all. I find that teenage movies often go in two ways: weirdly dark ones with drastically dramatic teenagers, like” Havoc,” or innocent Disney-type films where teenagers speak like they’re in the forties. I think this film is a good middle. Not too explicit, not too innocent. Just right.
Neither the book nor movie are better, as they are both are great in their own ways. I recommend selecting the proper medium to fit the mood. “The Duff” is a good watch for a lazy afternoon when you want to laugh. The Duff is great when you’re feeling like you want to appreciate someone overcoming some solemn struggles of life.
