SnoopyStyle Charlie (Freddie Highmore) was a promising amateur chef but after an incident, he has withdrawn into a static life. He lives at home with his mother (Marg Helgenberger) and her family. His loser father (Christopher Meloni) arrives in town and comes to stay with them. Charlie's friend Ben (Haley Joel Osment) pushes him to talk to his crush coffee shop girl Amber (Odeya Rush). The problem is that she already has track star boyfriend Brad. Charlie gets her slacker cousin Jack a job at the revival theater. Jack takes a liking to Charlie's lifelong friend Heather.Highmore and Rush are an appealing pretty young coupling. They make for a fine lead in a standard indie romance. There are a few too many issues and too many characters. Filmmaker Jake Goldberger has overstuffed this when he should concentrate on the two young stars. First with Osment, I assumed that his role would be more integral. Quite frankly, his role and Heather should be combined. Also, it needs to cut some of the extras. I don't know what is that Amber's girlfriend's name but her only contribution is listening to Amber in the bathroom. Her character should be incorporated into Jack. Have Rita Volk play Amber's cousin. As for Charlie's dad, it's another addition that pulls focus away from the Charlie Amber relationship. I would love that quirkiness except he does something totally stupid to steal climatic time. I rather have them be a quirky married couple and leave the rest out. They have these two terrific young actors and should make them the sole focus.

cortesjanet The entire movie is an absolute waste of time. The only reason I watched the movie is due to the fact that I am a hormonal girl who is madly in love with Freddie Highmore. I do not recommend this movie to anyone at all. Please, I beg you if you are reading this review do not waste two hours of your life watching 'Almost Friends'. Instead, why don't you take a two-hour nap you and your body will thank me later.

melbartman I never write reviews but this movie has a 6.4 rating. 6.4?!?!?! And warm, fuzzy reviews. (Rotten rated it as a 2.4 which is much more accurate) I honestly thought it was a nice little B movie at first (not a 6.4!) until I saw the veteran actors uncomfortable performances (at best) and then I knew something was wrong. Look, I like the Good Doctor, but good grief he shows not an ounce of emotion on his face through out the whole movie. Maybe that works at the Bates Motel but then add long close ups and long walks with him going right at the camera and all it is is boring and uncomfortable. And he didn't even look at her, not in her eyes anyway. His eyes flitted all over (over her head, past her, off into space). He was supposed to be a bit shy but I don't think thats what this was. Just check out the scene where she leaves her boyfriends hospital room after he broke an ankle racing Charlie (omg, an all star runner...tripped), he was confessing to her that he had been an asshole, It was a confrontational moment. She was demanding an answer. He had to look her in the eyes. Now just watch it. His left eye spazzed out and he looked like he was having a stroke. The lines he said indicate that he was manning up in the situation but the obvious facial tick he suffered didn't really work for the scene. And If it was just that something got in his eye they would have reshot the scene, right? I'm sorry but I literally laughed out loud at some point toward the end because of the movies cinematography. They thought the movie really needed one more really intense LONG look at his expressionless face. That's why it got one star. It made me laugh.

horizonbts-206-628336 I mainly watched this little flick, because I enjoy Freddie Highmore and his great ability to engage any part he is given. Overall it was a middle of the road tale, but very worthy!! It is a sort of a coming of age yarn, that many of us have experienced by just sustaining life and not reaching out to embrace it. We don't always live up to expectations or exceed them with the talent we are given. Lots of sidebars in this flick too with a great effort by Christopher Meloni as the dysfunctional Dad and Marg Helgenberger as the Mom who are divorced. Also a nice added touch is the supporting friend played by Haley Joel Osment, who encourages Highmore to get up the courage to ask out the girl of his dreams. Again a worthy tale nicely tied together by a great ensemble cast. Well worth the money I paid to watch it on streaming video!!