History Film / Angus

* OneSceneWonder: The magnet school interviewer who comes to see Angus, by virtue of being one of the more over-the-top characters in the film, from his cross-eyed stare to his humorous deadpan mannerisms.

A 1995 coming-of-age teen movie based on Chris Crutcher's short story ''"A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune"'', directed by Patrick Read Johnson and starring Charlie Talbert and a young [[DawsonsCreek James Van]] [[Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack Der Beek]] in their first film roles.

Talbert stars as Angus Bethune, who in his own words is "a fat kid who's good at science and fair at football." He's also got a vicious rivalry with pretty-boy JerkJock Rick Sanford (Van Der Beek), who decides to play a cruel prank on Angus by rigging an election that nominates Angus as the Winter Ball King opposite Rick's girlfriend, Melissa [=LeFevre=] (Ariana Richards). On one hand, Angus knows he's being set up for humiliation and doesn't want to play along, but on the other hand, he's had a crush on the (in his mind) unattainable Melissa for years, leaving him unsure of what to do. Helping him along are his geeky best friend Troy (Chris Owen), his loving and slightly unorthodox mom (Kathy Bates) and his equally loving and much less orthodox grandpa, Ivan (George C. Scott).

A 1995 coming-of-age teen movie based on Chris Crutcher's short story ''"A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune"'', starring Charlie Talbert and a young [[DawsonsCreek James Van]] [[Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack Der Beek]] in their first film roles. Talbert stars as Angus Bethune, who in his own words is "a fat kid who's good at science and fair at football." He's also got a vicious rivalry with pretty-boy JerkJock Rick Sanford (Van Der Beek), who decides to play a cruel prank on Angus by rigging an election that nominates Angus as the Winter Ball King opposite Rick's girlfriend, Melissa [=LeFevre=] (Ariana Richards). On one hand, Angus knows he's being set up for humiliation and doesn't want to play along, but on the other hand, he's had a crush on the (in his mind) unattainable Melissa for years, leaving him unsure of what to do. Helping him along are his geeky best friend Troy (Chris Owen), his loving and slightly unorthodox mom (Kathy Bates) and his equally loving and much less orthodox grandpa, Ivan (George C. Scott).

Much like the similar movie ''Lucas'', this film is one of those extremely rare teen movies starring an awkward social outcast who's not portrayed as an object of ridicule for the audience, and like ''Lucas'', the protagonist pursues much more noble and sympathetic ends than the stock teen-flick goal of simply "getting laid." Roger Ebert loved the film for precisely these reasons.

* DisappearedDad: Angus's father [[BirthDeathJuxtaposition had a heart attack while Angus' mom was in labor]]. This was changed from the original short story where Angus' parents were alive, but both were gay.
** The change was most likely done to avoid the FridgeLogic of why two people of IncompatibleOrientation would both marry and produce a kid together, although his mom still has a rather butch streak in the movie (she's a truck driver with the CB handle "Bruiser").
*** WordOfGod states that this was done so that the fact of his parents' homosexuality could not be construed as a principal reason Angus is tormented by his peers. (A line still exists in the film where Meg refers to the magnet school Angus is applying for as "somewhere he can go where he won't have to account for who his parents are".)

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Rick rigs the ball voting so Angus will be humiliated at being matched up with Rick's beautiful girlfriend. [[spoiler: Melissa has far more in common with Angus than Rick realizes and takes a liking to him in the end. She's even the one who delivers the final nose-breaker in the movie.]]

** Also, Angus waking up his grandfather with a recording of Revele. [[spoiler:Becomes MoodWhiplash the last time, when it [[PleaseWakeUp doesn't work]].]]

* {{Determinator}}: Discussed by Angus' grandpa: {{Superman}} is not brave, because he is invincible, and you can't be brave when you're invincible. But it's the people who are destructible and know it, and keep on going, who are truly brave.

* OneSceneWonder: [[WestSideStory Rita Moreno]] as dance instructor Madame Rulenska.

* AscendedExtra: Despite being a OneSceneWonder, [[WestSideStory Rita Moreno]], as dance instructor Madame Rulenska, is 2nd billed in the credits.

** RealityEnsues: Bullies do what they do by seeking out what they perceive to be easy targets. Why doesn't Rick Sanford back down despite having a glass nose? Because Angus is an easy target for Rick in another form: Angus'[[SlobsVsSnobs naturally low social standing]], and the fact that Melissa, Angus' object of obsession, is Rick's girlfriend. A few broken noses is probably worth the sick kicks he's been getting with a killer hand like that.

* DawsonCasting: Literally, in the case of James Van Der Beek playing Rick Sanford. As for the other main characters, only Chris Owen (Troy) and Arianna Richards (Melissa) could pass for high school freshmen.

** {{BadassBoast}}: "I'm still here, asshole!"

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Rick rigs the ball voting so Angus will be humiliated at being matched up with Rick's beautiful girlfriend. [[spoiler: Melissa has far more in common with Angus than Rick realizes and takes a liking to him in the end.]]

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: There has never been a commercial DVD release because New Line Cinema sold the rights, and ''[[EpicFail no one knew who had them!]]'' Warner Bros. seems to have wound up with them, though, as they are making the film available as an unofficial DVD.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Angus favors the flannel-and-jeans "grunge" look that went out of fashion shortly after the movie debuted. The soundtrack is also full to bursting with 90's Alterna-Rock ([[CrowningMusicOfAwesome and Peter Gabriel]]).

** Also, Angus waking up his grandfather with a recording of Revele. [[spoiler:Becomes MoodWhiplash the last time, when it [[PleaseWakeUp doesn't work]].]]
* SheatheYourSword:

** RealityEnsues: Bullies do what they do by seeking out what they perceive to be easy targets. Why doesn't Rick Sanford back down despite having a glass nose? Because Angus is an easy target for Rick in another form: Angus'[[SlobsVsSnobs naturally low social standing]], and the fact that Melissa, Angus' object of obsession, is Rick's girlfriend. A few broken noses is probably worth the sick kicks he's been getting.

* TalkToTheFist: A particularly heelish one, as Rick suckerpunches Angus during the climactic scene.

* TearJerker: After [[spoiler:Ivan dies]], Angus meets his chess partner in the park and [[spoiler:resigns Ivan's king]]. While PeterGabriel sings "Washing of the Water".

* SpotlightStealingSquad: Rick is this for Angus; at the football game at the start of the film, Angus causes the fumble (after a Rick interception) that Rick recovers and scores the game-winner. The crowd rushes Rick while stepping over a prone Angus.

* HeyItsThatGuy: That old man who plays chess with Grandpa? It's Irvin Kershner, the director of ''TheEmpireStrikesBack''.
** And Lex is a lot easier to get along with when she's not [[Film/JurassicPark running from velociraptors]].
** [[DawsonsCreek Dawson]] and [[{{Entourage}} E]] show up as [[JerkJock Jerk Jocks]].
** It's easy to see why Angus is so tough; his mom is [[Film/{{Misery}} Annie Wilkes]] and his grandfather is freakin' Film/{{Patton}}!

A 1995 coming-of-age teen movie based on Chris Crutcher's short story ''"A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune"'', starring Charlie Talbert and a young [[DawsonsCreek James Van]] [[JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack Der Beek]] in their first film roles. Talbert stars as Angus Bethune, who in his own words is "a fat kid who's good at science and fair at football." He's also got a vicious rivalry with pretty-boy JerkJock Rick Sanford (Van Der Beek), who decides to play a cruel prank on Angus by rigging an election that nominates Angus as the Winter Ball King opposite Rick's girlfriend, Melissa [=LeFevre=] (Ariana Richards). On one hand, Angus knows he's being set up for humiliation and doesn't want to play along, but on the other hand, he's had a crush on the (in his mind) unattainable Melissa for years, leaving him unsure of what to do. Helping him along are his geeky best friend Troy (Chris Owen), his loving and slightly unorthodox mom (Kathy Bates) and his equally loving and much less orthodox grandpa, Ivan (George C. Scott).

** It's easy to see why Angus is so tough; his mom is [[{{Misery}} Annie Wilkes]] and his grandfather is freakin' Film/{{Patton}}!