Diary of a Wimpy Kid

"My mom said to just be myself, and everyone would like me."
"That would be good advice if you were somebody else."

Greg Heffley (Gordon) is waiting for everyone else to discover his awesomeness.  He is about to start middle school and ready to take the world by storm, starting with being a class favorite.  But he doesn't want to be popular on his own, so he decides to fix his best friend Rowley (Capron).  They start middle school with high hopes, but end up sitting on the floor for lunch and hiding under the bleachers during gym.

Everything they try moves them further down the popularity list: wrestling, safety patrol, etc.  The only people who talk to them are disgusting Fregley (Russell) "I found a new freckle.  It's got a hair in it!", the shortest kid at school Chirag Gupta (Karan Brar) who knows everything, and the wise-beyond-her-years Angie (Moretz) who writes for the school paper.  With his older brother Rodrick (Bostick) giving "advice" and dealing death threats... and being bullied by a girl, Patty Ferrell (Laine MacNeil), will anything ever go right for Greg?

To be completely honest, I hated this movie when I saw it in theaters.  In my defense, I was getting sick and a bunch of middle school boys that I knew were a few rows behind me... and I was convinced I would leave with popcorn in my hair or soda down my back.

Then my roommate forced me to watch it again, and enjoyed it.  Was it the greatest movie ever, no.  Will it be on my top films of the year, no... but it was definitely enjoyable.  A family friendly film that is clean and funny, without being condescending.

Good cast, good story (based on the books by Jeff Kinney), good family fun.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) 94 minutes
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Starring: Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley
Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson
Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley
Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley
Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley
Chloe Moretz as Angie Steadman
Grayson Russell as Fregley
Connor & Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley