Publication Date: 02-11-2026

Angus (1995) review

Dir. Patrick Read Johnson

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★★

Remembering James Van Der Beek

1977 – 2026

Once in a blue moon comes a film like Angus. A film where the protagonist is an overweight outcast, but still does things that are considered “cool” like play football, or unabashedly be himself. Angus, played by Charlie Talbert — a Kenosha, WI native, who was found by director Patrick Read Johnson at a Lake Forest Wendy’s, is nominated king of his freshman dance as a joke. To complicate matters, the queen is his crush, Melissa, played by Ariana Richards.

Angus spends most of the movie getting in shape for the obligatory dance he must share with his crush, while listening to his grandpa (the inimitable George C. Scott), who is about to be married for the second time, preach his philosophy of “screw ’em” and just be himself. Everyone needs a grandpa like this. Angus tries to adhere to his grandpa’s advice, but gramps doesn’t understand that this is high school, and your reputation is the singular most important thing in the world.

Being overweight, Angus is a kid who has heard it all. However, unlike most social outcasts seen in movies, he does have at least one friend in Troy (Chris Owen). The two are friends in part because no one else will hang out with them, but they also get one another on a subconscious level. If not bullied by their peers, they’re flat-out ignored by their peers, so in one another, they confide and find moral support, one of the most valuable things even beyond the four walls of high school.

Chief among those harassing Angus is Rick Sanford (James Van Der Beek), a total prick who chastises Angus for not being “normal.” Angus ending up as king of the Freshman Winter Ball is his doing, and although Angus wants to (and probably could) beat Rick to a pulp, he’s forbade by his school principal. That might be the only far-fetched element of Johnson’s entire film. Teenagers usually punch first and contemplate repercussions later.

Angus earns the tears it brings by just being itself: a story of a kid who doesn’t so much want to fit in as much as he wants to be liked, or at best, left alone. The film is marketed as a comedy, but at its core is a drama with some comedic elements.

For a newcomer, Charlie Talbert delivers a wholly natural performance. Chockablock with talent is the supporting cast, including Scott, Owen, and Kathy Bates. Even Van Der Beek is so good, you can’t help but loathe him. Written with a sensitive, human touch by screenwriter Jill Gordon (who largely worked in TV, producing shows such as My So-Called Life and The Wonder Years), Angus is so well-done that, in spite of its violent and incredulous climax, sticks the landing by showing how things, especially in high school, aren’t often how they appear.

I first watched Angus in 2011, and doing so was not easy. Having only been available on VHS since the mid-1990s, in the late-aughts, it became available via Warner Bros’ “Archive Collection,” in which classic and cult films from the studio’s library were manufactured/burned-on-demand for those who ordered them. In the pre-streaming days, this was an invaluable way to see many forgotten movies like Bad Ronald and Wise Guys, and of course, Angus. Thankfully, the modern day equivalent of having to go through the cumbersome process of purchasing a DVD copy of Angus on Amazon is simply renting it one of a variety of platforms. I know you might find that unappealing, given what you probably already spend on streaming services in a month, but Angus is worth your time, and a couple dollars.

Starring: Charlie Talbert, George C. Scott, Kathy Bates, Chris Owen, Ariana Richards, James Van Der Beek, and Rita Moreno. Directed by: Patrick Read Johnson.