The Nutty Professor 2008

Harold Kelp is a young inventor who wrestles with fear that haunts his work. In vivid, unsettling visions, fear manifests as a squad of burly dodgeball players and a dark, shadowy monster that seems to chase him. After an angry mob confronts him over one of his inventions, his robot helper, Robin, delivers news that shifts his path: he’s about to be sent away to a science academy where his grandfather, Professor Julius Kelp, has taken up the role of professor.

On arriving, Harold finds a welcoming refuge with two misfit roommates, including a quick-witted friend named Zeke and his partner Ned, who drag him into their dorm life. He also encounters a schoolyard bully named Brad who tests his nerve, and a bright, captivating girl named Polly McGregor with whom he quickly becomes smitten.

To win Polly’s affection, Harold borrows from his grandfather’s private stash: the Secrets of Love, a mysterious elixir he believes will amplify his charm. He drinks it and is suddenly eclipsed by a cooler, hipper alter ego, Jack, who instantly grabs the attention of the other students and makes a splash on campus.

At first, Jack is a hit, buoying Harold’s popularity and confidence. But the new persona’s swagger and ego start to erode his grades and focus, turning study time into chaos. Sensing Harold’s struggle, his grandfather, Buddy Love in a dramatic transformation, steps in to teach him the value of being himself rather than chasing false bravado.

The problem intensifies when one of Julius’s inventions accidentally brings Harold’s fear to life, a menacing specter that threatens to undo him. Harold confronts this fear directly, and through facing it, he manages to prevail. With the fear defeated, Jack says goodbye to Harold and recedes back into him, leaving the two to share a hopeful, if simple, kiss with Polly.