In "Alpha Dog", Yelchin played Zack Mazursky, a character based on real-life murder victim Nicholas Markowitz. "USA Today"s review described Yelchin's performance as "heartbreakingly endearing". After the film's premiere, Markowitz's mother praised his portrayal of her son. Yelchin subsequently headlined "Fierce People", which received a limited release on September 7, 2007. In 2008, he played the title role in "Charlie Bartlett", a film about a wealthy teenager in a public high school. He also appeared alongside the Russian duo t.A.T.u. in the film "You and I" (which was filmed in Moscow during the summer of 2007), and co-starred in "Middle of Nowhere".