Weird, fun yet uneven

Rating: 6/10 (26 November 2004)

With all the good intentions this movie may have been made with (a story about growing up, save sex, friendship and the likes), it will probably be remembered most as the movie in which Elisha Cuthbert as Danielle is showing of an awful lot of skin. Not that I, or most of the (male) audience, mind, that is.
And it's the filmmaker's own fault the movie is looked upon that way. It starts out with young and inexperienced Matthew (Emile Kidman) peeping at his new nextdoorgirl while undressing. He's attracted to her (hmm, yes what teenage guy wouldn't...) and from that moment on she takes him out to make him feel more secure about himself. When they arrive at a party Matthew just feels he should do something, and there's a wonderful scene in which he just steps over his shyness to kiss her, while David Gray is singing his breathtaking This Years Love. Beautiful scene, very recognizable.
But then the movie flies all over the place again, with porn, a political speech, a golden penis, violence and drugs all taking its place. No, seriously.
This all makes up for an uneven film, in which the falling in love scenes between Matthew and Danielle, how unlikely they may be, make up for the best scenes of the film. They even got David Gray to sing his song for a second time! But on the other hand the movie is messy and too hard tries to fit in a happy ending.
Too bad as The Girl Next Door sure has some things to offer. 6/10.