Suspend disbelief for a fun movie

Rating: Null/10 (13 October 2004)

One of my pet peeves about movies and TV shows about teenagers or high school is the tendency to use actors several years older than the characters. Henry Winkler was in his late twenties-early thirties when he played "The Fonz" on Happy Days. He was obviously too old to be in high school, as was Ron Howard. James Dean was in his early twenties when he played a teenager in Rebel Without a Cause - and looked it. Elisha Cuthbert was 20 when she played Danielle in The Girl Next Door - and looks it. At least Emile Hirsch was 17 when he played his character. Then there is the problem of believability: would a young porn star who has been around the block fall for a green, straight-arrow kid, and would he jeopardize his future for her? Probably not, but if you can suspend disbelief, this movie is worthwhile. For me it was worthwhile just to look at Elisha Cuthbert (a very unsexy name for a very sexy woman) and the way she looks at Hirsch. Anyone expecting a lot of nudity in the "unrated version" will be disappointed - contrary to what one might expect in an unrated version. There's a scene in a strip club featuring topless women with storebought boobs, and we never do see Cuthbert nude. An "R" rating would easily apply. The director's commentary is useful and interesting if you want insight into the mindset of the Hirsch character and the idea of high school as a grind where many students like they're missing something.