Weak, soft attempt at a teen comedy

Rating: 4/10 (31 January 2004)

While kind-hearted and absent of any major flaws, 'The Girl Next Door' doesn't take any chances or break any significant new ground. It's content has been covered ad nauseum in countless other teen comedies. So what it becomes is a vehicle for a rising star (Elisha Cuthbert) and for a few wannabees (the boys - one looks, acts, and sounds like a young John Cusack), and for a few has-beens (Timothy Bottoms and Timothy Olyphant). So it's pretty much a gawk-and-drool fest for the "it girl". The plot has a few holes, unlikely twists, and takes one major loop too many on it's way to the movie's end, and it adds minutes to film that should have been cut. The whole thing feels too long, and could have been edited and ended more gracefully. The soundtrack is sloppy, intrusive at times, and uses some older music well but also makes strange choices that just aren't cool. This movie won't be reviewed well by critics when they get their hands on it.