great movie-going experience

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 2004)

Everyone looks for something different in a movie. Some people want to be frightened, some people want to be mentally challenged, some people want to be shocked. Personally, the kind of movie that I like most is the one that leaves with a good feeling not just as you leave the theater, but for the rest of the day. Girl Next Door did that for me. Let me start by saying that I'm not a high school kid who wishes that I had more fun and crazy times, and I'm not a college kid lamenting missed opportunities in high school. I'm just a regular 20-something, the demographic at which I can only assume this rated R film was aimed (they don't make any money off under-aged teens sneaking in after buying a ticket for another movie.). I think what made this movie so enjoyable was not high school reminiscence but two very valuable take home messages. First, sometimes the greatest things that happen to us are the ones we don't expect. Second, at the end of the day, its not money, prestige or accomplishments that really make us happiest, but people. Will this movie solve any of your life's problems? I doubt it. However, you will get some solid laughs and you'll leave the theater feeling good about the fact that sometimes in life, despite ups and downs, everything comes together to make something great.
I would feel remiss if I didn't also say something about the greatness that is Elisha Cuthbert. I watch a lot of movies, and movies are chock full of really beautiful women (perhaps one of the reasons I watch so many movies). Elisha is a cut above the rest. Way above the rest. In fact, if you are Elisha Cuthbert, and you have penchant for talking about how great you are, feel free to send me a message, and I would be happy to oblige. Seriously though, it went beyond appearance and to how she played the role. I think she did an impressive job of creating a character that was at the same time sympathetic but also believable. I think the movie overall was both well cast and well acted. A movie that aims at humor/drama/romance can easily come out cheesy or just not funny. In this case, I think that the movie is all kinds of funny but certainly doesn't overdo it, and the actors deserve credit for that.
Before I conclude, I think that I should say something about claims that this movie is just a rip off of classic 80's movies. Personally, I have to disagree. I know the classic 80's teen drama's quite well. I watched from about 100 yards away as John Hughes and company filmed Cameron and Ferris launching the infamous Ferrari into the ravine (my friends and I used to go down there and look for Ferrari parts on weekends for years afterwards.). Risky Business was filmed primarily in the house of a family friend. To those that think that Girl Next Door draws too heavily from movies like these, I can say only this: you see what you are looking for. If you go into a film thinking that it will be a rip off, nine times out of ten you will see it as a rip off. If you go in with an open mind, you may enjoy it more than you thought.
Of course, these are all just the opinions of one man. Well, to be fair, me and the group of 15 year olds in front of me at the box office that all bought tickets for The Prince and Me and then snuck into Girl Next Door and ended up sitting in front of me. They seemed to like it a lot too.
10/10 - purely for providing me with some of the best fun I have had in a theater in months, and if you knew me, you would know that is saying quite a lot.