It's Risky Business-lite...a generic, but relatively inoffensive time-waster

Rating: 5/10 (21 December 2004)

Comparison with 80s hit Risky Business is inevitable for this romantic comedy about a high school student dating a porn star.
Innocent A-student Matthew (Emile Hirsh), who is bizarrely both class president and unpopular, is transformed by meeting uberbabe Danielle, the girl next door, played by 24's Elisha Cuthbert. Their path to happiness is interfered with by a variety of characters, including themselves, Matthew's latently gay wannabe filmmaker buddy and Danielle's sleazy former producer slash boyfriend, Kelly. Go's Timothy Oliphant dominates the film with this role  Kelly is simultaneously dangerous, tempting and unpredictable.
Directed by Luke Greenfield (The Animal) and scripted by Stuart Blumberg (Keeping the Faith), The Girl Next Door intersperses saccharine moments (for example, Matthew's botched speech) with cheeky asides, such as Matthew's involuntary porn fantasies. It's no classic but it works, thanks to committed performances from the three leads. Although Cuthbert's role is undemanding, newcomer Emile Hirsch gives good camera as the earnest, yearning Matthew. There's also some cheeky plot twists and the ending is great fun. **½/***** stars.