Themes: Amateur Sleuths, Star Detectives, Unlikely Heroes
Main Cast: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan
Release Year: 2007
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
A resourceful teenage super-sleuth finds her investigative skills put to the ultimate test as director Andrew Fleming and screenwriter Tiffany Paulsen revive the character originally made famous by author Carolyn Keene. Upon leaving her quaint hometown of River Heights and arriving in Los Angeles with her father, Carson (Tate Donovan), precocious small-town teen Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts) enrolls in Hollywood High and discovers just how different life on the West Coast really is. A true original in the land where Rodeo Drive dictates what's "in" at any given moment, Nancy stands apart from the pack as much for her penny loafers as for her sincere, non-acerbic attitude and keen study skills -- all of which make the non-ironic goody two-shoes an object of scorn for fashion-conscious mean girls Inga (Daniella Monet) and Trish (Kelly Vitz). Concerns about how to fit in soon take a back seat to more pressing issues, however, when Nancy, having previously promised her worried father that she would give up sleuthing, stumbles across a series of clues that may lead her to find out what caused the death of beautiful Hollywood movie star Dehlia Draycott -- who perished years ago under particularly mysterious circumstances. Upon discovering that she and her father are currently residing in the very same mansion that Draycott once called home, the prospect of solving one of Hollywood's biggest mysteries simply proves too tantalizing for the brilliant young detective to resist. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Review
Nancy Drew is an engaging little mystery flick that will please many, in both its young target audience and in older adults as well. It would also probably please even more people if it had a different title and its heroine had a different name. Despite its charms, some viewers will have an issue with the "fish out of water" approach that the film takes, which makes fun of the basic simplicity of Nancy. It's gentle and warmhearted fun, and in the end the film comes down firmly on Nancy's side, but it adds an ironic layer and a distancing effect that may very well displease some of the ardent fans of the character as established in the book -- an effect that wouldn't occur if it were a created-just-for-the screen character without decades of published history behind her. Still, most viewers will overlook this flaw, as well as the fact that the mystery is not quite as front-and-center as it might be. That's because director/writer Andrew Fleming and his co-writer Tiffany Paulsen have created an appealing screenplay that spotlights effervescent star Emma Roberts beautifully. Roberts is the heart of Nancy Drew, and she has the kind of warmth and joyousness that is utterly captivating. She's not all bubbles and light, of course, and handles the dramatic aspects of the part with a sure hand. Above all, she strikes the absolutely perfect tone for this particular picture, believing at all times in her character and never letting parody rear its ugly head. The very able supporting cast is also an asset, as are Jeffrey Kurland's spot-on costumes. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Barry Bostwick - Dashiel Biedermeyer; Craig Gellis - Thug; Rich Cooper - Charlie; Amy Bruckner - Bess; Kay Panabaker - Georgie; Cliff Bemis - Chief McGinnis; David Doty - Father Murray; Laura Elena Harring - Dehlia Draycott; Monica Parker - Hannah; Caroline Aaron - Barbara Barbara; Marshall Bell - Leshing; Daniella Monet - Inga; Kelly Vitz - Trish; Phil Abrams - Principal; Robert Merrill - "New Century" Actor; Joanne Baron - Costume Lady; Ryan Raddatz - Assistant Director; Adam Goldberg - Arrogant Director; Elyssa Davalos - Twin Palms Manager; Emmy Laybourne - File Lady; Rosemary Morgan - "No" Woman; Amanda Maria Lorca - "No" Woman; Ahna O'Reilly - "No" Woman; Ashley-Nicole Sherman - "No" Woman; Shaina Vorspan - "No" Woman; Krystle Hernandez - "No" Woman; Kaitlyn Van Item - Allie; Lucille Soong - Waitress; Dana Lee - Louie; Pat Carroll - Landlady; Darnell Dickens - Party Goer #1; Edgar Borjas - Party Goer #2; Adam Hendershott - Guy at Party; Adam Clark - Sgt. Billings; Vito D'Ambrosio - Henchman #1; Thom Harris Williams - Henchman #2; Jared Weber - Henchman #3; James Wing Woo - Chinese Priest in Movie
Credit
Todd Cherniawsky - Art Director, Ross Simpson - Boom Operator, Pam Dixon - Casting, Jennifer Fisher - Consultant/advisor, Cherylanne Martin - Co-producer, Jeffrey Kurland - Costume Designer, Eric Tignini - First Assistant Director, Andrew Fleming - Director, Jeff Freeman - Editor, Susan Ekins - Executive Producer, Mark Vahradian - Executive Producer, Benjamin Waisbren - Executive Producer, Soo Jin Yoon - Hair Styles, Patrick Mignano - Location Manager, Ralph Sall - Composer (Music Score), Ralph Sall - Musical Direction/Supervision, Julie Kristy - Makeup, Dale Myrand - Camera Operator, Henry Tirl - Camera Operator, Tony Fanning - Production Designer, Alexander Gruszynski - Cinematographer, Jerry Weintraub - Producer, Susan Ekins - Producer, Mark Vahradian - Producer, Benjamin Waisbren - Producer, Andrew Reeder - Set Designer, Michael Bernard Anderson - Set Designer, Pud Cusack - Sound/Sound Designer, Doug Hemphill - Sound/Sound Designer, Ron Bartlett - Sound/Sound Designer, Al Goto - Stunts, Karine Mauffrey - Stunts, Mike Avery - Stunts, Kristopher Medina - Stunts, Caryn Mower - Stunts, Lloyd Barachina - Stunts, John Robotham - Stunts Coordinator, Cherylanne Martin - Unit Production Manager, Tiffany Paulsen - Screen Story, Andrew Fleming - Screenwriter, Tiffany Paulsen - Screenwriter, Erik Liles - Visual Effects Supervisor, Spooky Stevens - Unit Publicist, Michael Rafferty - Additional Editing, Jeffrey S. Lorenz - First Assistant Camera, Rick Lamb - First Assistant Camera, Kent Baker - Key Grip, Al Laverde - Key Grip, Charles Martin Inouye - Music Editor, Michael P. Twombly - Post Production Coordinator, Julie Anderson - Production Supervisor, Tim Wiles - Properties Master, Susan Malerstein-Watkins - Script Supervisor, Sunday Stevens - Second Assistant Director, Kevin Hannigan - Special Effects Coordinator, Melinda Sue Gordon - Still Photographer, Gregory King - Supervising Sound Editor, Joel Shryack - Supervising Sound Editor, Karen Teneyck - Assistant Art Director, Terry Anderson - Assistant Costumer Designer, Russell Ayer - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Michael Masumoto - Assistant Location Manager, Eddie Merino - Assistant Location Manager, Matt Chamberlin - Assistant Location Manager, Steven Lee - Assistant Location Manager, Michael Betz - Assistant Location Manager, Jeff Barnett - Assistant Properties, Michael J. Bertolina - Assistant Properties, Eric Klien - Assistant Sound Editor, Anna Malkin - Assistant Sound Editor, Lan Tran - Assistant Sound Editor, Dana Baker - Best Boy Grip, Jonny Shier - Camera Loader, Robert Mickelson - Casting Assistant, Jim Plannette - Chief Lighting Technician, Karen D. Higgins - Construction Coordinator, Kendall Errair - Costumes Supervisor, Mike Moad - Dolly Grip, Ryan Vonlossberg - Dolly Grip, Andy Malcolm - Foley Artist, Goro Koyama - Foley Artist, Marie Larkin - Key Hairstylist, Michelle Vittone-McNeil - Key Make-up, Tommy Samona - Leadman, Daryl C. Lefever - Production Accountant, Keith Jones - Second Assistant Camera, Tom Jordan - Second Assistant Camera, Ruby Stillwater - Second Second Assistant Director, Jon Carpenter - Transportation Captain, Shane Greedy - Transportation Coordinator, Hy*drau"lx - Visual Effects, Kathy Lucas - Set Decorator, Sterling Moore - Cable Person, Maxine Gervais - Color Timing, Jeff Winn - Craft Service/Catering, Chef Robert Catering - Craft Service/Catering, Mark C. Palmer - Craft Service/Catering, Don White - Foley Mixer, Stacy Solomon - Production Secretary, Keri Littledeer - Set Medic/First Aid, Werner Hahnlein - Special Effects Foreman, Todd Aron Marks - Video Playback, Jessica Ripka - Art Department Coordinator, Petra Demas - Assistant Editor, Medusah - Department Head Hair, Julie Hewett - Department Head Makeup, Callary Morton - Producer's Assistant, Joshua Sostrin - Producer's Assistant, Chris Weaver - Producer's Assistant, Jane Weintraub - Producer's Assistant
Critics' reaction to it was mixed, with the film scoring a 49% at Rotten Tomatoes. One reviewer felt that it "caters to an exclusive club whose members are prone to overlook its numerous faults"[1] and it was mocked in The New Yorker.[2] The critics who did like it generally thought it was refreshing.[3][4] The film grossed $25,612,520 domestically. Actress Emma Roberts and director Andrew Fleming have teamed up for a Nancy Drew 2, which is set to be released around late 2009 to early 2010.
Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts) and her father, Carson (Tate Donovan), move from River Heights for a few months and rent a house in California, where Carson Drew has a temporary job. Nancy chose their California house because it was the home of the murdered movie star, Dehlia Draycott, whose case has never been solved. Despite the mystery, Nancy's father has forbidden her from further sleuthing and encourages her to focus on high school and being normal. Nancy struggles to fit in at her new school, only befriending a younger boy named, Corky (Josh Flitter). She realizes that the sleuthing world is the only place she fits and decides to solve the Draycott mystery. She figures out that just before her death, Draycott had a child and gave it up for adoption in privacy, and she learns that the child, "Jane Brighton" (Rachael Leigh Cook), is the sole beneficiary of Draycott's will, which has disappeared. Nancy receives a threatening phone call telling her to get off the case, and contacts her father's business associate, Dashiel Biedermeyer (Barry Bostwick), the lawyer of the Draycott estate, to assist her with the case.
Meanwhile, as an early birthday present, Nancy's father presents her with the blue Roadster she left back at home in River Heights and along with it comes her long-time crush/guyfriend, Ned (Max Thieriot). Ned understands her persistence in sleuthing and finds himself assisting Nancy with the Draycott mystery. Corky becomes jealous of Nancy and Ned's close relationship and tries his best to get Nancy's attention. At one point a bomb is left in Nancy's roadster; Nancy manages to remove it, and though she is knocked unconscious in the blast, she soon comes to. The trio spend numerous hours together, discovering an underground passageway to a neighbor's basement, which is rented by Leshing (Marshall Bell), the groundskeeper to the Draycott estate.
One afternoon, a tearful Jane arrives on Nancy's doorstep and announces that her daughter has been taken away from her on false charges of child endangerment. She reveals that after Nancy's initial visit, a man showed up on her doorstep to threaten her. Nancy demands that her father take up Jane's case; he agrees, and Jane stays with them. While watching a Dehlia Draycott movie, Nancy realizes that Draycott must have hidden her revised will in a prop from one of her movies. She tracks the will to a Chinese antique shop, but just after retrieving it, Nancy is chloroformed into unconsciousness and kidnapped by the villain's henchmen. Naturally, Nancy escapes, but gets into a car crash and must go to the emergency room. Her father, along with Biedermeyer, arrives and demands to know what is going on. She admits to her secret sleuthing and explains about Draycott's hidden will. Biedermeyer offers them a ride home so he can sign a business deal with Mr. Drew. Nancy discovers that Biedermeyer is the one who was disinherited by Dehlia's will (signing his papers with a large "Z"), concludes that he is Dehlia Draycott's supposed love, and jumps out of the moving car. Nancy manages to make it all the way home and is caught by Biedermeyer, who threatens to "squeeze it out of her." Nancy asks him why he killed Dehlia, and he replies that Dehlia went a bit crazy after her reappearance, that Jane is not his daughter, but Leshing's, and demands the will. Nancy kicks Biedermyer in the shin and escapes, but is once again cornered by Biedermeyer and his henchmen. Leshing arrives via the secret passageway and knocks the henchmen unconscious. The will is restored to its rightful owner. Jane is able to get back her daughter and converts the Draycott mansion into a home for single mothers, and the Drews return to River Heights.
As Nancy watches a video sent by Jane and her new Draycott Home for Single Mothers she is a bit sad that the mystery is over. She goes outside to see Ned repairing her car. They talk and they both lean in for a kiss. Right after she gets a phone call for a new mystery in Scotland. And she is just as cheerful as ever.
Background and production
Filming was done in 2006. At this point in time, Emma Roberts did not have her driver's license and was unable to drive the roadster for the car chase scenes herself. The movie was filmed in several California cities, including South Pasadena, Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Long Beach, and Burbank.[5]
The film was not received very well by the critics, and it received a 49% rating at Rotten Tomatoes and a 54% at Metacritic.[6]Plugged In said that "the film has all of the oversimplifications of a teen mystery novel with a little - but not enough - humorous self-awareness tossed in to make the story satisfying for adults". The film grossed $6,832,318 on its opening weekend and has since grossed $25,612,520 in the US and $5,054,410 overseas for a total $30,666,930 worldwide.[7]
