Themes: Unrequited Love, Party Film, High School Life
Main Cast: Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Eric Christian Olsen, Mia Kirshner, Eric Jungmann, Randy Quaid, Molly Ringwald
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Former MTV executive Joel Gallen makes his feature directorial debut with this broad spoof of the popular teen comedy genre, lampooning dozens of movies including American Pie (1999), American Beauty (1999), Bring It On (2000), Clueless (1995), She's All That (1999), Road Trip (2000), Can't Hardly Wait (1998), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Never Been Kissed (1999), and even the teen films of an earlier era such as The Breakfast Club (1985). At the aptly titled "John Hughes High School," aspiring artist Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh) is an outcast because of her plain, bespectacled looks and paint-splattered overalls. Football hero Jake Wyler (Chris Evans) makes a bet that he can transform Janey into a gorgeous prom queen, a wager he may come to regret as he discovers Janey's true inner beauty. As their relationship blossoms, several other characters are limned, including a Nasty Cheerleader (Jaime Pressly), a Token Black Guy (Deon Richmond), a Stupid Fat Guy (Ron Lester), an Obsessed Best Friend (Eric Jungmann), an Undercover Reporter (Beverly Polcyn), the Cruelest Girl in School (Mia Kirshner), a Cocky Blonde Guy (Eric Christian Olsen), and several others. A nod to the multiple films that inspired it, Not Another Teen Movie (2001) was originally to have been entitled "Ten Things I Hate About Clueless Road Trips When I Can't Hardly Wait to Be Kissed." ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
With the onslaught of teen fare at the turn of the millennium, which mirrors a similarly fertile period in the 1980s, it was inevitable that a broad lampoon in the same vein as Scary Movie would spring forth. The less nasty and often more fun cousin of that horror spoof has arrived with Not Another Teen Movie, whose title is just the first bit of overdone self-awareness that hits more than it misses. A quintet of screenwriters pull off a minor miracle in riffing on whole story lines from countless films, without straining the minimal logic required of a yukfest like this. Taking its major inspiration from She's All That, notably the fact that eyeglasses and overalls qualify a beauty as the school's "ugly outsider," the movie coasts along on a succession of gross-out sight gags befitting the era of its release, while maintaining an '80s lightness that keeps the vibe giddy. Where the film sometimes sputters is in the extent of its self-reflexivity -- when Janey (Chyler Leigh) accuses Jake (Chris Evans) of poaching dialogue from She's All That, it draws too much attention to the satirical project at hand, best buried under the surface. Similar gripes can be made about naming the school John Hughes High and including an awkward cameo from a Brat Pack star in the closing frames. But the guilty-pleasure hits come in inventive ways, such as parading around a constantly nude exchange student (a jab at American Pie) and creating a character who always starts the obligatory "slow clap" at all the wrong moments. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Jay Pelissier - Art Director, Joseph Middleton - Casting, Phil Beauman - Co-producer, Buddy Johnson - Co-producer, Mike Bender - Co-producer, Florence-Isabelle Megginson - Costume Designer, Daniel Silverberg - First Assistant Director, Joel Gallen - Director, Stephen Welch - Editor, Michael Rachmil - Executive Producer, Brad Luff - Executive Producer, Theodore Shapiro - Composer (Music Score), Joseph T. Garrity - Production Designer, Reynaldo Villalobos - Cinematographer, Neal H. Moritz - Producer, Melissa Levander - Set Designer, Stacy Hill - Sound/Sound Designer, Phil Beauman - Screenwriter, Buddy Johnson - Screenwriter, Adam Jay Epstein - Screenwriter, Andrew Jacobson - Screenwriter, Mike Bender - Screenwriter, Hamilton Sterling - Supervising Sound Editor, Michael J. Benavente - Supervising Sound Editor
In the stereotypical high school community of John Hughes High sexy Priscilla (Jaime Pressly), a popular cheerleader, separates from her boyfriend, Jake Wyler (Chris Evans). After Jake discovers that Priscilla is now dating strange and socially inept Les (Riley Smith) just to spite him, one of Jake’s friends, Austin (Eric Christian Olsen), suggests seeking retribution by making Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh), a "uniquely rebellious girl", the prom queen. Jake attempts to court Janey's love, but faces adversity from his own sister Catherine (Mia Kirshner), who is sexually attracted to him, Janey’s unnoticed admirer and best friend Ricky (Eric Jungmann), and memories from his past football career. Catherine eventually helps her brother by slightly altering Janey’s appearance (taking away her glasses and ponytail), instantly making her drop dead gorgeous.
Meanwhile, Janey's little brother, Mitch, and his friends, Ox and Bruce, make a pact to lose their virginity by Graduation even though they are still in their Freshmen year. Mitch tries to impress his longtime crush, the beautiful Amanda Becker (Lacey Chabert) with a letter professing his love for her. Ox says that he doesn't have a chance with her.
As the prom draws near, Jake draws infamy among his peers after he fails to lead his football team to victory at the state championship game the year before. The situation is further worsened when Austin tricks Jake into telling Janey about his plan to spite Priscilla by pretending to whisper the secret bet in Janey's ear, causing her to immediately leave Jake. During prom night, Austin and Janey go together, jealous Jake and Catherine have a dance off with Austin and Janey. With Catherine dancing in a sexual manner with Jake. Janey runs off crying.
Meanwhile Mitch and his friends are having a lousy time at the prom until Amanda Becker arrives and Mitch gives her the letter and Ox later hooks up with Catherine.
Jake is awarded prom king and the principal reads out that the votes for prom queen are tied. Everyone thinks that it is between Janey and Priscilla, but they are shocked to find that Kara and Sara Fratelli (Samaire Armstrong and Nectar Rose), twins conjoined at the head, win prom queen. During the traditional prom king and queen dance, Janey supposedly left with Austin to go to a hotel. But while at the room he finds Austin having wild sex with a girl but is shocked to find that it is Priscilla not Janey while the weird Les videotapes with his pants down supposedly having an erection, Austin tells Jake that Janey "ran home to her daddy". Jake angrily punches Austin and Priscilla for what they had done to Janey, then punches Les for "being really weird"; afterwards he runs to Janey's house only to learn from her father that she is going to Paris for art school.
Jake arrives at the airport and confronts her before she can board the plane, and uses a plethora of clichéd lines from other movies (such as She's All That, Cruel Intentions, American Pie, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink) to convince her to stay in America. His final (and first original) speech suggests they would be better off apart, but Janey mistakenly believes he's quoting The Karate Kid, and she decides to stay with him.
Chyler Leigh as Janey Briggs (The Pretty Ugly Girl) - She is a rebellious character with a ponytail, glasses, and paint-covered overalls. Janey is a very unpopular girl who seems to have only a single friend, Ricky Lipman. She lives with her father and brother in a small house. Her mother is said to have died when she was six years old.
Chris Evans as Jake Wyler (The Popular Jock) - Jake is a cocky, fairly dim-witted jock. He used to be the star of the school's football team, but lost the title after an unfortunate football pass in a past game. Early on in the film, Jake takes on a bet to turn Janey Briggs into the prom queen but soon finds himself falling in love with her.
Jaime Pressly as Priscilla (The Nasty Cheerleader) - The most popular girl in school and Jake's ex-girlfriend. She is nasty, rude and is shown to be very mean to Janey—and other individuals—throughout the film. Priscilla dumps Jake at the beginning of the film for Les, the "beautiful weirdo".
Eric Christian Olsen as Austin (The Cocky Blond Guy) - An obnoxious, cocky, blond jerk who bets Jake he can't turn Janey into prom queen.
Mia Kirshner as Catherine Wyler (The Cruelest Girl in School) - Highly promiscuous, she is sexually attracted to her younger brother Jake, and helps him makeover Janey in exchange for sex.
Deon Richmond as Malik Token (The Token Black Guy) - As his stereotype suggests, he's part of the cast as the token black guy, saying random exclamations and not moving the plot in any way.
Eric Jungmann as Ricky Lipman (The Obsessed Best Friend) - He is Janey's best friend who is also madly (and explicitly) in love with her, although Janey remains completely clueless to this.
Ron Lester as Reggie Ray (The Stupid Fat Guy) - A football player that has several concussions throughout the film.
Cody McMains as Mitch Briggs (The Desperate Virgin) - Janey's obnoxious, crude, and stubborn younger brother who is desperate to lose his virginity before the end of the school year.
Sam Huntington as Ox (The Sensitive Guy) - A friend of Mitch's that yearns to find true love.
Lacey Chabert as Amanda Becker (The Perfect Girl) - Mitch's love interest and all-around "perfect" girl at school.
Cerina Vincent as Areola (The NakedForeign Exchange Student) - Although the school claims a strict dress code, she is naked throughout the entire film. Her accent also changes frequently throughout the movie, Janey notices this and Areola tells her she is a generic foreign exchange student whose country of origin is of little importance.
Riley Smith as Les (The Beautiful Weirdo) - He is always seen with a video camera and a floating plastic bag following him around known as "The Most Beautiful Thing I have Ever Seen."
Ed Lauter as Coach - The aggressive, cruel, and obscene football coach that constantly spits and ends sentences with "God dammit."
Randy Quaid as Mr. Briggs - Janey and Mitch's kindhearted but dumb father.
Beverly Polcyn as Sadie Agatha Johnson - A well-past-60-year-old undercover reporter who is taught how to make love by Catherine.
Robert Patrick Benedict as Preston Wasserstein - A kid whose oblivious parents leave the house so he could throw a party.
Cameos
Many stars of recent teen movies as well as those highlighting the 1980s decade make credited and uncredited appearances. These include:
Molly Ringwald as The Rude, Hot Flight Attendant - A rude flight attendant at the airport near the end of the film who insults Jake and Janey. Ringwald starred in many '80s teen movies such as Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club.
Kyle Cease as The Slow Clap Guy - A guy present throughout the film looking for the right moment to start the slow clap, he beats up Ricky for beating him to the slow clap at the end of the film. Cease played Bogey Lowenstein in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Melissa Joan Hart as Slow Clapper's Instructor - She informs the Slow Clapper that he can't start a Slow Clap "at any old time", after his first failed attempt. Hart can also be seen in the teen moves Can't Hardly Wait and Drive Me Crazy.
Paul Goebel as The Chef Who Ejaculated Into Mitch's French Toast - A brief cameo during the "Prom Tonight" musical number who told Mitch he ejaculated into his French toast. Parodies Horatio Sanz's character from Road Trip. Goebel is known as the TV geek from Beat the Geeks.
Good Charlotte as The Band - The band playing at the prom.
Extra footage
Alternate footage
Three scenes that appear on the R-rated trailer are not included in the film: a scene that spoofs Save the Last Dance where a girl is dancing at the big party, a scene that spoofs Never Been Kissed during the football game with Sadie standing on the football field with a microphone, probably speaking to Catherine, before the entire football team runs her down, and a small scene with Areola asking the principal if her breasts are perky (this scene does appear in the unrated cut of the film).
In the trailer for the film, Jake wears boxer shorts during the whipped cream bikini scene, whereas during that same scene in the film, he wears no shorts; his bare crotch is covered with whipped cream instead.
Footage during credits
The film has three extra scenes at the end:
Mitch, Ox, and Bruce talking about what they learned from the whole experience. (This scene comes only in the unrated cut.)
Mr Briggs, in a parody of a scene from "American Pie", talks about a "three-way" while holding two pies. (This scene comes only in the rated cut.)
The albino folk singer sings about being blind, and her corneas being burned out by the sun. (This scene comes after all the credits have finished.)
DVD release
The R-rated version of the film was released on DVD on April 30, 2002 with the original 89-minute cut with special features including:
School's in Session: 3 behind-the-scenes featurettes
The Unrated Extended Director's Cut was released July 26, 2005 with all of the original special features including an added 11 minutes to the film adding up to 100 minutes.
Soundtrack listing
The soundtrack for the film features rock artists from the 1990s and 2000s, mostly covering songs from the 1980s, and this CD was released by Maverick Records in 2001.
