The Girl Next Door

The Girl Next Door
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Luke Greenfield
Produced by	Charles Gordon Harry Gittes Marc Sternberg
Written by	Stuart Blumberg David T. Wagner Brent Goldberg
Starring	Emile Hirsch Elisha Cuthbert Timothy Olyphant James Remar Chris Marquette Paul Dano
Music by	Paul Haslinger
Cinematography	Jamie Anderson
Editing by	Mark Livolsi
Studio	Regency Enterprises New Regency
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	North America: April 9, 2004
Running time	Theatrical cut 108 min. Unrated cut 110 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$21,000,000
Gross revenue	$30,411,183

The Girl Next Door is a 2004 teen film starring Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch, directed by Luke Greenfield, about an honors student's pining love for the girl next door, who, as he finds out later, is a former porn star.

Plot

Ambitious Westport High School senior, Matthew Kidman dreams of a career in politics. He has been accepted to prestigious Georgetown University, but will only be able to afford it if he can win a large scholarship. With graduation approaching, he struggles to find anything truly memorable about his high school experience. However, his luck changes when he meets his beautiful next door neighbour Danielle. The outlandish Danielle and the steady Matthew each turn out to be the perfect complement for the other, and they are immediately smitten with one another. However, the relationship is challenged when Matthew discovers through his porn-enthusiast friend Eli that Danielle was recently an adult film actress under the stage name "Athena".

Following Eli's advice on how to deal with this incredible revelation, Matthew takes Danielle to a sleazy motel. Danielle guesses that Matthew has discovered her past and punishes him by performing a striptease and offering herself to him sexually. When Matthew becomes distressed and asks why she is degrading herself for him, Danielle calls him out on his base intentions and abruptly ends the relationship. Matthew goes to Danielle's house the following day and attempts to reconcile with her, but learns that she is returning to the porn industry, and is leaving for Las Vegas with her ex-boyfriend, porn producer Kelly.

Matthew, riddled with guilt and remorse, follows Danielle to Las Vegas to find her performing at an adult film convention, where Kelly menacingly warns Matthew not to interfere with his business. When Matthew convinces Danielle not to rejoin the industry, Kelly abducts Matthew from school and physically assaults him, saying that Danielle's failure to arrive on set has cost him $30,000. Kelly offers to let him erase his debt by breaking into rival producer Hugo Posh's home to steal an award statuette, but after Matthew has entered the house Kelly calls in a robbery report and leaves the premises. Matthew narrowly avoids the police and rushes to his scholarship award dinner. High on ecstasy that Kelly told him was aspirin, he improvises a deeply sentimental speech but loses out on the scholarship to a student who resembles nothing so much as the passionless, pre-Danielle version of Matthew.

Kelly then gets his money back by stealing $25,000 Matthew raised to bring Samnang, a brilliant Cambodian student, to study in the United States — not wanting to explain his connections to the adult film industry, Matthew had previously introduced Kelly to the bank staff as his student advisor. Although Matthew has done nothing wrong, he still fears that he will face expulsion or criminal charges for his unwitting role in the fraud, and he turns to Danielle for help. Danielle calls in a few friends from her days as a porn star, and they agree to make a video for Hugo Posh on prom night and on school grounds. After the successful shoot, and after Eli has been dropped off with the tape's master copy, Danielle and Matthew make love for the first time in their limousine.

Matthew Kidman, played by Emile Hirsch.

The next morning Matthew is shocked to find Kelly, in possession of the tape he has stolen from Eli's home, with his parents and school principal at the dining room table. Kelly asks to speak privately with Matthew and says that unless he is given half of all profits, he will play the tape immediately. Matthew, following Danielle's earlier advice to just go with it, refuses because the money rightfully belongs to Samnang. Kelly repeats his threat, but Matthew stands up for himself and dares him, stating that he no longer cares about his now-ruined future. As the tape begins to play, it becomes clear that Matthew and his friends have made a progressive, comprehensive sex education tape rather than a pornographic film. With no more cards left to play, Kelly finally admits defeat.

Hugo Posh and Matthew make millions from the video. Hugo Posh keeps his word and pays for Samnang to come to the USA, while Matthew has enough money to attend Georgetown and take Danielle to DC with him. The final scene is Matthew driving into Georgetown University in a BMW Z4. Matthew's story ends with him getting the girl of his dreams and a chance at the future he has always wanted.

Cast

All the main characters at the prom night, including the film crew in the background. From left to right: Klitz, April, Danielle, Matthew, Ferrari and Eli.

• Emile Hirsch as Matthew Kidman.
• Elisha Cuthbert as Danielle.
• Timothy Olyphant as Kelly.
• James Remar as Hugo Posh.
• Chris Marquette as Eli Brooks.
• Paul Dano as Klitz.
• Timothy Bottoms as Ben Kidman.
• Donna Bullock as Marci Kidman.
• Jacob Young as Hunter.
• Amanda Swisten as April.
• Sung-Hi Lee as Ferrari.
• Ulysses Lee as Samnang Sok.
• Harris Laskaway as Mr. Salinger.
• Olivia Wilde as Kellie.
• Autumn Reeser as Jane.
• Briana Banks as Woman on magazine in beginning of film.
• Matt Wiese as Mule.
• Luke Greenfield as Porn director during film's end montage.

Reception

Opening on 2,148 screens, the film grossed $6 million on its opening weekend, and took in a total worldwide of over $30.4 million.^[1]

Critical reaction

The movie received generally mixed reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes ranking it with 56% positive reviews. Criticism came especially from conservative film critic Michael Medved, for its stereotypically glamorous portrayal of porn stars, particularly female porn stars. Roger Ebert described it as a "nasty piece of business", and faulted movie studios for marketing the film as a teen comedy.^[2]

Awards

The film was nominated for two MTV Movie Awards including Best Kiss and Breakthrough Female performance for Elisha Cuthbert. It was also nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for Best DVD Extra —mainly for the commentary, as well as a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Your Parents Didn't Want You to See.^[3]

Soundtrack listing

• "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie
• "Angeles" by Elliott Smith
• "The Killing Moon" by Echo & the Bunnymen
• "Jump into the Fire" by Harry Nilsson
• "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman
• "The Field" by Christopher Tyng
• "Take a Picture" by Filter
• "Slayed" by Overseer
• "No Retreat" by Dilated Peoples
• "This Year's Love" by David Gray
• "If It Feels Good Do It" by Sloan
• "Electric Lady Land" by Fantastic Plastic Machine
• "Bendy karate" by Phreak E.D.
• "Dick Dagger's Theme" by PornoSonic
• "Suffering" by Satchel
• "Break Down the Walls" by Youth of Today
• "Dopes to Infinity" by Monster Magnet
• "Spin Spin Sugar (Radio Edit)" by Sneaker Pimps
• "Big Muff" by Pepe Deluxé
• "Song for a Blue Guitar" by Red House Painters
• "Twilight Zone" by 2 Unlimited
• "Get Naked" by Methods of Mayhem
• "Mondo '77" by Looper
• "Think Twice" by Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band
• "This Beat is Hot" by B.G. The Prince of Rap
• "Turn of the Century" by Pete Yorn
• "Stay in School" by Richard Patrick
• "Funk #49" by James Gang
• "Lady Marmalade" by Patti LaBelle
• "Christmas Song" by Mogwai
• "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
• "Arrival" by Mark Kozelek
• "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
• "Counterfeit" by Limp Bizkit (not credited)
• "Mannish Boy" by Muddy Waters
• "Purple Haze" by Groove Armada
• "Lapdance" by N.E.R.D.
• "Everytime I Think of You (I Get High)" by Phreak E.D.
• "Lucky Man" by The Verve
• "Sparrows Over Birmingham" by Josh Rouse
• "Atlantis" by Donovan
• "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
• "Maybe You're Gone" by Binocular
• "One Fine Day" by Alastair Binks

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Girl Next Door (2004 film)

• The Girl Next Door at the Internet Movie Database
• The Girl Next Door at Allmovie
• The Girl Next Door at Box Office Mojo