Themes: Double Life, Opposites Attract, First Love
Main Cast: Elisha Cuthbert, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, James Remar, Christopher Marquette
Release Year: 2004
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Boy meets girl who's already met all sorts of boys and girls in this teen-slanted comedy. Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) is a straight-laced and highly ambitious high school student who plans to study at Georgetown University and dreams of a career in politics. While most of his classmates are in the throes of an epidemic of senioritis, Matthew is obsessed with schoolwork and has a hard time relaxing and having fun. But he finds himself a bit less focused on his future career when Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert), a beautiful 19-year-old blonde, moves in next door. Danielle is playful, spontaneous, and doesn't always remember to draw her shades, and before long Matthew is head over heels in love. Danielle soon finds herself taken with Matthew as well, but their relationship takes an unusual turn when he discovers that, before she moved to town, Danielle had a successful career as a porn actress. Matthew is able to convince Danielle that she's cut out for better things in life than appearing in porn videos, but his advice doesn't especially please Kelly (Timothy Olyphant) or Hugo (James Remar), two porn moguls who figure Matthew owes them big-time after convincing their leading lady to drop out of the adult industry. The Girl Next Door -- which, appropriately enough, shares its title with a 1999 documentary about adult film superstar Stacy Valentine -- also features Timothy Bottoms, Paul Dano, and Chris Marquette. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
On the outset, The Girl Next Door might seem like a by-the-numbers raunchy time at the movies, complete with a wacky plot that promises enough partying, high-school misfits, and sexy goodness to wrangle in your typical American Pie filmgoers. Interestingly enough, audiences will be in for quite a surprise when they find out how serious the fantasy-fueled premise actually plays out. While there are enough comedic moments to warm the heart, the coming-of-age dramatics easily take center stage as the filmmakers try and find the balance that someone like Cameron Crowe has excelled at. Still, there's something strange about having a story line this outrageous played so straight-faced. If you were to sum up what happens in the flick to someone who hasn't seen it, it would belie the movie's tone and come off as more of a crazy sex comedy. If anything, The Girl Next Door gives Elisha Cuthbert a chance to shine in a role that shows off her immaculate body as well as her acting chops (even if some of her reactions tend to be on the awkward side). Timothy Olyphant also turns in a standout performance as a sleazy porn producer; his charming psychotic is refreshingly non-stereotypical in both his actions and the smooth performance that he brings to the screen. In the end, there's nothing really wrong with the film (though the third act has about one too many "surprises" in it). It's a sweet tale that will hopefully snag in romantics looking for this kind of light fare. If you're looking for some kind of sleazy teen offering, however, this one is a little on the soft-core side. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Paul Dano - Klitz; Timothy Bottoms - Mr. Kidman; Donna Bullock - Mrs. Kidman; Jacob Young - Hunter; Brian Kolodziej - Derek Miller; Brandon Irons - Troy; Amanda Swisten - April; Ulysses Lee - Samnang; Autumn Reeser; Nicolas Downs - Bob; Laird Stuart - Mr. Kessler; Maria Arce - Chloe; Dane Garretson - Ryan Wenger; Sung Hi Lee - Ferrari; Nicholas Thomas - Glenn; Olivia Wade - Whitney Parker
Credit
Jason Weil - Art Director, Mali Finn - Casting, Richard Wenk - Co-producer, Marilyn Vance - Costume Designer, Rip Murray - First Assistant Director, Luke Greenfield - Director, Mark Livolsi - Editor, Arnon Milchan - Executive Producer, Guy Riedel - Executive Producer, Paul Haslinger - Composer (Music Score), Chris Douridas - Musical Direction/Supervision, Peter Afterman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Stephen Lineweaver - Production Designer, Jamie Anderson - Cinematographer, Harry Gittes - Producer, Charles Gordon - Producer, Marc Sternberg - Producer, Traci Kirshbaum - Set Designer, David Kelson - Sound/Sound Designer, David Wagner - Screen Story, Brent Goldberg - Screen Story, David Wagner - Screenwriter, Stuart Blumberg - Screenwriter, Brent Goldberg - Screenwriter, Al Laverde - Key Grip
