The Girl Next Door Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)April 9th, 2004
THE GIRL NEXT DOOR
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Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys") is so concerned with his studies and an essay competition for a scholarship to Georgetown that when he's asked to fill in 'What I remember most' for the Westport High School yearbook, he draws a blank. What a difference a day makes. Matthew will be able to write that book after he meets "The Girl Next Door."
Story creators Stuart Blumberg and David T. Wagner ("Van Wilder, Saving Ryan's Privates") have, with screenwriter Brent Goldberg ("Keeping the Faith"), reached back twenty years to 1983's "Risky Business" and updated it for the Internet age. Not officially touted as a remake or even a 'reimagining,' "The Girl Next Door" is indebted to the earlier film, but quite entertaining and engaging in its own right. Director Luke Greenfield ("The Animal") has evoked a sweetly confused but determined performance from romantic lead Hirsch and hilarious but completely different character portrayals from strong supporters Chris Marquette ("Freddy vs. Jason") and Paul Dano ("Taking Lives") as Matthew's best buds Eli and Klitz.
Matthew is astonished to witness the disrobing of a beautiful young woman directly across from his bedroom, then flustered when she spies him and marches over and rings his bell. Panic turns to wonderment when Mr. and Mrs. Kidman (Timothy Bottoms, "Elephant" and Donna Bullock) introduce him to his new neighbor, Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert, TV's "24"), asking if he'll guide the newcomer around town. Danielle turns tables on Matthew, though, when she drives him out of his immediate neighborhood and demands that he strip in the street. Then she begins to challenge him by asking 'what's the craziest thing you've done lately?' In no time, the honor student is skinny dipping in his high school principal's pool. Flush with puppy love, Matthew takes Danielle to a party thrown by school jocks only to find her whisked away by Brad Pitt lookalike Hunter (Jacob Young, TV's "All My Children," "General Hospital"). He's already learned well, though, and he stakes his claim on Danielle with their first kiss.
Then the sky comes crashing down. Admiring buddy, aspiring filmmaker and porn lover Eli drags Matthew into the school's public access station to present him with a discovery - a videotape of a porno film starring Danielle. As soon as Matthew's awkwardly dealt with the situation, Danielle is being whisked back into her old life by Kelly (Timothy Olyphant, "Dreamcatcher") and Matthew goes up against Vegas bodyguards, Ecstasy and the craziest exploit of his life on school prom night in order to save her.
"The Girl Next Door" shows its smarts immediately with its opening scene when what appears to be an X-rated shoot turns out to be a high school yearbook photo session. Recurring motifs, such as Matthew's essay on 'moral fiber' and his sponsorship of a Cambodian student are artfully woven throughout the film while the plot itself keeps pulling Matthew's rug out from under him. The film's final prom night crescendo is beautifully executed, hoodwinking us again just like the film's opening. Nods to "Risky Business" go deeper than the obvious plot similarities, from the echoes of Tangerine Dream in Paul Haslinger's ("Underworld") score to Matthew's eventual loss of virginity. (Noteworthy for a different reason is Danielle's professional name of Athena, the Greek virgin goddess of wisdom.)
Elisha Cuthbert is the young man's draw to this film. She looks the part and is OK in the role, but "The Girl Next Door" belongs to Hirsch, who delivers a terrific comic performance. Hirsch takes his character from adorably naive to engagingly confident. He nails his X scene, an extended bit of goofiness leading up to his all important essay contest, without going over the top (watch Hirsch become mesmerized by an adult's tie). Equally good is Marquette, a nerdier young John Cusack type, whose delivery of the film's funniest line alone should gain him fans. Dano's Klitz, despite a name ripe for double entendres, is the outspoken, raunchy Eli's opposite, a nice balance for the trio. Olyphant creates an inspired bad guy, all oily schmoozy charm until his agenda's challenged. Unethical and hair trigger violent, Olyphant nonetheless remains likable somehow, and his advice - that the juice be worth the squeeze - should become the actor's tagline.
"The Girl Next Door" is an unexpected surprise, a teen sex comedy that turns out to have heart and smarts.
B+
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