Never Been Kissed Review
by "David E. Smith" (dave AT technopagan DOT org)April 28th, 1999
"Never Been Kissed" (1999) - David Arquette, Drew Barrymore, Molly Shannon...
Drew Barrymore is well on her way to becoming the latest classic American sweetheart with solid performances in "The Wedding Singer," "Ever After," and now "Never Been Kissed." The latter movie, opening April 9, was also produced by Barrymore, and her influence helps make this a solid entry in the crowded teen-oriented movie market.
On the surface, "Never Been Kissed" has rich comic potential. Drew Barrymore is Josie Geller, a quiet copy editor at the Chicago Sun-Times, and her first assignment as a reporter is to go undercover - at high school. The first time around, she was an awkward, braces-wearing ugly duckling with the cruel nickname "Josie Gross-ie" and, as the title suggests, she's never been kissed.
Between bad memories and being ten years out of touch with contemporary culture, the myriad possibilities of a "fish out of water" story are obvious. South Glen South H.S. has it all: the social elite (three Valley Girls and their jock boyfriends), cliques, booze, drugs, rock and roll. All of these are explored, leaving more than a few good laughs in their wake.
The romance doesn't enter in until later, when Barrymore finds herself falling for a Shakespeare teacher (Michael Vartan). In the proud tradition of romance throughout literature and film, it's seemingly doomed from square one: he thinks she's a student, and that's just not kosher in these days of sexual harassment suits; and she can't tell him how she really feels without blowing her cover.
Guess how the movie ends.
"Never Been Kissed" takes the phrase `romantic comedy' to heart, delivering plenty of both. Barrymore and Vartan don't actually share a great deal of screen time, but they do share a good amount of on-screen chemistry which makes the romance and their characters believeable. Unlike many films in this genre, "Never Been Kissed" knows better than to take itself too seriously. David Arquette steals more than a few scenes in his improbable role as Barrymore's older brother, who also goes back to high school in hopes of being noticed by a major league baseball scout. Through a hidden camera, the rest of the Sun-Times staff watches Barrymore's life like a soap opera. Even the closing credits are good for a chuckle; the cast and crew are shown - using their high school yearbook pictures, of course.
"Never Been Kissed" has plenty of laughs, a heartwarming love story, and a hint of attitude - all the ingredients for a tasty romantic comedy stew.
(This review was originally published in The Capaha Arrow, the student newspaper of Southeast Missouri State University.)
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