She's All That (1999) Reviewed by Larry McGillicuddy 1999
***1/2 (of 4) Directed by Robert Iscove Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, Elden Henson, Paul Walker, Kevin Pollak, Dule Hill, Usher Raymond, Matthew Lillard, Clea Duval, Lil' Kim
High school comedies have been pretty rare this decade. While the horror film saw itself revived back to the glory days of the early 80s (beyond that, actually), teen comedies have been absent for most of the 90's. Sure, there was a Dazed and Confused here and a Clueless there, but after that, what are we left with? National Lampoon's Senior Trip? Can't Hardly Wait came along last year, and was a deliberate attempt to recapture the 80s spirit, when films like Say Anything, Sixteen Candles, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High were opening seemingly every weekend. The problem with Can't Hardly Wait was that it tried too hard. It remembered those great 80s films so much that the line between homage and ripoff was stretched very thin. There were some fine individual moments and it was certainly energetic, but in the end it failed. And considering it's weak box office performance, it seemed like the genre was dead. Well, She's All That is perhaps the very film that can revive this genre. The sold out theater I saw t in was very receptive towards the movie and so was I (albeit for different reasons).
Freddie Prinze Jr. is Zack Siler, a guy who is living on top of the world. He is senior class president, an honor student, pretty much runs the school, and has a knockout girlfriend (O'Keefe) to boot. Early in the film, everything falls apart. His girlfriend dumps him for Brock Hudson, star of MTV's The Real World. In an attempt to protect his legacy, he bets his friend (Paul Walker) that he can turn any girl in the school into the prom queen. The girl Walker picks is Laney Boggs, a social nothing who wears glasses, eccentric clothes (to say the least), and paints dark and disturbing works in art class.
One would think Laney would love the chance to get to know Zack. One thing I enjoyed about the film, is that she is initially reluctant to spend time with him. She is rightfully suspicious about his motivations, but he convinces her that he wants to learn about art. This may not have been just a line. She takes him to an art show and puts him on the spot. He goes up on stage, and in a wonderful moment of spontaneity improvises an act involving a hacky sack. Zach gets a real rush out of the moment. He's never experienced the thrill of a live performance before. Outside of the theater, he tells Laney she has beautiful eyes and should not wear contacts. This is a key scene, because this is the first time we understand that Zach's interest here is more than just winning a bet, and it happens before her transformation. That being said, the big transformation scene is every bit as wonderful as it should be.
At it's heart, She's All That is just a traditional romantic comedy. On a broader scale, it deals with themes such as responsibility, choices, and the high school social structure. Zach is afraid to decide what college to go to, and he uses his father's agressiveness as an excuse. Laney hides her true feelings in her bizaare paintings and uses her father and brother, both of whom she practically takes care of, as an excuse for not having a social life. John Hughes usually attacked parents, and presented them as one-dimensional subhumans who had no ability to understand what their children were going through. She's All That takes a different route. It says someone must make their own choices, and take responsibility for themselves, no matter what problems their parents might present. The social structure in high school is the most painful, inhumane, cruel thing for a teenager to go through. Both Zach and Laney begin to understand this. They also learn that it's possible to survive this structure without actually becoming part of it. Laney has a line later in the film - "I think the right person is up there" - that pretty much sums up this theme.
Freddie Prinze Jr.'s performance is really strong here, as opposed to his bland, wooden performance in I Know What You Did Last Summer. At the beginning of the film, he is the typical all-american egotistical jock, proud of his legendary existence. To Prinze's credit, Zach is never too obnoxious. This is because Prinze never overacts. Instead, he relies on his natural charisma and allows the material to speak for itself. It's a gamble that pays off because later in the film it allows him to be quite charming. As Laney, Rachael Leigh Cook is quite a revelation. Like Janeane Garofalo in The Truth About Cats and Dogs, she is beleivable as someone who could be perceived as an ugly duckling by the majority, eventhough the rest of us know better. She has one particular scene, when she learns of the bet, where she delivers a line of pure uninhibited rage perfectly. There is more to anger than just shouting and Cook understands that. Together, they have a fabulous chemistry, and every scene between them is absolute y delightful.
If She's All That has a flaw, it is in the annoying portrayal of two supporting characters. I very much enjoyed Jodi Lyn O' Keefe's performance in Halloween: H20 (though I didn't enjoy the film), but here she seems to be on a mission to steal every single scene she is in. Instead of just playing her one-dimensional character as a bitchy snob, O'Keefe wildly overacts with a repetitive line delivery and bizaare facial expressions. Look at Jordanna Brewster's performance in The Faculty for a much better portrayal of a similar character. Then there is Matthew Lillard as Brock Hudson, the Real World star. His performance is fine on it's own I suppose, but it really belongs in a different movie. I think this subplot would've worked better if O'Keefe's character got together with one of Zach's friends.
However, other minor characters are simply wonderful. I admired how the film gives each of them a chance to shine. Kevin Pollak, as Laney's dad, is addicted to watching Jeapordy. The fact that he never knows the right answer doesn't prevent him from giving a hilariously wrong one anyways. Paul Walker's performance is interesting, because he is able to disguise his true intentions several times throughout the film. Keiran Culkin is amusing as Laney's younger brother, and the friendship that develops between him and Zach is actually touching. Elden Henson, as Laney's childhood friend, and Anna Paquin, as Zach's sister, also have some very nice moments.
Lee Fleming's script is witty and smart. He doesn't rely on tired cliche's to wrap the film up. A key confrontation is left off screen, and instead just revealed through dialogue. This allows the incident to be funny, instead of horrifically out of place, as it would've seemed if shown on screen. Iscove does a fine job throughout. The film is never boring, and a big dance scene at the prom is quite an exhilarating moment, thanks to some wonderful choreography combined with lively music. She's All That isn't very original on it's surface. It's another retelling of the Pygmalion story. But it's execution that matters the most, and Iscove, Fleming, and the actors execute the material just right.
Larry McGillicuddy - The Cinemaniac http://members.xoom.com/lmcgill/movpage.htm
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