She's All That (Reviewed on March 4/99)
Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, Kevin Pollack
Ah, and 1999 was going along so well, too.
"She's All That" has the dubious distinction of being the worst movie I've seen so far this year. And quite frankly, I doubt I'll see anything equally bad. (At least, I *hope* I don't see anything equally bad).
"She's All That" tells the story of the most popular guy in school (played by Freddie Prinze Jr.) who accepts a bet to transform the geekiest girl in school (Rachel Leigh Cook) into the most popular. That, right there, is problem #1. How many times have we seen this storyline? As Cook comments near the end of the film, "it's kind of like "Pretty Woman", except without the prostitution". Of course, had the filmmakers attempted to try something new with this material, the well-worn storyline would have been a device to propell the movie forward. As it is, though, "She's All That" relies *completely* on the lame and overused formula to push it ahead.
There's not one original or interesting character in the film, either, and if that wasn't bad enough, there's not one good performance featured. The star of the movie, Rachel Leigh Cook, is simply horrible. I usually don't like to get so personal, but in this case, I think it needs to be said. Cook wears the same expression throughout the flick and looks to be having as miserable a time as I was. I was never convinced that she was a "nerd", and her transformation was unconvincing and unnecessary. The movie seems to be saying it's better to be popular than to be who you are. As for Freddie Prinze Jr., an actor I ordinarily enjoy, he too is quite bad here. He coasts through the film on so-called charm, and never establishes a real character.
Kieren Culkin is here, too, as the brother of Cook. And for some indiscernable reason, he's got hearing aids. No explanation is given and they're never brought up. Were we supposed to feel *sorry* for him just because he wore hearing aids? I don't think so. That single element of the film was one of the most offensive things I've seen in a movie in a long time.
"She's All That" sucks. That's what it boils down to. It's not entertaining, and it's not even a good time passer. The hour and a half running time goes by slower than a 5 minute hair-removal system informercial. And what's worse, it sends out a bad message to teens. It appears to be telling them, "hey, it doesn't matter if you're happy the way you are. That's unimportant. If you want to *truly* be happy, dress in the latest fashions and act like a bubble-headed moron." Ugh.
AVOID this movie at all costs.
no stars out of ****
-- David Nusair http://chat.carleton.ca/~dnusair
"I like your nurses uniform, guy." | "These are O.R. scrubs." | THIS SPACE FOR RENT "Oh, are they?" | --Rushmore-- |
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