The Girl Next Door (2004)

The Girl Next Door

Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)

A film review by Matt Noller

It would be hard not to like The Girl Next Door, a charming and good-natured

(if raunchy) teen comedy. And it isn't hard to discern exactly why it is so

successful: it is the rare teen movie that manages to be funny and sincere

at the same time. Even American Pie, good-natured though it is, resorts to

lowest-common-denominator style gross-out humor when things get silly. But

while The Girl Next Door has its share of adult situations, there isn't an

"eww" moment to be found.

Matthew (Emile Hirsch) is a high school senior, the president of the school

government and an all-around nice guy. He's recently been accepted to

Georgetown University, and is a finalist for a scholarship. But when he goes

to fill out his yearbook quote, "What I will never forget about high school

is...", he realizes he doesn't have a single great memory, because he hasn't

taken enough chances or done anything outrageous. All this changes when

Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert) moves in next door. When Matthew get caught

watching Danielle undress, she embarasses him by forcing him to strip in the

middle of the street. They begin to spend time together, and soon they are

going out. Their relationship is handled with a deft touch by director Luke

Greenfield, and it is - surprisingly - one of the most believable and

touching screen relationships in recent cinema.

Their first kiss stands out strongest. Matthew and Danielle are at a high

school party. Matthew has been told to leave, and Danielle is being talked

up by a jock. We witness Matthew as he decides what to do, as he silently

contemplates his decision, before strolling up to Danielle and just doing

it. Not only is this a great bit of physical acting on the part of Emile

Hirsch, but also one of the most magical screen kisses in years. It is at

once familiar and entirely new, just like the whole first half of the film,

none of which feels like anything we've seen before.

It is this refusal to conform to familiartity that makes much of The Girl

Next Door such a transcendent experience. Even the things that come between

the couple seem fresh. Matthew is informed by his friend Eli (Chris

Marquette) that Danielle is an ex-porn star. When Matthew confronts Danielle

with this information, the resulting scene is truly affecting. The situation

only gets worse when Kelly (Timothy Olyphant), Danielle's ex-boyfriend and

producer, comes into the picture. He wants to get Danielle back into the

biz, and he isn't exactly appreciative of Matthew's efforts to keep her out.

I wish there were less contrivances and plot holes in the final forty

minutes of the film, but I'm more than willing to forgive the film its

excesses. Even the most outrageous twists are acceptable when backed by the

script's clever jokes and the charming cast.

Emile Hirsch, so good in 2002's The Emperor's Club, is one of the best young

actors working, and this film gives him a chance to really shine. He makes

Matthew into a truly likeable individual. One scene in particular (a

pitch-perfect sequence in which Matthew goes to his scholarship dinner while

high on Ecstacy) displays Hirsch's sizeable comedic skills. The drop-dead

gorgeous Elisha Cuthbert (TV's 24) is unbelievably charming. The supporting

cast is equally strong. Timothy Olyphant bites into his character's sudden

mood changes with aplomb; he can be at once kind and terrifying. Chris

Marquette is hilarious as Matthew's friend Eli.

Don't let the pathetic television ads turn you off; The Girl Next Door is

one of the best movies in its genre, and an early contender for my

end-of-the-year top ten list. Sincere, charming and funny, it is not to be

missed.

See more of my reviews at www.uhmovies.co.nr and e-mail me with your

thoughts at imgiphted@bellsouth.net.

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X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1271415
X-RT-TitleID: 1130343
X-RT-AuthorID: 9896
X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4