Gosh, it seems I wasn't very popular in High School according to this person, but hey... Now I'm Mr Popular. The women flock and the snazzy Studebaker I traverse in, not to mention the awesome mono sound system I have bursting out of my antiquated television. Mono... it rocks, all the best films were recorded in Mono. Anything else is a hat trick, don't let them folks fool you!!! Just kidding about the flock, they are all over their Robo-Shepard (RoboGeek)!!! BEWARE OF SPOILERS GALORE BELOW--- he gives it 2 of 4 stars...
Never Been Kissed is like all other Drew Barrymore films, except the take on this one is that she herself is the comedic lead.
Drew plays Josie Geller, a 25 year-old newspaper copy editor that gets her big break to cover a story. Only problem is that she needs to go undercover as an 18-year-old high school student. Now Drew had some problems growing up, namely that she was about as cool as Harry Knowles was in High School, meaning not very cool at all. In fact, other students called her mean names and she was even the object of a cruel joke before her senior prom. Her date threw eggs at her from a limo in front of her home.
Now that Drew is all grown up, she's still that nerdy girl she was in high school and now is her chance to relive it all. Complicating the mix is her younger brother played by David Arquette, the only bright and shiny light in this tired, cliched comedy. His scenes are truly funny and without his performance the film would be nothing.
Arquette's dream is to one day play pro-baseball but a case of mono his senior year kept him out of the championship game, now with his sister returning to school this is his chance to help not only her but himself out by playing for the baseball team. Now of course this couldn't happen so we must suspend disbelief and also because Arquette is so dang like able. Now Drew has a few funny moments, but most of the time she is badly overacting. Hamming up ever scene that she's supposed to be really uncool. Smiling like a retarded person, giggling uncontrollably and wearing some really bad outfits all due to advice from her best friend played by Molly Shannon, the SNL alum. Shannon tries her best with what little is giving to her. She's a very funny comedian but her talents are wasted here.
The plot thickens when Drew starts falling for her English teacher (Michael Vartan), and of course her Editor played by John C. Reilly notices this is tells Drew that's the way the story should go. "Teaching praying on the young student female body." Of course, Drew refuses to make this the story and her decision could cost her her job.
Along the way, Drew meets a shy yet friendly girl played by Leelee Sobieski, who so good in A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries. Sobieski plays Aldys, a shy girl who while pretty is shunned by her classmates because she's too smart, unlike Harry Knowles in high school. Drew befriends her by joining the Math club and singing to really bad oldies song in her car. Typical cliched events that we've seen in a dozen other movies.
Once Arquette shows up, it’s only a day before he becomes popular. Once his status is secured, he starts to play up how cool Drew really is to the other popular students and they soon let her into their popular circle. At the same time crushing her nerdy friend.
Near the end of the film where Drew gets to relive her prom experience she saves the day by foiling a mean prank being played upon her nerdish friend. Then she admits to the entire student body that she in fact is a reporter, crushing the teacher and being scooped by the rival newspaper at the same time.
Now like all romantic comedies, the question is still asked are the two love interests still going to get together, well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even a fat internet nerd to figure out that one.
Overall, the film still needs some work and some advice to Fox and the producers of the film, please don’t show too many of Arquette’s funny scenes in the trailer. He’s got six really funny moments in the film and it would be a shame if you ruined them by giving them away in the trailer.
2 out of 4 stars.
Attended at the Mann Thousand Oaks Theatre January 7, 1999.
Credited cast overview:
Drew Barrymore .... Josie Geller
Molly Shannon
David Arquette
Michael Vartan .... Teacher
John C. Reilly
Leelee Sobieski .... Aldys
Garry Marshall
Directed by Raja Gosnell
Writing credits Jenny Bicks Abby Kohn
