Kiss Me

When I saw this film a couple of years ago, I was sixteen, I sort of loved it. Seeing it again, not in my teenage years anymore, I realize that 'She's All That' really is for teenagers. I still like it, yes, but now that I have seen so many more movies there are a lot of predictable, therefore lesser, parts.

For starters it is set on a high school but the characters seem to be in their mid-twenties. Of course that is pretty logical since the actors are in their mid-twenties. Well, Rachael Leigh Cook was only twenty, and I have to admit that she is the main reason to see this movie if you are a guy. Freddie Prinze Jr. is her love interest and personally I think he is one of the most annoying actors out there, no exception here.

The whole story is very predictable actually. Prinze is the most popular guy on their high school, just dumped by his beautiful girlfriend. Now he makes a bet with a friend: he can turn any girl into a prom queen. The friend selects the girl and of course he chooses Rachael Leigh Cook. Convenient for Prinze, since she already is a beautiful girl. It does not really matter whether she wears glasses and floppy pants. Of course he really falls in love with her, of course the bet comes out, of course the girl is mad, of course the movie end on the prom, and of course it will be a happy ending.

Yes, predictable it is, but also sweet, even with an actor like Prinze. Sometimes it is funny and when you are watching a romantic comedy all you really want, I guess, is the main characters get together in a nice way. That sort of happens. A teenager will probably love it, but others will not completely waste their time.

There are some movies that make me just stop what I'm doing and watch. Braveheart, Clear and Present Danger, Casino Royale, Godfather I and II, Goodfellas, Top Gun are just a few that come to mind. Not all are classics, but all have _something_ to them that engrosses me. She's All That is one of those movies.

Yes, Rachel Leigh Cook is so so cute. Fuggedaboudat. Watch her. See if she delivers one line as if she memorized it, as if she's repeating what someone else wrote. There's not one unnatural act or utterance from her. She is completely believable, and because her character rings so true, you cannot help but empathize with her, and that is what makes the movie -- when she wins out in the end, you're happy she did because she makes you care about her. She's as good as Kate Blanchett was in The Aviator (completely different movies, completely different roles, by Blanchett deservedly won an Oscar). She has that character absolutely nailed, you won't see - can't see -- a better performance.

(And for what it is worth, this may be Paul Walker's best performance. I credit the director for getting the performances that he did out of cast of young actors not generally known for their talent.) As for the rest of the movie, you've seen it before, but so what? Star Wars is Battle of Britain, set in the future with a backstory, no one holds that against it. The choreographed dance scene is great, and it IS well cast and it IS well acted, clichéd or not.

Silly but fun teen romantic comedy about a high school jock (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) who bets his friend (Paul Walker) that he can turn a geek (Rachael Leigh Cook) into the prom queen. Flimsy updating of Pygmalion is hard to hate. It doesn't take itself seriously in the least. Yeah it's absolutely ridiculous that Rachael Leigh Cook, an exceptionally pretty girl, would be considered unattractive just because she wears glasses and overalls. But you just roll with it because it's cute and fun. The cast is very likable and the script is good for this type of movie. Matthew Lillard steals pretty much every scene he's in. It's fluff but you'll be smiling when it's over. Can't see the harm in that.

I'd actually recommend seeing it if you don't feel like a heavy movie and just want to watch something fun. The movie is 'another teen movie" but does have some unique aspects to it, some pretty funny quotes ("what is this, the dork outreach program?")and moments, but unfortunately, a lot of that average teen movie drama and a few overly two-dimensional characters (Zach's friends and girlfriend). Cool dance scene though, and Freddie Prinze Jr. is bearable Rachel Leigh Cook is likable (I personally thought she was pretty good in it) and notably talented actors like Kevin Pollak, Kieran Culkin, and Anna Paquin give the movie some supporting foundation. Not a bad movie, not a great movie, just simply what it is:'another teen movie'.

That the IMDb score is way too low speaks I think to the fact that the intended audience for the film was ... disappointed. Perhaps expectations were too high? Perhaps this story had been done once too often. But the odd fact (and the thrust of this review) is that the film is memorable because the stars rise above the material .... before they themselves burn out and lapse into film obscurity.

It was an odd confluence of talent. Director Iscove is well respected in TV but this remains one of his only shots at a feature. Prinze, who had pretty much owned the casting niche he was in, was 23 at the time the film was made and arguably long in the tooth for a high schooler. Nonetheless the chemistry between him and Leigh-Cook was powerful and that chemistry held the movie up when the dialog and the mugging by the other actors let it down.

It's all timing. Leigh-Cook never really made the transition to films after, but kept very busy with TV. Prinze never really made the transition, period, but he's still a young guy and who knows? The Pygmalion thing has been done to death but oddly Iscove, Prinze and Leigh-Cook kept it alive for one more outing. Entertaining.