[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzlJTiUj5zg[/youtube]
Somehow the joys of Never Been Kissed eluded me.¬† I guess I skipped it because I thought it would be just another stupid romantic comedy. You know, where the girl is too pretty and the guy falls for her through a series of very dumb situations.¬† Anything starring Jennifer Lopez, Kate Hudson or Matthew McConaughey?¬† I can see the draw – women are “supposed” to like rom coms.¬† Women are supposed to like anything that makes them FEEL good.¬† Oh, that’s such a load of crap, isn’t it?¬† But I guess that’s the kind of thing already decided upon in marketing meetings.¬† Either way, women were probably supposed to flock to Never Been Kissed.
The film was directed by Raja Gosnell, who directed Home Alone 3 and then went on to direct films like Beverly Hills Chihuahuah.¬† It isn’t badly directed.¬† It’s a step up from John Hughes – though those brat pack movies will always have a place in my heart.¬† The thing about it that makes it all worthwhile is Drew Barrymore.¬† No one seemed to notice how good she was as Josie Geller, aka Josie Grossy. In fact, I don’t think anyone noticed Drew Barrymore at all as an actress until she did Grey Gardens.
But her Josie character is top to bottom brilliant.¬† She doesn’t play it like someone who’s actually pretty and attractive with braces and glasses.¬† She plays it like someone who would be reviled in high school.¬† I guess what I like so much about it, besides Drew Barrymore, is that it captures what’s awful about high school – it’s just one long string of shame and humiliation with a few fun moments here and there.¬† It’s probably just as awful for popular kids probably.
What we all know now is that the geeks got their revenge big time.   But try telling that to the popular girls.  Anyway, our hideous high school culture has now infected our society to the point where it all feels, sometimes, like one big pep rally.
High school, though?¬† Aren’t we glad it’s over?¬† For me, my nickname was “no show Stone,” I avoided it whenever possible.¬† I was a drama geek (and how) and thus, everything I did was for “the play”!¬† If it weren’t for the geeks in the drama club, though, I don’t know what would have become of me.¬† We were a tribe of misfits and we clung to one another happily.
Never Been Kissed follows the basic pattern of these stories – geek girl forsakes her geek friends for the shallow popular crowd, discovers herself along the way, all of the guys fall in love with her.¬† It’s really about Barrymore, though.¬† Any desire for something more will leave you wanting.¬† It is a fun nothing to do.
Oh, and Marley Shelton and Jessica Alba are perfect as the mean girls who accept Josie into their group.
There is one more reason, and maybe the best reason, to watch this:
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