She's All That (1999)

Directed by: Robert Iscove

Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Kevin Pollack, Kieran Culkin, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Dule Hill, Gabrielle Union, Usher Raymond and Anna Paquin

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Teen Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Zack Siler (Prinze Jr.) thinks he has it made. He’s a soccer star, the most popular guy in school, has his choice of Ivy League colleges, and the hottest girlfriend. When Taylor (O’Keefe) dumps him for reality TV star Brock Hudson (Lillard), Zack is shocked and hurt. This doesn’t stop him from making a bet with his friend Dean (Walker) that he could take any girl in school and turn her into the prom queen. Enter Laney Boggs (Cook), the solitary art freak who is more interested in the world’s problems than prom. Will Zack stick to the bet, or will he realize there’s more to Laney than meets the eye?

While this movie is cute, it has always struck a negative chord with me. It’s never been a personal favorite of mine, even when I was a young teen. I don’t know why, exactly. Maybe it’s because Zack doesn’t really seem to fall for Laney until after she’s made over to fit society’s idea of beautiful. Maybe it’s because Laney can’t seem to stand up for herself when she needs to most. I can’t put my finger on it, but for some reason this movie never charmed me.

For one thing, the characters are all rather clichéd, not seeming to have any true personality. The only character who is the least bit different from the usual is Laney. She’s an artist, a feminist, someone who cares about world issues. These are the reasons kids her age avoid her – because she focuses on things that they don’t want to think about. They just want to kick back and have fun, not worry about real world issues (unless it is the latest episode of the MTV reality series). Zack could easily be interchanged with half the other romantic lead male characters of the 90s teen comedies. Then, of course, there’s his jerkwad best friend (Dean), his nice guy friend (Preston), the bitchy, self-involved popular girl (Taylor), her lackeys, and the comic relief (Brock). None have distinct personalities; they all kind of blend together.

The acting is decent. Normally, I rag on Freddie Prinze Jr.’s acting, but the male lead in romantic comedies is all he seems to know how to do. In these films he’s cute and charming; it’s when he tries to be serious that I feel he falls flat. Rachael Leigh Cook is adorable and she brings the right amount of attitude to Laney Boggs – well as much as the script allowed, anyway. I could see Laney punching Taylor in the face or shoving her into the pool at Preston’s party, but apparently the screenwriters didn’t see that fitting her character. Matthew Lillard was hilarious as Brock Hudson, and honestly his dance scene is the only reason I’ve watched this film more than once. The other characters are really too minor to note.

I think the plot itself may be what bothers me the most about this film. The audience finds itself rooting for Zack and Laney to get together, even though it’s known that Zack is spending time with her to win a bet. Yes, we are aware that he’s falling for her, of course he is, that’s the formula of the genre. Still, he doesn’t really see her for her until she changes to fit his ideal. After her make over, she may still wear her paint spattered clothes, but her style is more tuned in to popular fashion. She also fixes her hair every day, wears make up when she never did before, and stops wearing her glasses. Worst of all, he gets her to open up to him, when there’s still a good chance he’s using her to win the bet. As someone who is a lot like Laney, opening up to new people terrifies me, especially since I’ve been hurt so many times. I feel for her, and understand why she doesn’t trust easily, so when she opens up to him, I fear for her.

The ending is fairly predictable, but if you’ve seen one teen romantic comedy, you’ve seen them all. Also, am I the only one who finds the choreographed Senior Class Dance a little awkward and unrealistic?

There are a few things I noticed in the film that, as a Buffy fan, made me geek out a little. Sarah Michelle Gellar can easily be spotted in the cafeteria scene. The prom photographer was a villain in the episode “Anne.” Also, the high school where this film was shot is the same high school that was used as Sunnydale High.

Overall, it’s not a bad flick, but it is clichéd and predictable. Laney is the only character I really like, and even she could use some work. The film is cute, but nothing special.

6/10