by Cindy Lewis
Daily Lobo
There are certain elements a high school movie must have: a big house party, jocks in lettermen jackets, prom, sex and the character who doesn't quite fit in.
"The Girl Next Door" delivers all of these high school clichs with yet another modernized brat pack. The film is a combination of popular '80s flicks like "Pretty in Pink" and more raunchy hits like "American Pie" and "Old School."
Although "The Girl Next Door" repeats motifs from previous teen flicks, it introduces a new element - the porn star.
High school senior Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) is on his way to success after he receives a letter of acceptance from Georgetown University. As the ambitious class president, he raises enough money to send a student from Cambodia to attend Westpoint High School. But when he has to write down his most memorable moment of high school for the yearbook, he realizes there's not much excitement in his life.
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That is until he falls head over heels for the new next-door neighbor, Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert) who turns out to be a former adult film star.
Hirsch's character is well developed and likeable. Every audience member can empathize with him. The film uses the "Ally McBeal" technique of letting us see what goes on inside of his head, which is overtly hilarious.
Cuthbert's character offers the film a pretty face, but not much depth. Their chemistry together, though, is romantic and charming.
The supporting actors in "The Girl Next Door" deliver much of the film's humor.
Matt's two friends, the horny guy who can't get laid, Eli (Chris Marquette), and the nerd with low self esteem, Klitz, (Paul Dano) make lasting impressions in the film. Seeing them coupled with Danielle's two former co-workers for their prom is quite amusing.
Kelly (Timothy Olyphant) is Danielle's producer who persistently harasses Matthew and is as funny as he is terrifying.
Toward the end of "The Girl Next Door," several different plots are intertwined, and it's hard to know when it's going to end. However, the film never gets uninteresting, and the jokes keep rolling. The end is touching and comical and does a good job of complementing the beginning of the film.
It's clear Fox made the movie with the hopes of selling a lot of soundtracks. There is a continual flow of MTV music, but this technique often gets cheesy.
The prom scene is the high point of the movie. Only in Hollywood could these kids pull off what they do there.
If you're looking for something entertaining this Friday that will make you laugh out loud, go see "The Girl Next Door." If you're looking for a deep, realistic portrayal of life, skip this one.
