This charming little picture is the latest in a flock of stock high school productions. (Ever wonder why all the "teen" flicks are about high school? At least in my experience, junior high was FAR funnier and sexier than anything in high school.)
The problem with "Never Been Kissed" is not just that the storyline is yawningly predictable. (Outcast girl meets handsome older guy who sees her as a hidden gem and sweeps her away.) The bigger deficiency is the casting--for one, we are supposed to accept lovable, agonizingly sexy little Drew Barrymore as a mousy outcast. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! In real life, anybody as adorable as Drew would be on the receiving end of sloppy kisses from every dude in the history of the school who ever wore a jock strap. Try as you will, Drew honey--and this was a good effort--you just ain't unpopular or undesirable. (I would have cast Janeane Garofalo or Christina Ricci in the lead role.)
A similar problem plagues would-be calculus nerd Leelee Sobieski. If you can get past the ridiculous name, Sobieski is actually a good actress. A great actress. (Check her out in "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries." Your TV will explode.) Sobieski suffers from what one writer suggested is "Emily Bergl Syndrome"--she's WAY TOO HOT to be an outcast. Sobieski and Barrymore as unlovable nerds? It takes one to know one, and angels, you definitely don't make the cut. Unfortunately, the creators of "Never Been Kissed" made the identical mistake as the director of "She's All That"--casting an ultra-cutie as a despised nerd. (Rachael Leigh Cook did a swimsuit shot in the June issue of MAXIM and I almost had a coronary.)
Anyway, as my testosterone tachometer slides back to normal level, let me suggest "10 Things I Hate About You." It wasn't as popular as "Never Been Kissed" or "She's All That", but it's far funnier, more creative and more enjoyable to watch.
The problem with "Never Been Kissed" is not just that the storyline is yawningly predictable. (Outcast girl meets handsome older guy who sees her as a hidden gem and sweeps her away.) The bigger deficiency is the casting--for one, we are supposed to accept lovable, agonizingly sexy little Drew Barrymore as a mousy outcast. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! In real life, anybody as adorable as Drew would be on the receiving end of sloppy kisses from every dude in the history of the school who ever wore a jock strap. Try as you will, Drew honey--and this was a good effort--you just ain't unpopular or undesirable. (I would have cast Janeane Garofalo or Christina Ricci in the lead role.)
A similar problem plagues would-be calculus nerd Leelee Sobieski. If you can get past the ridiculous name, Sobieski is actually a good actress. A great actress. (Check her out in "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries." Your TV will explode.) Sobieski suffers from what one writer suggested is "Emily Bergl Syndrome"--she's WAY TOO HOT to be an outcast. Sobieski and Barrymore as unlovable nerds? It takes one to know one, and angels, you definitely don't make the cut. Unfortunately, the creators of "Never Been Kissed" made the identical mistake as the director of "She's All That"--casting an ultra-cutie as a despised nerd. (Rachael Leigh Cook did a swimsuit shot in the June issue of MAXIM and I almost had a coronary.)
Anyway, as my testosterone tachometer slides back to normal level, let me suggest "10 Things I Hate About You." It wasn't as popular as "Never Been Kissed" or "She's All That", but it's far funnier, more creative and more enjoyable to watch.