The Girl Next Door

And we're back to me being the only person who writes up in this piece.

So, in honor of my new new fake boyfriend Chris Marquette (who Kim and I decided I could never date in real life because he's too short, but in fake life he's a bit taller than I am), I Netflixed The Girl Next Door, expecting it to be one of those American Pie-esque jobbies, like Eurotrip or Van Wilder, that is funny in a crude, puerile way but that I sort of never want to see again or even admit that I actually saw. But it was not, friends! I mean, it was sort of crude and puerile at times (the most excellent moments of this came from my new new fake boyfriend, of all people), but it was also very sweet and smart and funny and interesting. Its soundtrack is a little predictable, sadly, but I completely enjoyed it and just added it to my Amazon wishlist, proof positive that I adore it if I want to own it.

The Girl Next Door, in brief, is about Matt Kidman, who is the unpopular class president who dreams of being the President of the United States one day. He's about one sixty-fourth of the way there--he's been admitted to Georgetown, but his 'rents can't come up with the cash for four years, so he needs a scholarship badly. Things start to go all pear-shaped for Matt when he falls for Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert), who Matt later finds out (from his horn-dog friend, Eli, played by my new new fake boyfriend) is an ex-porn star. When Matt insults Danielle by treating her like, well, a porn star, she jets off with her producer friend, Kelly, played to perfection by Timothy Olyphant to return to the biz. Matt pursues, blah blah blah, etc. The best thing about the movie is that it's NOT, as the title would suggest, about the girl next door--it's about Matt, and the fact that he's finally being released from fear and learns to live his life. Awesome. I love movies about that stuff.

So Netflix it, or wait until I buy it on DVD and then watch it with me, because it's great.