MovieChat Forums > The Girl Next Door (2004) Discussion > Good Sweet Movie

Good Sweet Movie

posted 6 years ago by R_Kane (15828)
8 replies | jump to latest

This is an unexpectedly sweet and, to me, entertaining movie, a young man’s coming-of-age film presented as if it were a teen sex comedy. I just watched it, after years of knowing that it was out there. There are many topics here drooling over the female protagonist, an adult entertainment actress. She is physically appealing, her persona is fetching, but she is no goddess and is perfect for this film. I’ve found far better in real life, guys. Danilelle’s cuteness-but-commonality is perfect for this sweet movie. It’s about an intelligent but inexperienced young man finding his Man Pants. I applauded when he grabbed her and kissed her in front of the high school jock (Not athlete, but just a jockstrap) who was trying to steal her at the party. I applauded when he went to
Vegas for the AVN (Adult Video News, aka, Adult Industry Convention) to get her back. Tim Olyphant’s performance was spot-on: enough menace to be an antagonist both older and more physically capable than Matt, our male protagonist, but not so overwhelming as to be unstoppable. The soundtrack rocked. Bowie?! Labelle?! What’s Goin’ On, albeit a cover version and not Marvin Gaye?! The Who, Teenage Wasteland?!
Some thought and taste went into this. Perfect? Far from it! Matt would be arrested for fraud perpetrated by someone else? That’s a big NO. He neither aided nor abetted the fraud. The incompetent bank teller failed to ask for credentials for the withdrawal. That’s a lazy and disappointing part of the movie. What I love about this film is how it celebrates the social power that women have. At the prom, when the jocks come walking over to Danielle’s and Matt’s table, she says to Matt, “Dude. They’re coming over to YOU,” teaching Matt about the power that he has because she has chosen him. This is a revelation to me, filtered through a mature lens.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] looper007 (1158) 6 years ago

That's what stood out for me when I first saw it, at how much heart and sweetness it had especially dealing with the porn industry. The first half of the film is just a sweet coming of age comedy, and then once Tim Olyphant it took a darker turn into a different film almost. It helps the film that it had a top cast, you have Olyphant, Paul Dano and Emile Hirsch in it. I think Elisha Cuthbert delivers her best performance, also helps that she was at her cutest at this time. The soundtrack is fantastic.

Sure it has some of the sex comedy tropes there but it has a heart to it that makes it stand out.

[–] WearAHelmetBen (20) 6 years ago

I appreciate your response and agree with your review for the most part.

If you don’t mind me asking, are you male or female? I’m curious based on your thoughts about Elisha Cuthbert being normal looking and so many being better in real life. Obviously based on all the posts from men galore gushing over her, I’m not the only one that finds her much more than normal. I’ve tried to pin point what it is about her in this film that just sends me to another planet and it’s difficult to describe. I do think her eyes and eyebrows are unbelievably sexy and not normal at all. And the way she looks at him with those eyes is incredibly seductive. I will say that she doesn’t stand out to me as much present day and I can maybe see the normal thing now, but in this era (2003-2008 or so) she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and I’m thankful we have this movie to show her in her absolute prime.

I’m just pissed at Hollywood for not casting her on much else worth while

[–] R_Kane (15828) 6 years ago

I’m an aggressively heterosexual male, Ben. I think you misunderstood what I meant about Cuthbert. I never said she was normal, or plain. I said she was fetching, and perfect for the part. If they had used an exotically beautiful actress, it would not have been believable that the boys in the movie had the stones to approach her.

[–] WearAHelmetBen (20) 6 years ago

I’m just not sure what you are referring to when you talk about “the boys having the stones to approac her in the movie”. No one approached her. She pursued Matthew all the way until she left for Vegas.

I think one of the things that’s so attractive about her character is the fact that she was the dominant aggression in the relationship for the first half of the movie becoming much more passive and submissive in the 2nd half. The best of both worlds. . And to Elisha Cuthbert’s credit, she played that aggressive pursuer role perfectly and in a super sexy way.

[–] Wuchak (8837) 6 years ago

I always thought she was stunning, but I was disappointed by how thin she was in this particular movie; I prefer her the next year in "House Of Wax" (2005) where she's curvier.

[–] Sandman3 (1453) 6 years ago

I’ve tried to pin point what it is about her in this film that just sends me to another planet

Its easy for me to pin point why!

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/18200000/Elisha-in-The-Girl-Next-Door-elisha-cuthbert-18284180-853-480.jpg

http://fanworld.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Elisha_Cuthbert.jpeg.pagespeed.ce.JrSL7_PJTx.jpg

[–] HelpMeRhonda (1158) 6 years ago

I saw this movie a few years after it came out and I thought it was great. I had always heard it was good from my friends, and after I watch it, I go look at online reviews to discover it was widely panned, to my disappointment.

Oh well. Elisha Cuthbert is breathtaking. The 3 buddies are awesome underdogs, and all fine actors who’ve gone onto bigger things. Olyphant is a great villain who is deceiving and mean, but also kind of fair. I liked to hate him. Soundtrack and climax were both excellent.