User reviews

The Girl Next Door is just simply an entertaining movie. It's got plenty of flaws - almost every single scene of the second half of the film seems to act as the climax, and then the movie keeps going - but it's also got one of the most appealing casts I've seen in a while. Emile Hirsh (Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, Emperor's Club) is the central character Matthew, about to graduate from high school. He's just plain likable. The drop-dead gorgeous Elisha Cuthbert (Kim Bauer on 24, in a very different type of role here) is the title character, Danielle. Matthew's two friends and one of Danielle's associates played by Tim Olyphant are particular standouts in terms of comic relief; the movie is genuinely funny. Funny, a bit silly, and at times honestly sweet, it's an entertaining movie that's harmless and worth seeing.

Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) is a high school student and he is also a straight laced overachiever. Matthew never really lived life until he falls for his hot new neighbor (Elisha Cuthbert). But Matthew and his new neighbor have a nice relationship going until Matthew's close friend (Chris Marquette) discover that Matthew's girlfriend is a former porn star. Matthew's sheltered existence spins out of control.

Directed by Luke Greenfield (The Animal) made an fresh, somewhat original High-School/Romantic outrageous comedy. Hirsch is a young likable leading man. Cuthbert is simply beautiful. The film's scene stealing performance is Timothy Olyphant as a Porn's Producer. The film also stars:James Remar (The Warriors) and Paul Dano (L.I.E.) in nice supporting roles.

DVD gas an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer (Also in Pan & Scan) and an fine-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD also has an commentary track by the director and a trivia track.

The Unrated DVD has the same Widescreen transfer and sound quality with the same commentary track by the director and a trivia track. The DVD new features are a behind the scenes featurette, an extremely funny featurette, a hilarious hidden feature and more. Some people might call this "Risky Business" meets "American Pie". But this is a good hearted wild comedy. Do not miss this. Screenplay by Staurt Blumberg (Keeping the Faith), David T. Wagner (National Lampoon's Van Wilder) and Brent Goldberg (Underclassmen). From a story by Wagner and Goldberg. (****/*****).

Oh, to a neighbor like Elisha Cuthbert. Not that my neighbors are bad. Want a cup of sugar? Just knock. Want help will the ball cock in your toilet? Ring next door. All of this is incredibly beneficial, but oh, to have a neighbor like Elisha Cuthbert!

Elisha plays the 'girl' in the new teen film The Girl Next Door directed by Luke Greenfield (The Animal). Her name is Danielle and she arrives just when neighbor Mathew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) is writing a speech in hopes of getting a scholarship for his portrayal of moral fiber. But one look at the stripping Danielle from his bedroom window to hers leaves every fiber pointing in a different direction.

This small act of voyeurism leads to all sorts of trouble as Danielle notices her admirers' gazing and immediately heads next door to confront young Matthew. The result of their new courtship would lead to public nudity, breaking and entering, skipping school, taking drugs and everything else that we used to brag about without merit in High School.

And just as everything seems to be going extremely well for the young Matthew, one of his geek buddies reveals her true identity, that of an up-and-coming porn star. This revelation comes shortly before the arrival of her pimp film producer Kelly (Deadwood's Timothy Olyphant) who throws a wrench into the infatuational plans of the two neighbors and leads Matthew down a path that jeopardizes his endeavor to win the scholarship. Soon, Kelly and Matthew are attending strip clubs, meeting in Vegas and eventually, the two are involved in a robbery where Matt tries to win the freedom of the young Danielle.

Much has been made of The Girl Next Door's resemblance to the 1983 Tom Cruise film Risky Business. Truly, the comparisons cannot be more obvious. Instead of hookers, we have porn stars. Instead of a house party, we have a prom, and where there is a family heirloom in play with Cruise's film, Hirsch must pull out all the stops in order to obtain a $25,000 bank account that was amassed to bring a Cambodian teenager to America.

But with all these comparisons evident, I enjoyed The Girl Next Door more. The High School situations have been updated, and I believed in how Matthew could be easily drawn into his world of love and admiration, something I didn't feel with Cruise and DeMornay.

Don't get me wrong, The Girl Next Door will not have the impact of Risky Business nor will it be the catapult for either Hirsch or Cuthbert that Business was for Cruise. But it still was a rather enjoyable film. Not filled with situations bordering on the asinine (see American Pie's 2 through 3), The Girl Next Door was a smart film that resembled a John Hughes film of the early 1980's. I enjoyed all the characters from the geeks who are trying to find their sexual niche to the awkwardness and mature awakening of Matthew through the ordeal of following his dreams. Whereas adolescent films recently have skewed into gross out comedy in such entries as The New Guy, American Pie and Van Wilder, The Girl Next Door gives us something fresh, a progressive out of character plot backed by the love of a beautiful woman.

All these funny and interesting struggles lead to the senior prom where the result might seem far fetched, but at least it seems as if the director meant it not to be taken with any notion of seriousness. We understand the good guys from the bad guys and the movie makes no attempts to throw a surprise or two our way. Maybe in its simplicity, it has found the answer to rejuvenating the youthful film movement.

So, back to my original blabbering. Oh, to have a neighbor like Elisha Cuthbert! First noticed wearing pink panties in the 2003 popular film Old School, she is something to behold. But can she fix a ball cock? Don't answer that!

Responsibility for "The Girl Next Door"'s poor performance at the US box office - as well as over here - can be laid firmly at the feet of Twentieth Century Fox's marketing people; the tagline "Matt never saw her coming - but all his friends had!" made it seem like a full-on sex comedy, when it's actually a lot more than that; director Luke Greenfield and writers Stuart Blumberg, David T. Wagner and Brent Goldberg put more emphasis on the characters than the raunch, which makes all the difference. There's more to the movie than the sight of Elisha Cuthbert in a thong (in interviews she revealed that it is indeed her there... if not elsewhere in the movie).

The debt this movie owes to "Risky Business" - starting with the score by ex-Tangerine Dream member Paul Haslinger (Tangerine Dream scored "Risky Business") - is pretty clear; both movies have bright but slightly life-challenged graduate students given to fantasising about things that go wrong as their main characters (step forward Emile Hirsch as the sympathetic hero), both have sex-obsessed best friends, both have women in the sex business as the main female characters who come into the hero's uptight life and help to liberate him, and both have sleazy male bosses (Timothy Olyphant plays the Guido equivalent). The movie also has the same mostly restrained view of its story where other movies would have played up the farce aspects - the only real hi-jinks come when the movie's plot takes in the Adult Film Convention in Las Vegas - but "The Girl Next Door" is a lot more engaging and has a lot more heart than "Risky Business" (good though that movie is, charm is not its strong point), with the title character seen as more of a person than a masturbatory object both by our hero and by the movie. When she goes with a motel with him and starts to play up The Porn Star, you really hope they don't go through with it.

The mood set up in the early stages is so convincing that when Olyphant's porn producer character turns up the movie seems to turn into another one entirely (and if you go to see this because of Elisha's "one for the men" status, I must warn you that she spends alarming amounts of time off-screen); it's still a good one, but it damages the overall movie's tone, and for most of the rest of the movie it veers back and forth between sweet and sleazy... but the amazing thing is that "The Girl Next Door" actually manages to find a happy balance of the two by the time the prom climax arrives (with more echoes of "Risky Business" en route, for sure).

True, there's no actual sex seen and little nudity, but the cast works so well and the movie's so sincere that by the end it doesn't seem like a ripoff. With good use of songs blending with the score, well-done fantasy sequences, and a welcome dose of intelligence in its writing, "The Girl Next Door" is probably the most adorable movie to get an R rating since "Pretty Woman," and well worth seeing even if you don't have a thing for Kim off "24." But this isn't for the "Daily Sport" crowd. Which is their loss.

"The juice was worth the squeeze."

I went in for what I thought would be the typical teen rom-com of the early 2000s, with the usual pattern (common to many movies actually): 1. Protagonist isn't satisficed with their situation 2. Something unexpected happens and things are starting to get better 3. When things are good they start falling apart, culminating with a real bad thing leaving them worst off than when they started but 4. In the last act they figure out what went wrong and fix everything; happy ending. That movie went through that cycle twice when I realized I was only halfway through and I really didn't know where they were going with it, which was refreshing. The story is fairly original, and the actors are all doing a decent job. Fun, entertaining, and original; recommended!

This is an enjoyable yet ultimately forgettable film. The "boy rescues cute girl from terrible life" plot has been done many times before, no doubt in many better ways. Emile Hirsch performs passably well with the material he is given, and the luscious Elisha Cuthbert provides plenty of eye candy that she could not show in 24. The rest of the characters are one-dimensional and barely worthy of mention. But the show belongs to Timothy Olyphant. Although he does not even appear until halfway through the film, his role makes the entire movie worth watching again. He screen presence is palpable as the ultra-cool bad boy that every man secretly wishes to be. Scruffy, chain-smoking, alternately funny, friendly then dangerous, he owns every scene in which he appears. Seeing this film makes one that much more anxious for the next season of JUSTIFIED to begin!

Why did I see this movie? Why did someone make this movie? I can't answer either of these questions. This movie had an unsatisfying, disturbing, boring and demented plot. Partially funny moments were mixed with disturbing scenes of cruelty and randomness (lots of adults being mean to kids - lovely). I came out of the theatre feeling annoyed and extremely uninspired. The themes in this movie were incredibly superficial - what about the "I'm so ashamed to be a porn-star" theme - all I have to say about this is "what!?!" The acting was bad and there was no subtlety or beauty. I strongly discourage the viewing of this movie - I'd rather blow my nose with sandpaper (continuously).

Here we have a great example of how decent writers, armed with creative juice to spare, can take a well-worn plot and rework it to make it seem fresh. Just when you think you've got the next twist figured out, you're surprised. This happens throughout the movie, making The Girl Next Door one of the most charming, smart and subversive teen comedies I've seen in a long time - beautifully written, perfectly cast, a real pleasure from start to finish.

Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert and Timothy Olyphant shine in their respective roles as the young man at a crossroads in his life, the girl next door of the title, equally confused, and the scuzball with a heart who knows he has to do the right thing even if it goes against his 'business instincts.' These characters are not one-dimensional, thanks to the superb writing, nor are they caricatures; they come across as genuine individuals, and the comedy in the film comes not at their expense but rather organically, as part of their journey. As Olyphant's character asks Hirsch at one point: "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" In this case, it most definitely is.

The movie starts with all the vibes of a classic teenage movie with high school prom, football events, popular kids vs unpopular etc.... but after Danielle(the girl on the poster) starts to establish herself in the movie everything changes..... The story becomes original by using sexy situations in a different, more naive ways, showing the love between a senior in high school and a young girl with an interesting past through some weird situations.

It's a funny sexy comedy with actors well guided by the director. Feels like a better edition of american pie movies and i think is oriented on the same audience.

...namely those featured in "Jaywalking" (in the Jay Leno show, you know??) How cave-man do you have to be to enjoy this tripe? "A teenager's dreams come true when a former porn star moves in next door and they fall in love." Is this really what teenagers dream about nowadays? Hooting at hooters, isn't that just a tad too low? Maybe this is somehow fulfilling for those who suffer from sexual repression, but then I think if they had that sort of problem they wouldn't watch this movie in the first place.

Or maybe I'm just too old for this. If this is trying to send a message that "Pretty Woman" tried to convey, then it surely fails amongst all the breasts, porn references and the mention of the F-word. It has no class, and thus clearly fails to make a serious point, even at the end. Truly, a movie for young people who can not yet see or understand depth in human relationships.

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, Luke Greenfield's sexy yet sweet teen angst flick, owes a lot to both the RISKY BUSINESS premise (HS Senior, his goal a prestigious college, has his life turned 'upside-down' by world-wise 'Pro'), and the internal structure of John Hughes' 80's teen 'classics' (geeky hero, and his two geekier friends, gain acceptance and prestige through his relationship with a 'dream girl').

Close your eyes, and you could easily picture the young Anthony Michael Hall or John Cusack filling Emile Hirsch's role, with Rebecca De Mornay or Kelly Preston replacing Elisha Cuthbert as his ex-porn star girlfriend. THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, however, actually works quite well, thanks to Greenfield's 'tongue-in-cheek' approach to the naughtiness, and a flawless supporting cast, particularly Timothy Olyphant as a likable but ultimately ruthless porn producer, and Timothy Bottoms and Donna Bullock, as Hirsch's clueless but blindly supportive parents.

Emile Hirsch shows a propensity towards 'soulfully earnest' expressions, but does provide one of the film's funniest scenes, as, while high on Ecstasy, he attempts to navigate through a crowd awaiting his speech on 'high moral fiber'. While some critics tended to brush off Elisha Cuthbert's performance as just another skin-baring 'boy toy' variation, she actually conveys the vulnerability and pain of her character's past quite effectively, balancing it with sly humor and a LOT of 'sex appeal', done within the restraints of her "No Nudity" contract clause...Sorry, guys, while you'll see a LOT of her skin, you AREN'T going to see Elisha 'bare all'...

The film is a very funny, breezy lark, and while it never achieves the heights of insanity of RISKY BUSINESS, it certainly stands as one of the better 'teen' comedies of the past few years!

One of those simple but fun teenage coming of age comedies they don't do anymore - a movie everyone straight can relate to, carried by heartwarming characters and a super sexy and funny Elisha Cuthbert. No Oscar material but one of those simple fun movies that take you back in time to your own school days, if you, like me, belong to an older generation. The Girl Next Door = funny, sexy, entertaining. Not as strong as 10 Things I Hate About You, but almost.

Ok, far from being the best movie in the world, it has many gaps in rhythm and narrative, especially in the second half of the script, which is confusing and poorly constructed. Let's just say the plot lacked ideas to resolve the story and pushed too hard to create a final rom-com solution in any way. Basically, the movie started with a very good premise, but got lost and invented some solution to end it.

Having said that, I still loved the movie. A great soundtrack, wonderful and handpicked songs, very well fitted in each scene, and a work of practically perfect actors. I can't really explain why Elisha Cuthbert didn't become a celebrity, she is simply beautiful and an excellent actress in the film, working in a measured way, without exaggeration and perfect in the role. The same can be said about practically the entire cast, all very well, the actors' direction is great.

My final rating is 7 out of 10 because it really lacks a solid story to follow up on the sympathetic initial idea of the first 30 to 40 minutes of the film.

The Girl Next Door isn't a riotous, laugh-out-loud comedy, à la American Pie or Road Trip (don't get me wrong, I think they are fine movies of a different genre), nor should it be treated as such when being reviewed. It's much more mature, a sweet delight of a story that has you chuckling in amusement rather than rolling on the floor guffawing. For that, I would hardly even classify it in the generic 'comedy' genre. I must admit, I did go in thinking that I'd spend two hours of my life enjoying yet another teen comedy, with an overdone plot, jokes bordering on distasteful, and up to the brim with gratuitous nudity. However, I came out with so much more.

It's a classic tale of boy-meets-girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy lives happily ever after with girl. But what makes The Girl Next Door stand out from the rest is the superb cast. The casting director did a great job, placing Emile Hirsch opposite Elisha Cuthbert (both very talented young up-and-coming actors, I wish them well in luck, love and life). The pair's on-screen chemistry is undeniably electric. They portrayed Matthew and Danielle's relationship perfectly – loving and tender, yet fragile. This boy has fallen hopelessly in love for the first time, with the girl of his dreams. He has no past experience to draw on, he's terrified and confused, and he doesn't know what to do! As director Luke Greenfield pointed out in his commentary (Unrated DVD is a must-have for the hardcore fans), Emile and Elisha were chosen for their ability to act without dialogue, simply with their eyes. The subtleties in each expression brings so much more to the characters when watched closely in detail – every nervous bite of the lip, every slight mischievous arch in the eyebrow – you can tell exactly what they're thinking. Now, I've seen my fair share of movies/TV shows, and I'd be confident in saying that I have not yet seen another actor/actress able to fill those roles as perfectly and effortlessly as Emile and Elisha did. They must've poured their hearts out into these characters, bringing them to life, their romance blossoming on-screen.

And how can we ignore the superb supporting cast? Timothy Olyphant and Chris Marquette's work on this movie was simply priceless. They provided the comedy and laughs, and it would be impossible to list all of their hilarious one-liners here. A lot of people claim that they made the movie, and though I disagree, I can sure see where they're coming from.

And the music, oh, the music. I came of no great surprise to me to learn that Luke Greenfield writes all his projects to music. It is this unique trait that embellishes the movie with such a vivid background. From Bowie & Queen's "Under Pressure" opening montage to The Who's "Baba O'Riley" closing credits, every single song is perfect for its scene, particularly David Gray's "This Year's Love", mine and many other's favourite song in the soundtrack. It kicks in at the exact right moment and manages to capture everything about this innocent, pure, high school romance. Also, Paul Haslinger (second to none at composing scores) wrote some of his best work for The Girl Next Door. Simply put (again, stealing lines from the director) Haslinger is deadly with a piano. Each score enhances and fills the moment with such tension and suspense, most notably "Peeping Matt", when Matthew watches this gorgeous creature undressing through his window for the first time. There is an element of voyeurism and the excitement of the danger of being caught, as he watches the female movement and form unravelling with fascination and awe. He simply can't keep his eyes off her. It's a scene that many of us can connect with.

This is indeed one of those movies that ought to be watched on a DVD, at night, alone, rather than on a huge screen in the cinema with others. You'll find yourself leaving the end with a bittersweet aftertaste – will I find that special someone like Danielle? Do I need to be broken out of my shell? Is the juice worth the squeeze? Sure, it is an idealist fantasy, but it's also sweet, endearing and full of heart. It's how an old-school love story ought be done. Just suspend your belief for two hours, and watch the magic happen. Hell, just go with it.

This is your classic high school senior falls in love story, only with a twist...she's a former porn star. While surprsingly amusing and entertaining to watch, the story strays away from the cliche of losing the girl/winning her back, since the whole history of pornography must first be dealt with through often enjoyable experiences that the main character undergoes. The movie was worth seeing if you're in the mood for a light love story with a twist to the classic syntax of high school graduation.

I did not see this movie in theaters. I usually wait for teen films to come out on video before viewing them. I must say, the way this movie was marketed, one would figure that this flick is along the lines of such classics as Bring It On and Can't Hardly Wait. Though this movie definitely is now part of the illustrious teen film library, it runs a little bit deeper than the average adolescent flick.

As the title suggest, this movie does have Risky Business written all over it. The characters (the pimp vs the adult film director) the props (glass egg vs the golden "trophy") as well as the music and language definitely give this film an updated twist on RB. However, it would be erroneous to write this film off as a rip-off, it just isn't afraid to show it's influence.

Emile Hirsch is great as Matthew Kidman, the ambitious high school senior (who actually looks like he's in high school) with an Ivy League future. Straight and narrow, his life is spun on it's head once Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert) enters the picture. Cuthbert, playing a free-spirited porn star, actually gives a rather understated performance that is sincere and sweet. Matthew's once planned out life is now lived more on the edge, and with that, he encounters some interesting characters, such as Kelly, the shady porn director, played flawlessly by Timothy Olyphant.

However, as the film progresses, the movie didn't delve as deeply into Cuthbert's character as it should have. No insight into her background, how did she get to where she is right now, etc. She also takes a back seat to the growing tension between the Matthew and the sleazebag Kelly. I must say, Olyphant is great in this film. He goes from being hilarious to charming to scary in the span of about five minutes and steals almost every scene he's in. The other supporting characters are great. Chris Marquette (Eli) and Paul Dano (Klitz) are funny as Hirsch's dorky friends, and hopefully Marquette will land more roles like this. They too seem to become more adventurous once Danielle enters the picture, what an influence one person can have.

So in the end, this does have a lot of the typical teen flick campiness. There are jocks, hot chicks on campus, geeks, and the movie itself has plenty of swearing, bathroom humor, slapstick, you name it. There is a sweetness to the movie, as it's amazing what a person will do when they fall in love. This movie has plenty of twists and turns, so come along for the ride and have some fun.

We meet Matthew, an over achiever in his senior year, hoping to get a scholarship to Georgetown, where he was accepted. The scholarship is the only chance to attend. He is very risk averse and really hasn't experienced life, and has two pals who also similar in experience. Next door, in moves Danielle, who, it turns out is a porn star, but Matthew doesn't know that at first. She sort of plays him, and he is way over his head. Hormones start to take the better of him, although this is handled in a very sweet way, not tawdry. He starts to neglect things, and after 'advice' from his two friends, over plays his hand. But he is determined to gain her friendship back, and this is where the film sort of takes to the dark side, as he is playing on a field he has no idea about. And things go very badly for him. He loses a chance for the scholarship, and the money he got raised to bring a super smart young person from Cambodia is stolen. But he says he is a problem solver, so how will he extricate himself from this problem? After all, he is quite naive, and those he is up against are playing for keeps. This could have been played very raunchy, but it is not. The cover art is very misleading.

Sadly this movie is centered around the pornography industry and therefore tries to promote their own self interests. Hollywood using another movie to try and justify all the sex and profanity it likes to push off on the American public and call it art. Instead of portraying the porn industry and it leaders as the sleeze balls they are who pray on young women, it makes them out to look like honorable people with a heart for others. Take out the nudity, the profanity, and change the scenario around a little and this could have been a really good movie. I would hope parents will keep their teenagers away from this movie and send a message to Hollywood. The most popular movies ever made that grossed the most income were not movies of this type. When will movie producers ever get that?

A great storyline, a lot of funny moments AND an awesomely pretty girl. What are you waiting for? JUST GO WITH IT. It definitely worths the squeeze.

In many respects, this film is overlooked and underrated.

Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert have fantastic chemistry and make for an easy couple to root for throughout the film. Timothy Olyphant plays a charismatic and enigmatic villain who is also entertaining to watch.

Some of the scenes aren't well-written, but they're compensated for by a strong message and highly well-written verbal cues, which include callbacks to lines from earlier in the film.

This film has far higher reachability than most, and I applaud it for that.

A porn star moves next door to a high school nerd. The story practically writes itself as the hilarity ensues. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happens. This movie was so hard to watch, despite the presence of one of the hottest leading lady's around, that I had to turn it off after 45 minutes. And it was some of the most painful 45 minutes of my movie watching career! I'm embarrassed to have rented it. My questions is, who wants to see a serious, feel good, porn star gone good movie when this could have been a comedy classic? There were a few "dream sequences" that were funny and had pretty good camera work, but unfortunately, those were far and few in between. Don't waste your time with this schlock.