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Isn't
This That Jon Cryer Movie?
As far as
high school goes, I think there are generally two types of
people. There are people who thought their high school years
were the best, and those who couldn't wait to get out of high
school and get on with the rest of their lives. For the former,
conforming to a world so radically different from the rules
and hierarchy that accompanied their later teen years is more
difficult than it is for the latter. Those people typically
move much more smoothly into college and prosperous careers.
Such is the case in Never Been Kissed, a Drew Barrymore comedy
that relies heavily on her charm.
When Chicago
Sun-Times copy editor Josie Geller (Barrymore) is handed her
first assignment as a reporter, to go undercover back in high
school and report on what kids today are like, she jumps at
the chance. Problem is, she was never popular in high school
and popularity has eluded her ever since. She's a brainy,
bookworm who spends her days correcting her coworkers' vocabulary
and making them look smarter in their own writing.
But with
this second chance, Josie has the opportunity to start over
at a school where no one knows her name or her past. Almost
immediately, Josie begins making the same decisions that caused
her to be ostracized originally. She hooks up with the math
club and wears her nerdiness so obviously on her sleeve (or
her feathered boa) that the popular kids immediately go in
for the kill. How do you convince people that you're hip if
you've never had to be hip before?
The answer
comes in the form of her brother (David Arquette), a nice
guy that loved high school and now finds his life empty without
it. When he secretly enrolls to jump start his baseball dreams,
he starts a web of lies spread to give Josie the extra push
into popularity. One of the nuggets of wisdom that his popularity
has previded is that, "You just one person to think you're
cool and you will be." But will this popularity have a price
and who might get hurt by the truth?
I really,
really liked Never Been Kissed. There are some big laughs
in this movie, but there's also quite a heart to it. Drew
Barrymore is someone that I generally enjoy wherever I see
her and this film is no exception. See brings all the goofiness
of someone without a cool bone in her body and does the impossible,
she blooms and grows right before our very eyes. Everyone
always talks about the character arc in films and in Never
Been Kissed, you'll literally see that arc. Recommended.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Fox has
given Never Been Kissed all the respect a non-anamorphic widescreen
transfer can provide. Most of the picture's qualities are
very nice, with little in the way of artifacting or pixilation.
I did finds the colors, which are strong and bold, to be a
tad aggressive every now and again with the slightest touches
of blooming. Detail is good, but not excellent. Black level
is strong with shadow detail that does a fine job. Not the
best disc I've seen from Fox, but there's little to complain
about.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
Who do I
have to sleep with to get a decent 5.1 mix on a comedy? Everything
is by the numbers here, which means little to no surround
activity, bass effects that only kick on with the music, and
a generally bland, non-descriptive experience throughout.
Dialog is always clear without distortion or masking, which
I guess is the most important thing. I just wish these people
would get more creative every now and then. An English 2.0
stereo track is also included with English and Spanish subtitles.
No French support is offered for those wishing for it.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? A non-anamorphic
1.85:1 trailer, nuff' said!
Parting Thoughts
At $35,
Fox has to do more to make this disc worth a purchase. If
you rent it and really like it, wait to buy it, because you'll
probably find this used somewhere within the next month. And
spending $20 on this disc instead of $35 would sure make me
feel better. How about you?
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