Movielogr
Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Directed by Joel Gallen
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Overview
On a bet, a gridiron hero at John Hughes High School sets out to turn a bespectacled plain Jane into a beautiful and popular prom queen in this outrageous send-up of the teen movies of the 1980s and ‘90s.
Rated R | Length 89 minutes
Actors
Chyler Leigh | Chris Evans | Jaime Pressly | Eric Christian Olsen | Mia Kirshner | Lacey Chabert | Samaire Armstrong | Cerina Vincent | Mr. T | Molly Ringwald | Heather Brown | Nectar Rose | Michael Ensign | Kyle Cease | Eric Jungmann | Desi Lydic | Deon Richmond | Ron Lester | Cody McMains | Sam Huntington | JoAnna Garcia | Samm Levine | Beverly Polcyn | Ed Lauter | Paul Gleason | Randy Quaid | Riley Smith | Nathan West | Michelle Holgate | Jeanette Miller | Benjamin Waldow | Josh Radnor | Alec Murdock | Ross Mulholland | Dean Sheremet | Becca Sweitzer | Hayley Zelniker | Lukas Behnken | Josh Jacobson | Amber Goetz | Joy Bisco | Morisa Taylor Kaplan | George Wyner | Ned Brower | Peter Simon | Joy Gohring | Tracy Kay | Jessica Asher | Sean Smith | Ean Mering | Lyman Ward | Julie Welch | Daniel Bess | James Read | Rob Benedict | Banks McClintock | Jay Johnston | Jesse Capelli | Daniel Spink | Oz Perkins | Jim Wise | Kimi Bateman | Staci B. Flood | Sarah Christine Smith | China Shavers | H. Jon Benjamin | Paul Goebel | Marissa Fedele | Samuel Givens | Kimberly Lyon | Zachary Woodlee | Cynthena Sanders | Will Gill Jr. | Nick Zephyrin | Heidi Androl | Ian Aronson | Sam Ayers | Nick Bakay | Candice T. Cain | Maylen Calienes | Marcus Edward | Arturo Elizondo | David M. Francis | Melissa Joan Hart | Kelly S. King | Jarrett Lennon | Tracey McCall | Jennifer Schlueter | Gena Shaw | Tessa | Sean Patrick Thomas | Cassie Townsend | Jeremiah Vaughn | Susan Anne Wall | Scott Hislop | Jackie Harris Greenberg
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/14/2001 | Movie Screen | Film | Theater | 2.5 stars |
| (Average) 2.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
This movie originally appeared on ZENtertainment.com/Mediasharx.com. As of the last snapshot as of September 16, 2003 it had received 1,024 hits.
Too Much Sugar in Not Another Teen Movie
Every decade has a slew of movies that define the young generation. The 1980s had THE BREAKFAST CLUB, HEATHERS, and FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH. The 90s had SHE’S ALL THAT, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, and CAN’T HARDLY WAIT, all of which are typical johnny and janey-come-lately stories about The Boy who goes after the unwitting Girl. These movies, while all having some visual merit such as Larisa Olyenik and Tara Reid, are thin on plot and thick on the creamy center. Even, 10 THINGS, while more enjoyable than most, is as fluff-filled as a brand new Twinkie. Nonetheless, however disgraceful, these movies defined my generation. It was high time for a spoof.
The first attempt, NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE, is a parody of teen movies spanning the last two decades, but it doesn’t spoof enough. The movie, directed by Joel Gallen, was genuinely funny in parts, if you like the humor in the inevitably-referenced SCARY MOVIE duology, but it it never really pushed the boundaries.
NATM is the story of the stereotypical football jock, Jake (CHRIS EVANS), who has it all - good looks, the head cheerleader, money, and athletic prowess. However, recently, Jake’s life has started to fall apart; he has been recently benched by the school’s foul mouthed coach for making a stupid play to win their last game. Then, as if life couldn’t get worse in movie land, his head cheerleader girlfriend, Priscilla (JAIME PRESSLY), breaks up with him for a familiar character she met while on vacation. On the rebound, Jake’s friends - the obese offensive lineman Ox (with complimentary pig), the “token black guy” Malika, and Les, the semi-friend / semi-enemy, all make a bet with him that he can’t make the school’s women’s libber/artist/poor and ugly girl who is really hot, Janie (CHYLER LEIGH), into the school prom queen. Almost as an afterthought, Gallen decides to make Janie’s brother the young kid who is eager to have sex, a la Jason Biggs, and Jake’s sister the bad girl/tramp who wants to sleep with him, a la S.M.Gellar. The plot follows all of these characters through the last few days or weeks of highschool (which, as genius, we’re never told which) as they encounter typical teen movie situations - Meeting-The-Girl, the-House-Party, Finding-Out-The-Girl-is-The-One, and the-Prom. Gallen and co. should be complimented on recognizing the key plot scenes in every teen movie.
Maybe it was the group of older movie critics I was seeing this movie with, who treated it like it was REVENGE OF THE NERDS IV, that made this movie so unfunny. The truth remains, however, that NATM simply was not as funny as I had expected. Gallen is trying to cling to the heels of SCARY MOVIE like Anna Nicole Smith on an 89-year old oil tycoon, but he can’t pull it off. The gags simply do not last long enough, nor are there enough of them to sustain the laughter.
The movie evokes many memories of the scores of teen movies; it’s almost a clone of SHE’S ALL THAT and VARSITY BLUES. Perhaps the most frightening point of this plot is that it fits the teen-movie mold so well, it could pass as such; Gallen was trying so hard to spoof a teen movie that he almost came full circle. This movie was so filled with emotion at times that I thought I had slept my way into the next showing of SHALLOW HAL. While SCARY MOVIE pushed the boundaries (and occasionally went too far), NATM never really came close, even with rampant nudity that was briefly funny.
The parody is a difficult genre to master in film, because it must be completely absurd and self-aware. NATM was really neither. As I said before, perhaps it was the atmosphere of the theater, but the movie seemed to be only mildly funny, when I wanted it to be so much more. I did, however, laugh out loud occasionally to the chagrin of my crabby critical compatriots; there were genuinely funny moments. However, I plan on seeing this movie again, with my friends and with a crowd that is ready to laugh; perhaps it will be better the second time around.
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