The Girl Next Door (2004) - 8/10

 I've always had a great deal of nostalgia for this odd little raunch comedy with a heart. For most audiences however, it went largely overlooked at its release. It wouldn't be until some time later that it picked up speed as a worthy compatriot to American Pie and others like it. But let's just jump into the rubric.

1. Acting 

I really like this cast and their performances here. I especially enjoy it because it served as a lunching pad for some great actors. The chemistry is sharp, the characters mostly likable, and nobody is taking things too seriously. 

The main leads of the film are played by Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert and their romance serves as the heart of the film. The on-screen couple's relationship is sold mostly by Cuthbert. Her flirty yet vulnerable approach to Danielle is great and she helps build nuance into a character that could easily have just been more 'prop' than person. That's not to say this film doesn't completely sexualize Cuthbert whenever they can, but her performance helps keep it from being overly gross. 

Hirsch, despite only being 17 at the time of filming, does a great job of playing Matt and his various different sides. He starts the film as a nerdy and uptight Valedictorian type, and finishes as a more confident and self-assured person. However, Matt is also a very flawed character and I think Hirsch is able to tap into some of that without letting the character be too unlikable. 

Seeing Paul Dano in this movie is also very fun. He is criminally underutilized in this film, but has obviously gone on to have a tremendous career and shown to be a very good actor. 

The real joy of the acting in this film though is watching Timothy Olyphant steal every single scene he is in. Serving as the primary antagonist, Olyphant manages to make Kelly as the most likable piece of shit possible. He is funny, charming, intimidating, and gross all at the same time.

2. Cinematography 

Nothing major stood out in terms of cinematography but the film is shot well nonetheless. 

3. Production/Costume Design 

The film is clearly geared as a 'horny' comedy. As such, a big chunk of this budget seems to have gone to making Danielle as many sexy outfits as possible and the putting the rest into the lingerie budget. That's not a complaint, just a recognition.  

The sets are executed well otherwise, with the high school and prom sequence being the best looking of the set pieces throughout the film.

4. Writing 

 I tend to think of the movie as elevated raunch comedy. It's American Pie with a little extra romance to it. That's not to say that this film has big deep insights into healthy relationships, but it does try a little harder than other films in the genre. Also given its release year, it was more sex positive than a lot of media at the time. 

I think what helps make this film great is that it subverts the audiences expectations so often within the narrative. It is also actively trying to work against the tropes of its genre in a more progressive way. I mean the whole premise of the movie is horny nerd accidentally starts dating a porn star. What helps elevate it then, is that the movie takes that premise and leans away from the low brow horny-ness and instead leans towards a romantic story of falling in love. 

 In terms of subversion we can look at Danille. She is very sexualized throughout the movie, especially in the beginning. They sell the audience on her as a sex symbol. Then, through her relationship with Matt, show that she is just a young girl who is actively trying to figure out who she is. She is trying to leave her career behind her, but is unsure of her self-worth outside of that. Through her relationship with Matt she seems to be reconnecting with herself as a person, is having fun, and is falling in love with someone who adores her for who she is. That makes the motel scene all the more hurtful when she realizes Matt has learned about her past. Everything she thought she was leaving behind and everything she was moving towards is now ruined in her eyes. She then retreats back into what she was initially trying to escape out of fear and hurt. I also like that while some of Matt's feeling about the porn industry are a bit outdated, Danielle doesn't seem ashamed about her career- rather she just doesn't want that to be her career forever. She wants something more meaningful.

For Matt, he is the protagonist of a raunchy comedy so the audience gets sold an initial story of boy meets super hot girl and she falls in love with him. Instead the film again pivots away from expectation, even leaning into Matt being a bit of a villain at times. Instead of Matt seeing Danielle as the sex symbol, he realizes that she represents what he wants to be. She seems uninhibited by what others think and she pushes him outside of the comfort zone that he desperately wants to leave behind. I also like that when he learns about her past the film lets things get a bit dark during the motel scene. Once Danielle realizes what's going on she 'becomes' the fantasy Matt now thinks she is and he realizes he doesn't actually want that. Then he has to suffer the consequences of treating her as an object and she leaves him. 

The only thing I don't love about Matt's characterization is the 'saving' Danielle from porn aspects. Especially when he says things like 'you're better than this'. It takes a bit of Danielle's agency away from her when she does decide to leave - especially since it is hinted at the very beginning of the film that she was actively trying to leave it behind on her own. I think the tone would have been better if Matt's plea to her was that he didn't care one way or the other as long as they could try to work things out. 

One other big subversion within the film is how sex is viewed as the plot progresses. The beginning of the film is like every other movie of this type - a bunch of horny dudes ogling women and talking about banging someone at prom. The pivot point then centers around Eli telling Matt about Danielle being a porn star and pushing him on how he needs to bed her. Except when the moment actually arrives, Matt realizes that's not what he wants. Later, when Matt pursues Danielle to the porn convention with his friends in tow, we have a few scenes depicting porn stars as just normal people, excited about their work and just being normal. Then, during prom, the audience is made to think that they are secretly going to shoot a porn at the school to sell and get Matt out of financial trouble. Except that is later revealed to have been a sex education film instead and Danielle is not involved at all. And finally, after prom, the two leads do finally have sex after enjoying a night of romantic dancing and just being a couple. But the scene is filmed with a clear intent of not being salacious at all - and rather be a passionate and tender moment between two people in love.

5. Sound Design 

There is actually a pretty eclectic mix of various artists and genres built into this small soundtrack. However, the inclusion of classics like Under Pressure, Baba O'Riley and This Year's Love will stand out as the more impactful within the film.

6. Editing 

I really enjoyed some of the editing from the film. For example, the moments of cutting in and out of reality with Matt's daydreaming are some of the funnier moments within the film. Also a lot of the visual setups and payoffs gave a nice fluidity in the edit such as the repeated motif of Matt looking outside the window and how that changes as the plot progresses.

7. Visual Effects 

Nothing to note.

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation 

This film borrows heavily from Risky Business, but is made for more modern audiences. Your preference between the two will likely be based on age then.

9. Stunt Coordination 

Nothing to note. 

10. Direction 

Luke Greenfield doesn't have the biggest filmography but does help elevate this particular movie. This very easily could have tipped in the wrong direction but the vision of injecting heart and romance into the core of this movie helps keep it on stable ground.

 Legacy/Final Thoughts

This film had a modest box office performance at its release and is held back by its comparisons to American Pie and Risky Business. However, I think this film has just a splash of extra flavor that movies like this don't typically have that makes it a very likable and overlooked gem. I seemingly am not alone either as the film has gained a cult hit status since its initial run in 2004.