She’s All That isn’t a good movie; it’s a GREAT movie. It’s funny, both intentionally and not, has a great looking cast (hunks galore) and features a killer choreographed dance scene. Are you not entertained!?!? (Sorry that’s from another movie. Who wrote this article, a dumb-dumb?)
It came out in 1999 and judging by the outfits and hairstyles displayed by the actors; it may as well have been 1699. Maybe it’s a touch of nostalgia or maybe it’s just my proper appreciation for fine art and the fact it’s been running all month on the Oxygen channel, but She’s All That is the defining movie of a generation. I’m not sure which generation, but one of them for sure.
A few thoughts…
Laney Boggs was always pretty! Granted she had an interesting hairstyle and wore glasses long before New Girl made us realize there is actually an attractive alternative to lasering your eyeballs. You could even say she was the original Zooey Deschanel. But remember, the year was 1999 and all the hot babes had blonde streaks and belly button rings.
The look on Freddie Prinze Jr.’s face the whole movie is outstanding. Half confused, half satisfied. Almost like a man who found out he just won the lottery only to realize he doesn’t know what the lottery is.
That hacky sack scene is the most bizarre moment in the history of film (yes, I’m calling this a film). FPJ’s character Zack plays hacky sack on stage as he yells intensely at himself in front of a room full of strangers. I don’t know if it’s meant to be funny but it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever seen. Just jaw on the floor the whole time. You owe it to yourself to watch this:
The makeover Zack’s sister Mackenzie (played by a young Anna Paquin) gives Laney is outrageous in both how good it is and how quickly it is. Mackenzie says they need to fix Laney’s hair and a few moments later she comes down the stairs with a completely amazing new look. This was 1999 and she was rolling into the living room with the Rachel for god’s sake (if you don’t know what this is, we ain’t friends).
The soccer field at the high school is outrageously bad. These are supposed to be rich kids in Southern California, yet when they’re seen playing soccer it’s like they’re in Kabul. Dirt flying up everywhere while a confused…or happy, Zack, gets burned for goal after goal.
Usher as the high school DJ is outstanding. Between this movie and Beverly Hills 90210, the high school DJ playing music in between classes seems to be pretty popular. Was this a real thing in California? It’s pretty amazing and if true, I went to school on the wrong side of the country. Usher also delivers the lowest blow of the century by announcing over the loud speaker that Zack was just dumped by his girlfriend. Usher, what’s your problem bud? It’s only 2nd period.
The adults are MIA. The most prominent adult is Laney’s dad played by Kevin Pollak. Sure, Zack’s dad is around a little but only to yell at him for not having his priorities straight. Damn you Tim Matheson!
The most elaborate dance you’ve ever seen takes place at the prom (vid below) . Usher casually calls out “right about now we’re going to do that dance I taught you” as Fatboy Slim plays over the speakers and suddenly the whole Senior Class is replaced by the cast of The Newsies. It’s unreal.
Lil’ Kim is in the movie! Apparently on purpose!
“Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer is amazing. Seriously, these lyrics may be cheesy and a bit confusing but no song sticks in your brain quite like it! And as everybody knows, the longer a song is in your head the better it is.
Brock Hudson is an incredible douchey name. And it fits perfectly. Hudson, played excellently by Matthew Lillard, is an ex-Real World cast member who steals Zack’s girlfriend while on Spring Break. In the sneaky funniest line of the movie, FPJ informs the audience that Brock was a dyslexic volleyball player who got kicked out of the Real World house.
Paul Walker’s role as FPJ’s classmate, friend and sometimes adversary Dean, shows why people loved him. Even when his character was being a dick, you couldn’t help but like him when he was on screen. That’s tough to pull off. Although for being best friends, he was really ready to turn on FPJ no questions asked.
And that’s just the tip!
There are killer parties, a beach volleyball scene, Kieran Culkin, a pool cleaning business and Fulton from The Mighty Ducks plays a character named Jesse Jackson!
Find it, watch it, love it.
Mike’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Freddie Prinze Jr’s.