And yet we have another movie where a boy loves girl, girl loves boy back, girl gets bored with boy, boy gets dumped, girl finds another guy, and boy tries to win back the heart of girl until boy later falls for another girl in the process. This formula in teen movies has been played over and over again, so why waste your time watching another one?
What makes this movie different from others of this genre are the actors and seeing them perform roles that they have never done before and somehow pulling it off. First, we have Ben Foster, a name that immediately makes you think of all the socially awkward rejects and enraged psychos that he has played during his short career. Here, he gets to play a different role as the clueless basketball jock Berke Landers, who is desperately trying to win back his sexy ex-girlfriend Allison McAllister by entering into the school theatre production that she has chosen to take part in. Although a skeptical casting choice, Foster pulls off the role with the right amount of finesse, making Berke cool enough to see why a stunning beauty like Allison would fall for him while at the same time making him not so cool so we understand why Allison might have gotten bored with him (something teen idol Freddie Prinze, Jr. would have a hard time doing). With his right combination of average good looks, low-key charisma, and competitive attitude, Foster ultimately convinced me as the lovestruck teen protagonist.
Another against type performance is given by Kirsten Dunst. She plays Kelly Woods, the younger sister of Berke's best friend Felix, who is desperately trying to get the attention of Berke, who is too busy trying to woo his ex. Usually playing the sought-after, popular teen queen, Kirsten Dunst is now the under-appreciated, unnoticed girl, despite her everpresent attractiveness both on the outside and inside. Dunst gets to downplay her engaging screen presence in order to allow love object Foster to be the focus of the film and does so successfully.
In addition to the two leads, we have Colin Hanks, whose nerdy and studious characters in Roswell and Orange County are forgotten by his performance here as party animal and fellow jock Felix Woods, who is both helping Berke forget about Allison and keeping other guys from hitting on his kid sister. Hanks provides a lot of the comedy, channeling some of his father's zany comedic appeal from the early part of his career in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, we have Shane West and Sisqo playing away from their usual entertainment personas. Niceguy Shane West of Once and Again and Whatever It Takes plays the teen villain as Bentley "Striker" Scrumfeld, the British heartthrob and school's new theatre buff who "dazzles his way" into Allison's fancies. Singer Sisqo, who is known for his sexually-charged dance performances and seductive R&B lyrical vocals, plays the timid Dennis Wallace, another friend of Berke and basketball star trying to muster up the courage to ask out Kelly's friend Basin, played surprisingly sweet by Mila Kunis, an actress known for playing less friendly characters on screen. Added to the mix are Berke's hilariously liberal parents, played with comic delight by serious, dramatic actors Ed Begley, Jr. and Swoosie Kurtz.
The only other main character not cast against type is Dr. Desmond Forrest Oates, the egocentric drama coach trying to keep the play from being a total disaster. Dr. Oates is played unsurprisingly over-the-top by Martin Short, but unlike in most of his comedies, I found Short to be quite funny here.
Don't expect anything new or surprising in the storyline and don't expect the jokes to be too original, but do expect to be surprised by the actors playing the roles and enjoy their performances. If you follow this formula, you are in for a quite a treat.
What makes this movie different from others of this genre are the actors and seeing them perform roles that they have never done before and somehow pulling it off. First, we have Ben Foster, a name that immediately makes you think of all the socially awkward rejects and enraged psychos that he has played during his short career. Here, he gets to play a different role as the clueless basketball jock Berke Landers, who is desperately trying to win back his sexy ex-girlfriend Allison McAllister by entering into the school theatre production that she has chosen to take part in. Although a skeptical casting choice, Foster pulls off the role with the right amount of finesse, making Berke cool enough to see why a stunning beauty like Allison would fall for him while at the same time making him not so cool so we understand why Allison might have gotten bored with him (something teen idol Freddie Prinze, Jr. would have a hard time doing). With his right combination of average good looks, low-key charisma, and competitive attitude, Foster ultimately convinced me as the lovestruck teen protagonist.
Another against type performance is given by Kirsten Dunst. She plays Kelly Woods, the younger sister of Berke's best friend Felix, who is desperately trying to get the attention of Berke, who is too busy trying to woo his ex. Usually playing the sought-after, popular teen queen, Kirsten Dunst is now the under-appreciated, unnoticed girl, despite her everpresent attractiveness both on the outside and inside. Dunst gets to downplay her engaging screen presence in order to allow love object Foster to be the focus of the film and does so successfully.
In addition to the two leads, we have Colin Hanks, whose nerdy and studious characters in Roswell and Orange County are forgotten by his performance here as party animal and fellow jock Felix Woods, who is both helping Berke forget about Allison and keeping other guys from hitting on his kid sister. Hanks provides a lot of the comedy, channeling some of his father's zany comedic appeal from the early part of his career in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, we have Shane West and Sisqo playing away from their usual entertainment personas. Niceguy Shane West of Once and Again and Whatever It Takes plays the teen villain as Bentley "Striker" Scrumfeld, the British heartthrob and school's new theatre buff who "dazzles his way" into Allison's fancies. Singer Sisqo, who is known for his sexually-charged dance performances and seductive R&B lyrical vocals, plays the timid Dennis Wallace, another friend of Berke and basketball star trying to muster up the courage to ask out Kelly's friend Basin, played surprisingly sweet by Mila Kunis, an actress known for playing less friendly characters on screen. Added to the mix are Berke's hilariously liberal parents, played with comic delight by serious, dramatic actors Ed Begley, Jr. and Swoosie Kurtz.
The only other main character not cast against type is Dr. Desmond Forrest Oates, the egocentric drama coach trying to keep the play from being a total disaster. Dr. Oates is played unsurprisingly over-the-top by Martin Short, but unlike in most of his comedies, I found Short to be quite funny here.
Don't expect anything new or surprising in the storyline and don't expect the jokes to be too original, but do expect to be surprised by the actors playing the roles and enjoy their performances. If you follow this formula, you are in for a quite a treat.