"A spicy hot tortilla full of laughs, romance and one hell of a stunning leading lady...this year's "Risky Business"... entertains thoroughly" Clint Morris MOVIEHOLE "Beautifully sprawling and terrifically funny it encapsulates the raw, careening energy and mirth of adolescence." Brent Simon ENTERTAINMENT TODAY "One assumes that for every three dozen cases of Sorority Boys, we're due at least one winner like The Girl Next Door." Scott Weinberg EFILMCRITIC.COM "A pleasant surprise, funny and sweet, yet far more sexy and daring than your average high school or college gross-out comedy." Brian Webster APOLLO GUIDE "What if you were a horny high school geek and a porn star moved in next door? Your answer will surely outwit anything in this cut-rate Risky Business." Peter Travers ROLLING STONE

"This is a teen comedy that's not just for teens, but for adults who fondly remember the great teen comedies of their adolescent years." Rob Thomas CAPITAL TIMES "What seems to be another wishy-washy teen movie is actually a surprising little number that grabs the attention at the least expected moments." Scott Russon EMPIRE MAGAZINE UK "Sexy, silly, sappy and often just plain likeable." Bob Longino ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION "Played with the wrong tone, Danielle could have been sleazy. Cuthbert makes her sweet, and seductive." Austin O'Connor LOWELL SUN "It says a lot that while I spent the entire running time staring at Elisha Cuthbert, I still noticed an amazing performance by Emile Hirsch." Eugene Novikov FILM BLATHER

At A Glance

"A stylish, sweet and saucy spring surprise loaded with laughs and unexpected smarts." ......... Tom Long DETROIT NEWS

At last, an american teen flick that doesn't rely on fart jokes, crude humour and straight out sexism to get it's audience laughing. Being honest I have to say that the thought of having to review another american teen flick can send shivers down the spine of the most hardened movie critic but "The Girl Next Door" is something out of left field. "Surprise! Surprise! This american teen flick is actually quite entertaining. Hang on, let me qualify that. Unless you are an out an out dedicated prude. Let's face it, there are still those amongst us who think our kids don't know about, sex, drugs, booze and loose women. Really? Yes, really! That's not to say I have given up on the idea that somewhere out there, there are still some really decent young people who have said no to drugs, refused booze and have somehow managed, under the intensity of peer pressure, to keep their virginity intact. To them I tip my hat and say, don't risk temptation. Steer clear of films like "The Girl Next Door" or you could find yourselves in big trouble. In fact, you shouldn't even be reading this review. I would hate the thought that by recommending this film some innocent young person would throw everything away for a smoke, a drink or even worse, a one night stand. Hey, hang in there little buddies, cause, come to think of it, this film actually promotes some great values to teenagers without becoming all preachy. Sure it looks like, on the surface that "The Girl Next Door" promotes, porn videos, sex, drugs and just having a good time when in fact it promotes some pretty healthy values by todays standards. Hard to believe I guess in light of the fact that in "The Girl Next Door" a high school student is dating a porn star. A porn star? Yes, a porn star. That concept came about thanks to the screenwriting team of Brent Golberg and David T Wagner. The project came together when producer Charles Gordon saw Luke Greenfield's comedy short film "The Right Hook". "I see a thousand short films a year", Gordon says, "but nothing as good as Luke's film." At this time Greenfield was working with Rob Schneider and Michael Caton on "The Animal". Excited about the concept for "The Girl Next Door", he "would call Chuck Gordon all the time, begging him, Please wait for me". He admits, "I couldn't stop thinking about the project. The second I finished production on "The Animal", I was meeting with Chuck", he recalls. "I like exploring life's wild side, and I envisioned the film as being about a normal guy who's thrown into a wild and dangerous situation," Greenfield said. "I was looking for a mix of realism and volatility. Of course, the film had to be funny, but at the same time it had to be heartfelt, edgy and a little bit scary." There's no doubt, the finished product is all that and more.
The standout factor for "The Girl Next Door" is it's cast. Three that come easily to mind and will be remembered long after the lights come on at films end are Emile Hirsch who plays Matthew Kidman [the young student who falls for the girl next door], Elisha Cuthbert who plays Danielle [the girl next door] and the wicked Timothy Olyphant who really is a standout as Kelly [the porn producer]. Fans of the hit TV show "24" will know the familiar face of Elisha Cuthbert who plays Kimberly Bauer. Producer Charles Gordon, a big fan of the show "wanted Cuthbert from day one." When she appeared for a reading, Greenfield was soon convinced that Gordon had the right girl in mind. "Elisha was a real trooper and made a huge contribution at the table read," he says. "She brings a lot to the character and really makes us believe that Danielle is the girl we all wish we could meet one day. The girl who's always one step ahead of you, who will make you do things you never thought you'd do and who you'd better be prepared to go all the way for." Cuthbert was well aware of the challenges faced in playing the role. "The character of Danielle is different from anything I've played before," she says. "It's way out there. The changes that Danielle goes through are formidable, and her transition from being Athena [the porn star] to Danielle [the girl next door] is huge." For director Luke Greenfield everything hung on them getting the right guy to star alongside Cuthbert. "If we didn't get Emile, I probably wouldn't have made the movie," he revealed. And here's a little bit of inside info about Emile Hirsch the co-star in "The Girl Next Door", he wasn't so sure that the role was one he wanted to take on. But why? "Emile is serious about his craft, he's been memorizing Brando since age 9! and didn't want to do anything formulaic," says the films director. What changed his mind then? Apparently it was because the "script was edgy" and that impresed him. "Yes, the script was shocking in a way," Hirsch confirms. "It's smart and edgy and is partially set in the world of pornography. But I laughed a lot when I read it, and I really like the character of Matthew. He starts out as an overachiever, but one who's pretty fearful. The girl next door, played by Elisha, makes him break out of his shell and become the guy he always wished he could be. He's a budding politician who ends up learning about real world politics." Finally there's Kelly, the bad guy with what appears to be a good streak. Stuart Blumberg says, "He's a charming rogue." Greenfield notes, "Kelly is a different type of villain; in some ways, he's the big brother Matthew never had, because he takes him under his wing, at least until Matthew persists in his pursuit of Danielle." Greenfield also gives credit to Timothy Olyphant for "keeping the character real." Olyphant plays the good friend, worse enemy bit beautifully and the films energy rises every time he appears on the screen. He says there's a real message coming from his character; "Your most fearsome enemies in life are your best friends who know you and your vulnerabilities." There's much more that could be written about the film, the plot, the music and other characters but that would spoil the experience. The important factor with "The Girl Next Door" is that it is not just a teen flick. "We knew "The Girl Next Door" would appeal to men," says Charles Gordon. "After all, it's kind of a men's fantasy. But we were thrilled that the film also plays to teenage and adult women." Greenfield says it's all about love noting, "The Girl Next Door is a love story about how far this character is willing to go for the first love of his life. What woman or man couldn't relate to that?" Here, here. It is a pretty good love story. It must be if it can shine through all the fun and hijinx the characters get up to. Crew Bytes "The Girl Next Door" was .......
directed by Luke Greenfield ["The Animal"]; screenplay by David T Wagner, Brent Goldberg and Stuart Blumberg ["Keeping The Faith"]; screen story by Brent Goldberg ["Saving Private Ryan's Parts", "Van Wilder: Party Liason" and "My Baby's Mama"] and David T Wagner ["Saving Private Ryan's Parts", "Van Wilder: Party Liason" and "My Baby's Mama"]; costume design by Marilyn Vance ["Pretty Woman", "48 HRS", "The Last Boy Scout", "Roadhouse" and "The Getaway"]; production design by Stephen J Lineweaver ["Jerry Maguire", "This Boy's Life", "Junior" and "Snow Dogs"]; edited by Mark Livolisi ["Almost Famous", "Pieces Of April" and "Meet Joe Black"]; Director of Photograhpy Jamie Anderson ASC ["The Gift", "Grosse Point Blank", "The Juror" and "Bad Santa"]; original music by Paul Haslinger ["The Negotiator", "Pitch Black", "Blow" and "Minority Report"] and the producers were Harry Gittes ["About Schmidt", "Goin South" and "Little Nikita"] Charles Gordon ["Die Hard", "Die Hard 2", "Waterworld", "K-9" and "Unlawful Entry"] and Marc Sternberg ["October Sky", "Trojan War" and "The Last Boy Scout"]. Casting About "The Girl Next Door" stars .......
Emile Hirsch ["The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys", "The Mudge Boy" and "The Emperor's Club"]; Chris Marquette ["Sweet Nothing" and "Freddy vs Jason"]; Paul Dano ["The Emperor's Club", "Animal Room", "The Newcomers" and "The Rose And The Snake"]; Timothy Olyphant ["Go", "The Safety Of Objects", "The Borken Hearts Club", "A Man Apart" and "Dreamcatcher"]; Donna Bullock ["Chameleon" and "Air Force One"]; Timothy Bottoms ["The Last Picture Show", "The Paper Chase", "Tin Man " and "The Man in the Iron Mask"]; Amanda Swisten ["American Pie 3: The wedding"]; Sung Hi Lee ["Midnight Blue", "Chain Of Command", "Nurse Betty" and "This Girl's Life"]; James Remar ["Boys On The Side", "What Lies Beneath", "Duplex" and "Fear X"]; and Elisha Cuthbert ["Time At The Top", TV's "24", "Airspeed", "Old School" and "Love Actually"] as The Girl Next Door. The Story

"Though shamelessly derivative and amoral, The Girl Next Door is nevertheless funnier and smarter than most of the pathetic dreck aimed at the nation's teens." Jonathan Foreman NEW YORK POST

Matthew Kidman, student President lives a quiet, unadventurous life. For Matt and his best friends Eli and Klitz [that's clits with a 'K'] there is nothing more to life than high school, studying and raising the funds to bring a poor Cambodian boy named Samnang to America. Of course it helps that Samnang is also a genius. Matt, Eli and Klitz will never be like their fellow students. Matty can only dream of escaping his humdrum, boring life. Then a new girl moves in next door. Danielle is housesitting while her Grandma is away in Africa for two weeks. Later, while talking on the phone to Eli, Matt gets an eyefull of Danielle undressing in her upstairs bedroom. She catches him out. Matthew Kidman's life is about to undergo a radical change. The boy with a future is about to meet the girl with a past. Matthew Kidman is about to find love. Not with a cute girl next door, but a sizzling porn star. The Verdict "Surprise! Surprise! An american teen flick which is actually quite entertaining. And not just for teenagers. "The Girl Next Door" has enough substance and appeal to keep most adults eyes fixed to the screen thanks to it's two stars and a superb scene stealing performance by Timothy Olyphant as Kelly. Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert [the sexy blonde dish next door] make a funny, sweet and very likeable pair. The best news for those conptemplating seeing "The Girl Next Door" is that there isn't one fart joke. This has a touch of class right down to it's twisted ending. Recommend it? Why not. There's nothing here that most teenagers and there parents haven't gotten up to at some stage in their lives. Good fun and plenty of laughs." The Cast

Emile Hirsch Elisha Cuthbert Timothy Olyphant James Remar Chris Marquette Paul Dano Timothy Bottoms Donna Bullock Jacob Young Brian Kolodziej Brandon Irons Amanda Swisten Sung Hi Lee Ulysses Lee Harris Laskawy Julie Osburn Laird Stuart Dane A Garretson Richard Fancy Catherine McGoohan Josh Henderson Nicholas Thomas John-Clay Scott Matt 'Horshu' Wiese Maria Arce Alonzo Bodden Ellis E Williams Stephanie Fabian

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Matthew Kidman Danielle Kelly Hugo Posh Eli Klitz Mr Kidman Mrs Kidman Hunter Derek Troy April Ferrari Samnang Dr Salinger Jeannie Mr Ruether Ryan Wenger Mr Peterson Mrs Peterson Pep Rally Jock Glenn Rent A Cop Mule Chloe Steel Scholarship President Mina Lopez

The Crew Directed by Luke Greenfield Screenstory by David T Wagner & Brent Goldberg Screenplay by Stuart Blumberg/David T Wagner/Brent Goldberg Produced by Harry Gittes/Charles Gordon/Marc Sternberg Cinematography by Jamie Anderson Original Music by Paul Haslinger & Elliott Smith Production Design by Stephen J Lineweaver Film Editing by Mark Livolsi Casting by Mali Finn Art Direction by Jason Weil Costume Design by Marilyn Vance Run Time 110 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Twentieth Century Fox - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved