Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is the best looking and most popular guy in school, and in addition to that he’s ranked fourth in his class for academics. He’s essentially the entire package, and girls are lining up to be with him, with the exception of his now ex-girlfriend Taylor Vaughn (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe). After Taylor breaks up with Zack, he makes a bet with his friend, Dean (Paul Walker), that he can turn any girl in the school into the prom queen in just six weeks. Dean’s choice is Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook), one of the strangest girls in town. But when Zack begins his journey toward perfecting Laney it becomes apparent that She’s All That, and things begin to change for both of them.
Chick flicks have been done and redone so many times that the very concept has become antiquated and essentially useless, but, with that being said, there is something of a unique twist present in Robert Iscove’s She’s All That. Even though the film is more than twenty years old at this point, having never seen it before, I found the structure and the driving force behind the film to be almost refreshing, because it’s unlike the other cookie-cutter flicks that have plagued Hollywood for entirely too long.
She’s All That isn’t as overly dramatic as I had expected, as Iscove attempts to keep the tone of the film rather even, as not to turn viewers off to the film. What does turn viewers off is the fact that, throughout the majority of She’s All That, even through the positives, very little happens. Sure, there are plot points and devices scattered throughout to help guide the film, but I struggled to find any real substance, anything to actually grab onto. Iscove and writer R. Lee Fleming Jr. had original ideas, but it seems that those ideas failed to fully materialize throughout She’s All That. This is an absolute killer for the film, for if there is no substance, the film will ultimately be boring. That’s exactly what happens here, as, regardless of the film’s positives, nothing about it is fun.
There are smaller aspects of the film that simply fall apart before they ever get started. The thing that jumps out to me is the fact that Lil’ Kim (Alex) is horrifically untalented when it comes to acting. It’s borderline uncomfortable watching her attempt to convey emotion, and each and every one of her lines (thank God there aren’t many) fall terribly flat. The stunt doubles--if you can call them that--look nothing like their counterparts, and the scenes in which those doubles exist become choppy, unrealistic, and unbelievable. There are a handful of other issues like these that bedevils She’s All That and cause a series of moments to disappoint and fall apart.
It’s not all bad, though. Again, even though the story never really amounts to anything, the ideas that both Iscove and Fleming Jr. attempted to bring to life are somewhat entertaining. There is clearly something lying beneath the surface of this chick flick, but it never comes to be, leaving viewers disappointed. However, it’s just nice to know R. Lee Fleming Jr. understood that the chick flick genre desperately needed a makeover, and that’s what he attempted to provide here. Furthermore, the soundtrack, one consisting of songs such as Prophecy by Remy Zero and The Rockafeller Skank by Fatboy Slim, is truly phenomenal. It’s fun, full of life, and perfect for the time period. I truly enjoyed She’s All That more than I expected, but, to be honest, I had very low expectations. Aspects of the film are refreshing, but the film as a whole fails to live up to the hype of just about everyone I’ve spoken to. Realistically, if you’re a man in your twenties (or thirties) She’s All That will likely not be your cup of tea.
Directed by Robert Iscove.
Written by R. Lee Fleming Jr.
Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Kevin Pollak, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, Edlen Henson, Usher, Lil’ Kim, Gabrielle Union, Dulé Hill, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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