The Girl Next Door (2004)

Director:

Luke Greenfield

Writers (WGA):

David Wagner (story) &
Brent Goldberg (story) ...

Release Date:

27 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Matt never saw her coming... but all his friends had!

Plot:

A teenager's dreams come true when a former porn star moves in next door and they fall in love.

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Prom | Dating | Actress Breaking Typecast | Teen Sex Comedy

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Emile Hirsch	...	Matthew Kidman
Elisha Cuthbert	...	Danielle
Timothy Olyphant	...	Kelly
James Remar	...	Hugo Posh
Chris Marquette	...	Eli
Paul Dano	...	Klitz
Timothy Bottoms	...	Mr. Kidman
Donna Bullock	...	Mrs. Kidman
Jacob Young	...	Hunter
Brian Kolodziej	...	Derek
Brandon Irons	...	Troy
Amanda Swisten	...	April
Sung Hi Lee	...	Ferrari
Ulysses Lee	...	Samnang
Harris Laskaway	...	Dr. Salinger (as Harris Laskawy)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, language and some drug/alcohol use.

Runtime:

109 min | USA:110 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Ireland:18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) (cut) | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40269) | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Regency Enterprises

Trivia:

In the scene-specific DVD audio commentary for the film Emile Hirsch reveals that when shooting the scene where Elisha Cuthbert forces him to strip, director Luke Greenfield wanted him to shave his chesthair but Hirsch who was 17 at the time refused because, as he himself puts it, "did not wanna shave off my manhood".

Goofs:

When doing the sex scene, Matthew's skin colored boxers are visible in several shots. Once from behind him up close. And twice from the front at a distance.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Woman: [voiceover] How do you want me?
Man: Oh, that's good. Yeah. Just, uh... just get comfortable.
Woman: I'm a little nervous.
Man: Nah, you're doing great.

Movie Connections:

References Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Soundtrack:

BIG MUFF

The juice is definitely worth the squeeze

Here we have a great example of how decent writers, armed with creative juice to spare, can take a well-worn plot and rework it to make it seem fresh. Just when you think you've got the next twist figured out, you're surprised. This happens throughout the movie, making The Girl Next Door one of the most charming, smart and subversive teen comedies I've seen in a long time - beautifully written, perfectly cast, a real pleasure from start to finish.

Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert and Timothy Olyphant shine in their respective roles as the young man at a crossroads in his life, the girl next door of the title, equally confused, and the scuzball with a heart who knows he has to do the right thing even if it goes against his 'business instincts.' These characters are not one-dimensional, thanks to the superb writing, nor are they caricatures; they come across as genuine individuals, and the comedy in the film comes not at their expense but rather organically, as part of their journey. As Olyphant's character asks Hirsch at one point: "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" In this case, it most definitely is.