7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
Eighteen-year-old Matthew Kidman is a straight-arrow over-achiever who has never really lived life--until he falls for his beautiful and seemingly innocent neighbor, Danielle. When Matthew discovers that this perfect "girl next door" is a one-time porn star, his sheltered existence begins to spin out of control. Ultimately, Danielle helps Matthew emerge from his shell and discover that sometimes you have to risk everything for the person you love, as he simultaneously helps her rediscover her innocence.
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant, James Remar, Christopher MarquetteComedy | 100% |
Romance | 61% |
Teen | 44% |
Coming of age | 23% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
If you’re a guy and you grew up in the suburbs, you probably had one. You’d spot her sunbathing on the front lawn or walking to the pool with a strapless summer dress over her swimsuit. Perhaps she was a year or two older than you, with deep green eyes and impossibly long legs. Maybe she was your neighborhood crush, and to this day you regret not kissing her while you laid side by side watching 4th of July fireworks explode over the manicured fairway of the public golf course behind your house. Your very own girl next door. What would you do, then, if you found out that this teenage dream girl, your personal paragon of femininity, was secretly a porn star? That’s the premise for The Girl Next Door, a film that manages to escape most of the trappings of its genre—the teen sex comedy—by letting the development of its characters take precedent over horny, physical humor. The story isn’t exactly the most original—it’s easy to see the boy meets call girl strains of Risky Business pervading the plot—but while The Girl Next Door definitely isn’t as immediately iconic as the Tom Cruise classic, it’s far more focused than the broad comedy of most teen sex farces, and it’s sweeter than you might expect.
"I'm all wet...can I come in?"
The Girl Next Door hit theaters in April of '04—a mere five years ago—but judging by the film's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, you might think the film was shot anytime between 1994 and 2000. Simply put, the movie looks older than its years, as it's neither as sharp, clean, nor detailed as you'd expect a post-millennial film—even a modestly budgeted comedy—to be. The film doesn't look bad per se, just dated. The first thing you'll notice is the grain that tends to swarm over not just darker shots, but even some brighter indoor scenes. Now, I'm all for a filmic, cinematic look—if a film was shot on film, I want it to look that way—but even I was distracted by some of the more splotchy, pulsating patches, where grain flickers with bouts of contrast wavering. While there are some punchy hues in the color palette—the vivid purples, pinks, and blues of the strip club and the Adult Film Convention come to mind—most of the film has a dull, slightly washed-out look that could benefit from deeper blacks and a bit of contrast tweaking. Outdoor, daytime scenes fare the best—like when Kelly comes to recruit girls at Matthew's high school—and it's only here that the film takes on a more crisp and modern appearance. Overall clarity is somewhat diminished by the occasionally heavy grain, and you'll notice a few softer-than-usual shots scattered throughout. I hesitate to be too harsh on the transfer—it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film—but those looking to upgrade from the DVD may want to think twice if they expect a huge leap in picture quality.
Audio quality proves much better, however, as the film boasts a solid DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track that, while not incredibly active, only makes a few missteps. As this is a fairly talky drama/comedy (I still can't bring myself to use "dramedy."), you'd be correct in assuming there isn't much in the way of surround speaker engagement. Yes, there's some environmental ambience— splashes in the pool, party sounds—and even a few stocky pans and swooshes, but this track is definitely a front-centric affair. There are a handful of muffled and hollow-sounding lines, but most of the dialogue is balanced cleanly in the mix. Where the track really gets to prove itself is in the near-constant use of music. The film has an excellent soundtrack, featuring everyone from Elliott Smith, Mogwai, and N.E.R.D., to Queen, Marvin Gaye, Patti LaBelle, and the iconic intro of The Who's "Baba O'Riley." Bass response is tight and never overpowering, and while the track doesn't display the cleanest high-end, the mix certainly doesn't sound squashed.
Commentary by Director Luke Greenfield
Greenfield turns in a pleasant, enthusiastic track that details the script development process, the
challenges of making a teen sex comedy, and the uber-important aspect of proper casting. This is
the same track that appears on the DVD release and, actually, there are no features exclusive to
this HD upgrade.
The Eli Experience (SD, 7:57)
Chris Marquette goes to the real-life Adult Industry Expo and, with the help of former pro wrestler
Matt "Horshu" Wiese, pulls a few pranks on some unsuspecting attendees. While there are one or
two funny moments, you probably won't find yourself watching this bit more than
once.
"A Look Next Door" (SD, 9:59)
This is basically a collection of routine, on-set interviews interspersed with clips from the film.
Director Luke Greenfield talks about the casting process and some of the thematic content, and
actors Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant, Paul Dano, Chris Marquette, and James
Remar each offer up a few words about their characters and the film in general.
Gag Reel (SD, 2:47)
Here you'll find a typical series of flubbed lines, funny faces, and improvised moments—nothing
really laugh-out-loud worthy, but worth a watch.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (SD, 10:58)
There are sixteen short deleted scenes, all available with optional commentary by director Luke
Greenfield. "Cut for timing" is the phrase used most often here, as most of these scenes are little
throwaway moments that were only tossed for pacing. A few of the snippets show a different side
of the characters—like the "Regrets" scene—but there's really not much of interest. Hilariously,
the original ending is included here—it features Emile Hirsch standing on the steps of the Capitol
building—but they had to cut it because too many people confused the Capitol for the White
House, and wondered how Matthew suddenly became president.
Scene Specific Commentary by Emile Hirsch (SD, 8:47)
Emile lends his thoughts to five scenes from the film, and though he doesn't really tell us
anything new, his comments are warm and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. It's too bad he
couldn't have teamed up with Elisha Cuthbert for a full-length commentary track.
Scene Specific Commentary by Elisha Cuthbert (SD, 12:47)
Likewise, Cuthbert overlays a few scenes with comments on rehearsals, costuming, working with
the director, and making the decision to do some partial nudity for the film.
A teen sex comedy with heart is a rare thing indeed, and The Girl Next Door is far sweeter (and less lewd) than its gross-out cohorts. If you haven't seen the film, I'd recommend a rental— the material isn't for everyone—and for those that already own the DVD, the underwhelming visual upgrade may not sway you toward a double dip. If you've seen the film, liked it, and you don't have the DVD, however, the film's priced reasonably enough to warrant a purchase.
Unrated + Theatrical
1999
20th Anniversary Limited Edition Packaging
2004
1982
Remastered
1984
1998
Unrated + Rated
2009
2001
20th Anniversary Edition
1989
2003
2009
1999
2010
25th Anniversary Edition
1995
2015
10th Anniversary Edition
1999
2009
1999
2018
Special Edition
2007
2007