The satirical rom-com Not Another Teen Movie graced the silver screen in 2001 with its comedic punches and parodical themes. The movie stars actors such as Chris Evans, Chyler Leigh, Jaime Pressly, Eric Christian Olsen, Mia Kirshner, Riley Smith, Lacey Chabert, and Eric Jungmann, among others. American TV director, Joel Gallen’s directorial debut is a typical teen rom-com with some twists and takes on the classics.
Is Not Another Teen Movie Based on a True Story?
The movie’s storyline revolves around a bunch of high-school teens studying at John Hughes High in South California, Los Angeles. The movie is a parody of a bunch of teen movies. The general plot revolves around classic rom-com movies which include She’s All That (1999), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Varsity Blues(1999), Pretty in Pink (1986), and Can’t Hardly Wait (1998). There are also several plotline similarities to other 1990s and 1980s young adult movies that are smartly projected for comic relief.
Long story short, Not Another Teen Movie is not based on a true story but an amalgamation of several teen classics in one. The main storyline focuses on Chris Evans’ character Jake Wyler who is a high-school jock dating the most popular girl in school, Priscilla, who is also a cheerleader. When the couple breaks up, Priscilla dates a weird guy Les to make him jealous.
To get back at Priscilla, one of Jake’s friends, Austin dares him to date a nerdy girl, Janey Briggs, played by Chyler Leigh, and turn her into the prom queen. She is the typical nerdy girl with glasses, a sleek ponytail, and painted overalls. But things change when she gets a makeover where the glasses come off, the hair is left open, and she wears a pretty dress.
Each character is based-off on the typical high-school drama movie characters of the 1990s and 1980s. It is one of the best parody movies made in the last two decades so far. Not Another Teen Movie follows the typical rom-com trope where the guy tries to pursue the girl with all he can including singing for her in front of the school. There’s drama, there are fights, and there are blunders that the characters go through and it all keeps us entertained.
Did Not Another Teen Movie Tank?
While the movie did not receive critics’ approval, there were a few people who applauded the movie for the entertainment it provided. There were several positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes that hinted that Not Another Teen Movie just might be a masterpiece, after all.
“For anyone for whom these films are a guilty pleasure, this pretty much delivers in terms of silliness and over-the-top laugh attempts.”
David Noh, Film Journal
“It’s stupid, it’s obvious, it’s scatological and violent — but it made me laugh and I’m giving it thumbs up, God help me.”
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
“Not Another Teen Movie is a happy, nasty and frequently hilarious assault on 20 years’ worth of youth pictures.”
AO Scott, New York Times
“A clever satire that’s layered like a breakfast club sandwich with sly in-jokes, sight gags, gross-out scenes, and, of course, requisite bathroom humor.”
Jonathan Perry, Boston Globe
“A breath of fresh, frisky air, even if it does hinge on cliches.”
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle
“With so many gags coming at us so fast and furiously, some of them are bound to misfire. But, hey, that’s OK: There’s always another gag around the corner, and chances are it’ll be funny.”
Jon Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
“The film’s targets are obvious enough, but there’s a shimmer of wit to the way it satirizes movies as disparate as ”She’s All That,” ”Varsity Blues,” ”Bring It On,” even the Wes Bentley art-freak section of ”American Beauty” as, in essence, John Hughes redos.”
Owen Glieberman, Entertainment Weekly
