Degrassi Goes Hollywood (2009)
I have to admit, I really missed the boat on the Degrassi franchise in the beginning but as a devoted fan of Kevin Smith, his interest caught my interest and I started watching. Before long, I was hooked. I also really like Shenae Grimes so I thought there might be a chance of a cameo in Degrassi Goes Hollywood.
I was excited and even though I didn’t get the cameo I had been hoping for, I was treated to so much more – Kevin Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Kelly Carlson and Pete Wentz! A great story! A great cast with many of the beloved Degrassi regulars and the awesome Jason Mewes. All in all, Degrassi Goes Hollywood is a winner!
The only problem? Two words – Perez Hilton. That dude makes my blood boil. Aside from that, there are precious few problems with Degrassi Goes Hollywood and so much to love!
Mean Girls (2004)
Okay, I know… Lindsay Lohan is a messed up girl. Mean Girls is still an awesome chick flick. Tina Fey wrote it. How can it be anything less than hysterical? It can’t be, that’s how.
Sure, we’ve seen the story before – misfit, outcast girl becomes one of the popular girls and turns her back on her old friends only to have a change of heart and try to bring everyone back together again. I don’t think that story has ever been done as well as it is here.
The cast is excellent – Lindsay and Tina might be the most well known but Amanda Seyfried’s deliciously empty-headed Karen is definitely the standout. “It’s like I have ESPN or something. My breasts can always tell when it’s going to rain.” No matter how many times I watch Mean Girls (probably at least ten times now) that line always cracks me up.
17 Again (2009)
Now, how can anyone complain about a movie that features a shirtless Zac Efron within the first five minutes? Not me, that’s for sure! What a friggin’ babe! How old is he again? Oh who cares, it’s not illegal to look! Vanessa Hudgens is a lucky, lucky (and frequently naked, apparently) woman.
So, aside from the gorgeousness of Mr. Efron, there are plenty of reasons to watch 17 Again. Hi, Matthew Perry. I love you. You’re so funny. Let’s have babies. Oh, and the movie’s pretty good too.
The cast – both lead and supporting -deliver believable and convincing performances and the script is witty and sharp. For those that don’t love darling Zacey-Pants, watch 17 Again anyway. You won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see the career choices Zac makes. He’s a decent actor and if he manages to get away from the whole pretty boy, Disney thing, he should have a promising future.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
13 Going on 30 is one of my favorite romantic comedies. It has everything going for it. Fun music, a familiar but always entertaining premise, love and romance, an awesome villain to loathe (Judy Greer’s snobby and conniving Lucy Wyman) and the adorable Mark Ruffalo to root for. I don’t think I even need to mention the sheer enjoyability of Jennifer Garner’s performance as time traveling Jenna Rink. It’s just so much fun to watch Jennifer in this role because it’s so obvious she had a blast doing it. C’mon, watch the Thriller dance scene and tell me she wasn’t loving that!
13 Going on 30 is clearly not the first movie to use the premise of a teenager wishing to be older and waking up in the morning to find that they are (Hi ‘Big’, I’m talking about you, here), but what it lacks in originality it makes up for with heart. You are practically on your knees in front of the screen begging for the happy ending you know you’re going to get. You fall in love with the characters and the movie rewards your affection.
The Cake Eaters (2007)
Directed by the incredible Mary Stuart Masterson, The Cake Eaters isn’t just a great chick flick, but a great movie overall. Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays Georgia, a young woman with Friedreich’s ataxia – a disease that causes nerve damage and eventual heart disease – beautifully and it’s impossible not to love Elizabeth Ashley as Georgia’s free spirited grandmother. I absolutely loved this movie, although there was one serious flaw, so let’s get to that now.
The Cake Eaters was written by Jayce Bartok who also plays the completely unnecessary role of Beagle’s older brother Guy. I kept waiting for something to happen with his character that factored into the story, but it never amounted to anything. He shows up, does his thing and is in the final scene of the movie, but he really has no impact on the movie at all. Jayce gave a great performance in the movie and wrote a great script but his character seemed to be written in as an excuse to cast himself in the movie.
Aside from that, I really have no complaints about the movie. Some people are frustrated by the ending (which I won’t ruin here) but I love a movie that doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat package and lets you draw your own conclusions. If that isn’t your thing, you might want to skip The Cake Eaters.
Twilight (2008)
I love Twilight and I don’t care who knows. I am shamelessly counting down the days until New Moon hits theaters, and so what? I am, in fact, a full grown woman who is obsessed with a teen franchise, but there is nothing at all wrong with losing yourself in a little fantasy every now and then and let’s face it, that’s what Twilight’s all about.
Bella and Edward have the kind of romance we all want for ourselves. It’s dramatic and enthralling. It’s the type of all encompassing love that doesn’t let anything stand in its way – not even blood-sucking vampires or jealous werewolves.
Twilight is a classic love story with a twist. Sure the books are better than the movie (a lot better) and some of the actors are a little awkward and uncomfortable, but Robert Pattinson… wow. So hot. I would… well, we won’t get into that here. There are other websites for that sort of talk.
