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Lunch » Tags » Movies » Reviews » Never Been Kissed (1999)

Never Been Kissed (1999)

1 rating: 1.0

Comedy movie directed by Raja Gosnell

Let's get this straight: Drew Barrymore started a production company to develop original scripts outside of Hollywood and the first project she chose to produce was this, a romantic comedy written by USC grads Abby Kohn and Mark Silverstein about … see full wiki

Tags: Movies, Comedy Movies, Romance Movies, Romantic Comedy Movies

Cast: David Arquette, Drew Barrymore, John C. Reilly, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon

Director: Raja Gosnell

1 review about Never Been Kissed (1999)

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Cute & Sweet, But Not Very Interesting.

Sep 20, 2006

by tomtom13
posted in Movie Hype

Rating:

How would high school be different if you were given the opportunity to go back and relive those times, but with all the wisdom, knowledge, and experience you have acquired since then? Would you do things differently or would you end up doing similar things that you did the first time around? I'm not really sure what I would do, but if I was given the opportunity to relive the high school years I don't know if I would even take it. However, that idea forms the foundation for the movie NEVER BEEN KISSED.

Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) is an intelligent, beautiful, and hardworking woman who works at the Chicago Sun-Times. At twenty-five, she's also the youngest copy editor on staff. Josie likes her job, but what she really wants to do is be a reporter. She finally gets her opportunity when the owner of the paper gives her an assignment of going undercover as a high school student to find out what it's like to be a high school student in today's society. I mean, everybody forgets high school after they graduate so nobody has any idea what its like (ha, ha, ha). So, Josie enrolls and finds herself doing the exact same things she did when she was originally in school. Apparently people used to call her Josie "Grossie" back then and she still hasn't developed enough self-esteem to overcome those feelings of inadequacy. Josie finds herself developing an attraction to a handsome hunk of a teacher, Sam Coulson (Michael Vartan), but she can't do anything about her feelings without blowing her cover and getting Mr. Coulson in trouble. Of course, since Josie's job is also on the line because unless she starts hanging out where all the "dirt" is, aka the cheerleaders, preps, and jocks, she's going to get fired. Oh, and to top it all off, Josie has never been kissed.

As a member of one of the only truly royal acting families in the U.S., Drew Barrymore has made quite a career for herself and has acting in around sixty different movies. Barrymore is one of those people who could do anything she wants and that's just what she did. She started a production company to develop original scripts written outside the system and the first project she chose to develop was NEVER BEEN KISSED. Perhaps Drew hasn't been getting many job offers or was just bored, but whatever the case she also cast herself in the lead role. Let's see USC is the top film school in the country, not much outside influence going to be happening there. The first movie chosen to develop is a romantic comedy. But get this, the lead is going to star Drew Barrymore as a woman who has never been kissed! How unbelievable can you get!

I like Drew Barrymore. I really do. I first had a crush on her when I was a kid and saw her in E.T. But, Drew Barrymore as a girl who has never been kissed is as unrealistic and unbelievable as the moon being made of cheese.

Of course, that's one of the more realistic things about this movie. The teacher that Josie likes makes advances at her. That has lawsuit written all over it. Everyone pretends its okay after Josie's true identity is real, but it's not okay. It's slightly deranged, immoral, and illegal. But then again the high school Josie attends is more of a college than a high school.

Most of the acting in the film is dry and uninspiring. Barrymore is cute as usual, but cute doesn't carry a film unless you're a child actor. The only performance of any note is that of David Arquette who plays Josie's older brother, Robert, who was a popular kid in high school and never could let go of those moments that were the best of his life.

Overall, NEVER BEEN KISSED is a formula romantic comedy that falls on its face. It's barely worth watching if you're a fan of Barrymore's. Other than that, pre-teen and teenage girls will probably adore it.

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