The movie " Never Been Kissed" is a great movie in my opinion. Being that I was only 15 when I first saw this movie, it has opened my eyes to other genres of movies. This movie came out in 1999 so that makes it one year before I was born. Main actress , Drew Barrymore, in my opinion is the best choice for the character, Josie Geller. This movie reminded me of The Duff. Except Josie wasn't fat but in the end they both get the boy. I don't know much about the director and his style but this movie was a great one. Solid 9 out of 10.

Josie Geller apparently has never been cool. Well, not in highschool anyway. She was an outcast, ridiculed, and mocked during her original highschool experience, and Josie starts getting ridiculed and mocked again when she goes back to highschool undercover from the Chicago sun times at age 25. Josie really is clueless, just look at what she wears on her first day back in school, and look how stupid and awkward she acts in her first class (I came from Billy, Billy Bali, I was a sheep herder). She accidentally said Billy cause she thought she saw Billy, her old highschool crush (who didn't like her anyway) for a second. But why would she think that he would be going back to highschool too, on the same day, in the same class. And even if she did accidentally say Billy, she could've thought of something better to say then "Billy Bali", and 'I was a sheep herder". Don't ask questions. At lunch when seeing a popular guy named Guy, Josie says " yes, you are a guy. What a guy...Yikes!..Bikes!" That's right, I'm serious. At age 14, I would've known cooler ways to act in school, and she was 25! Josie only later becomes cool because her brother Rob enrolls, becomes cool on his first day when winning a coleslaw eating contest, and tells the other popular kids Josie really is cool. Yeh. Like that will automatically change things. In my four years of highschool, I never knew of any kid who became popular on his first day at a new school by eating a gigantic trash barrel sized container of coleslaw. Another thing I noticed about the highschool in this movie was the scantily revealing outfits the girls (such as Jessica Alba) were wearing in school. Don't most schools have dress codes? I mean, they have strict airport style security at the school entrances and take away straws and nail files from you saying that they're weapons, but they let the girls there dress all slutty. And the airport style securities were never seen again after the one scene the whole rest of the movie, but Josie and other characters were still seen coming into school entrances several more times without the securities anywhere in sight. Then there's Josie's 23 year old brother Rob there who looks at the girls and says things such as "looks like we have some underage hottie's on our hands". And he starts going out with a 16 year old gymnast. In real life, I believe he would be in jail. Then there's the unpopular girl who becomes Josie's only friend on her first day. Why is she unpopular? She is just as pretty as the popular girls. She just isn't a complete bitch who dresses like a slut, and she's on the math team. Wait, I just answered my own question. Then there's Josie's workplace at the Chicago sun times. Josie's boss Gus (Jon O'Reilly) yells at her way too much like he just simply hates her. But I believe part of the reason of that is that Gus's boss Gary Marshal in the board meetings is such a jerk to him. I mean, Gary says that if Josie screws up, he won't just fire Josie, he'll fire both Josie and Gus. Then there's the hidden camera on a pin button that they put on Josie's shirt before she enters the school. I am able to know that such a thing is illegal. It's a violation. I mean, everyone at work would be able to see everywhere she goes, including the ladies room. Then after they put the button on Josie's shirt, suddenly everyone at the Chicago sun times is suddenly not doing anything anymore except all sitting around watching Josie's day on the TV. So did everyone else at work have no other work to do anymore?

There are things you can say about Never Been Kissed that are exactly accurate. It isn't a laugh out loud, roll in the aisles funny movie. It is an incredibly adorable, pinch its cheeks, sugary sweet chick flick that doesn't try to be anything else. It does try to throw in just a tiny little dirty joke here and there but immediately covers its mouth and giggles nervously about it. You won't find any Oscar winning performances but you won't find any eye rolling performances either (except for maybe being just too insanely cute.) The film is one step away from being acted out by a team of homeless kittens and bunnies. There are some genuinely funny moments and it also follows the necessary recipe for a well received romantic comedy/chick flick and follows it to the letter right down to the grand gesture of love at the hand that will have sensitive movie watchers tearing up at. I can't say much more than that because Never Been Kissed should be exactly what you would expect from it. It is a movie I have watched more than once without batting an eye over it, it is one of wife's favourite films and I can understand why because it is simply just dang likable.And that in a nutshell is also Drew Barrymore. She is just dang likable, adorable, sweet and innocent...looking. Once a wild child and now America's sweetheart usually in films and it works for her. This character takes every day innocence to a new level because she is book smart but so out of touch with romance. She makes it believable and she makes even some of the minor plot holes seem reasonable...especially the constant flirting she does with her high school teacher which is addressed in a small way but mostly ignored. Her romantic counterpart is played by the ridiculously handsome and yet average joe seeming Michael Vartan. Their chemistry is very good though they are very different characters. They connect intellectually and it works very well for the movie. I still feel like Vartan is a little drab at times but nothing that holds back the film. David Arquette is, surprisingly so, quite good as Barrymore's caring and popular brother who happens to have not made much of himself. He has a small role, definitely supporting but it really is a good part for him and he adds something to the story. Him and Barrymore are terrific together. Supporting cast are all quite good including Molly Shannon (who I find hopelessly irritating but this is a role that actually was okay for her,) John C Reilly, Garry Marshall, Jeremy Jordan, Marley Shelton, Jordon Ladd and even Leelee Sobieski somehow pulls off an excruciatingly stereotypical and predictable character quite well.If someone told me they hated this film I could sort of see were they were coming from. Although, I'm not sure what sort of expectations they had from it because you can read the back or watch a trailer and essentially know what you're in for. Still, there just isn't a lot of depth here. This isn't a smart film but so what!! We need movies like this because they are simple fun and sweet and enjoyable for a little relaxation. There is no intensity here at all but at the same time the story works and has a great pacing. Raja Gosnell, best known now for successfully bringing The Smurfs to live action and big screens, has a talent for fluff. That might sound like an insult but it isn't meant to be. He creates light fluffy adventures and stories that are fun and enjoyable and Never Been Kissed is simply enjoyable. Love it for what it is!! 7.5/10

Never Been Kissed The hardest part of going back to high school undercover is getting your acne to flare up again.Luckily, the undercover journalist in this romantic-comedy has her virginity to draw upon.Sent back to high school by her editor (Garry Marshall) to get the scoop on today's youth, Josie (Drew Barrymore) jumps at the chance to show her skills.But the thought of returning jogs her own high school memories of being a loser.Unable to escape that categorization again, she's lumped with bully target Aldys (Leelee Sobieski).Meanwhile, Josie has her first romantic relationship with a teacher (Michael Vartan), who believes her to be a student.Despite the earmarks of a typical rom-com, Never Been Kissed exceeds its own classification with smart writing and astute observations on the teenage animal.Incidentally, "I thought he/she was an undercover journalist" is a good excuse for any teacher accused of sexual interference.Green Light vidiotreviews.blogspot.com