Please don't judge me but I still laugh till it hurts all the way through this film. OK, go ahead. Judge me. I don't care - it's hilarious ..... and pretty grotesque too!
Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American teen comedy film directed by Joel Gallen and written by Mike Bender, Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Phil Beauman, and Buddy Johnson. The film features an ensemble cast including Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Eric Christian Olsen, Eric Jungmann, Mia Kirshner, Deon Richmond, Cody McMains, Sam Huntington, Samm Levine, Cerina Vincent, Ron Lester, Randy Quaid, Lacey Chabert, and Riley Smith.
Released on December 14, 2001 by Columbia Pictures, it is a parody of teen movies which had accumulated in Hollywood over the decades preceding its release. While the general plot is based on Can't Hardly Wait,Pretty in Pink, Varsity Blues, She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You, the film is also filled with allusions to numerous other teen and college-age films including Bring It On, American Pie, Cruel Intentions, American Beauty, Never Been Kissed, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Can't Buy Me Love, Sixteen Candles, Lucas and The Breakfast Club.
Plot In the stereotypical high school community of John Hughes High in Southern California, sexy Priscilla (Jaime Pressly), a popular cheerleader, separates from her football star boyfriend, Jake Wyler (Chris Evans). After Jake discovers that Priscilla is now dating odd and weird Les (Riley Smith) just to spite him, one of Jake's friends, Austin (Eric Christian Olsen), suggests seeking retribution by turning Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh), a "uniquely rebellious girl", into the prom queen.
Jake attempts to court Janey's love, but faces adversity from his own sister, Catherine (Mia Kirshner), who is sexually attracted to him; Janey's unnoticed admirer and best friend, Ricky Lipman (Eric Jungmann); and memories from his past football career. Catherine eventually assists her brother by slightly altering Janey's appearance (by simply removing her glasses and ponytail), instantly making her drop dead gorgeous.
Meanwhile, Janey's younger brother, Mitch (Cody McMains), and his friends, Ox (Sam Huntington) and Bruce (Samm Levine), make a pact to lose their virginity by graduation despite still being in their freshman year. Mitch tries to impress his longtime crush, the beautiful yet perverted Amanda Becker (Lacey Chabert) with a letter professing his love for her. Bruce says that he does not have a chance with her, mockingly stating, "Keep dreaming!"
As the prom draws near, Jake draws infamy among his peers after he fails to lead his football team to victory at the state championship game the year before. The situation is further worsened when Austin tricks Jake into telling Janey about his plan to spite Priscilla by pretending to whisper the secret bet in Janey's ear, causing her to immediately leave Jake. During prom night, Austin and Janey go together; a jealous Jake and Catherine have a dance-off with Austin and Janey, with Catherine dancing in a sexual manner. Janey runs off crying. Meanwhile, Mitch and his friends are having a lousy time at the prom until Amanda arrives and Mitch gives her the letter and Ox later hooks up with Catherine.
Jake is awarded prom king and the principal reads out that the votes for prom queen are tied. Everyone thinks that it is between Janey and Priscilla, but they are shocked to find that Kara (Samaire Armstrong) and Sara Fratelli (Nectar Rose), twins conjoined at the head, win prom queen. During the traditional prom king and queen dance, Janey supposedly left with Austin to go to a hotel.
Jake goes to the hotel room where he finds Austin having wild sex with a girl but is shocked to find that it is Priscilla not Janey while the weird Les videotapes with his pants down, Austin tells Jake that Janey "ran home to her daddy". Jake angrily punches Austin and Priscilla, knocking them out cold, for their part in Janey's humiliation. He then punches Les for "being really weird" (he also punches a plastic bag that happens to be floating next to Les); afterwards he runs to Janey's house only to learn from her father that she is going to Paris for art school.
Jake arrives at the airport and confronts her before she can board the plane, and uses a plethora of clichรฉd lines from other films (such as She's All That, Cruel Intentions, American Pie, The Breakfast Club, American Beauty, 10 Things I Hate About You, Can't Hardly Wait, and Pretty in Pink) to convince her to stay in America. His final (and only original) speech suggests they would be better off apart, but Janey mistakenly believes he is quoting The Karate Kid, and she decides to stay with him.
I resisted watching this for ages, it's the type of film I don't like very much. However now I've seen it 2 or 3 times. I really enjoyed it and it's one of my favourite of Chris' non-MCU movies!
"When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.โ โEckhart Tolle