Nancy Drew (DVD)

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TITLE : Nancy Drew

RATING: ****

CAST: Emma Roberts, Tate Donovan, Barry Bostwick, Max Thieriot, Josh Flitter, Craig Gellis, Rich Cooper, Rachel Leigh Cook, David Doty, Daniella Monet, Kelly Vitz, Amy Bruckner, Kay Panabaker, Cliff Bemis, Monica Parker, Caroline Aaron, Adam Goldberg, Elyssa Davalos.

DIRECTOR: Andrew Fleming

SCREENWRITERS: Andrew Fleming and Tiffany Paulson (story)
...review on the brand new NANCY DREW film, which I found to be more than enjoyable and better than expected in every way. True, I had my reservations before going to the theater; how were they were going to bring a character that is over 75 years old to the screen which would satisfy readers of the series as well as the modern audience? Was it even possible, considering there were a million directions they could have taken? I'll be honest with all ... more

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TITLE : Nancy Drew

RATING: ****

CAST: Emma Roberts, Tate Donovan, Barry Bostwick, Max Thieriot, Josh Flitter, Craig Gellis, Rich Cooper, Rachel Leigh Cook, David Doty, Daniella Monet, Kelly Vitz, Amy Bruckner, Kay Panabaker, Cliff Bemis, Monica Parker, Caroline Aaron, Adam Goldberg, Elyssa Davalos.

DIRECTOR: Andrew Fleming

SCREENWRITERS: Andrew Fleming and Tiffany Paulson (story)

STUDIO: Warner Bros. Pictures / Virtual Studios

RUNNING TIME: 99 min.

RATED: PG (US & UK); for violence and thematic elements.

UK THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: October 19, 2007

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INTRODUCTION: SHE'S BACK!
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I'm assuming that you all had a clue (pun intended, lol) as to what my new review was going to be if you read my previous two reviews. Well, it here it is: my review on the brand new NANCY DREW film, which I found to be more than enjoyable and better than expected in every way. True, I had my reservations before going to the theater; how were they were going to bring a character that is over 75 years old to the screen which would satisfy readers of the series as well as the modern audience? Was it even possible, considering there were a million directions they could have taken? I'll be honest with all of you when I say that the film was uneven and had its fair share of flaws, though it's still great fun from start to finish, with 15-year-old Emma Roberts exceeding my expectations in the title role. In short, a rare family film that is cool without being crude, and parents should enjoy along with their kids.

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NAN CY DREW HISTORY 301
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In January of 1979, the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries TV show was cancelled, and the characters once again returned to the advent of books, though that year also marked a major turning point in the Nancy Drew saga. The Stratemayer Syndicate, which was responsible for creating the character and originally releasing the books since 1930, was now under fire over the rights. Mildred Wirt Benson, who wrote the original 25 books and several other ghostwriters had to give up their involvement since their identities had to remain secret. Thus, the new publishing company who took over all rights of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series was Simon & Schuster, and they continued the original series up until 2003. All of these books have been published under the pseudonym of Caroline Keene, and very few people know that Keene is actually a number of authors.

In 1986, Simon and Schuster did the first spin off of the Mystery Stories with The Nancy Drew Files, which were a more updated rendering of the character, which put her as a 19-year-old college student in River Heights. Over the next 10 years, a number of other spin-offs would emerge including the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys SuperMysteries, River Heights, and The Nancy Drew Notebooks. Since then, there have also been many video games released on the character, mostly for Windows 98, 2000 and XP. In 2002, Mildred Wirt Benson died at age 97; she had very little money and never did receive any royalties from Nancy Drew, a character which she virtually created. However, a fan website called The Sleuth was started by Jennifer Fisher, and a conference was held later in 2003 naming Benson as the original Carolyn Keene.

As far as returning to the screen, there were was a television series put out in 1995 with Tracy Ryan (STEALING HARVARD) as Ms. Drew; unfortunately, it only lasted for one season and was cancelled. In 2002, another attempt was made when a TV pilot debuted with Maggie Lawson ("Party of Five") being cast as the sleuth, though that failed to be picked up for a series. It wasn't until 2005---the 75th anniversary of Nancy Drew---in which Warner Bros. decided they would give the famous girl detective a proper big screen treatment. Unlike the B-movies of the late 1930s with Bonita Granville, this Drew was going to be feature length and place the classic character in a modern setting. Purists objected to what they read on the internet, such as making the character 15 years old (despite the fact that was the age of Nancy when she first came out in the '30s) and being set in Hollywood instead of River Heights. Granted, I'm a purist myself and let me tell you that the filmmakers must have struggled so hard to create something which was faithful to the old-fashioned sensibilities of the characters, while at the same time satisfying movie-goers in the 21st century; let's now see what the film is about, shall we?

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"TH E MYSTERY IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS"
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As the screen fades in, we see a large bookshelf full of the classic yellow hardbound books of the famous character and then over the credits we have the illustrations taken from the actual books of the 1930s. The story does start in 2007, however, when two burglars are seen rummaging through an office; however, they are startled when they hear a sneeze coming from a nearby closet (guess who?). Nancy makes a deal with the burglars, though it turns out to be a trap and once again she was able to capture criminals without police insistence. The story does start in River Heights as we meet all the familiar characters of Ned Nickerson (her boyfriend), her friends Bess and George, as well as her father Carson Drew (Tate Donovan). Nancy has become somewhat of a local celebrity because of her amazing detective skills, and she is actually treated like an adult by many of the authorities. We realize soon though that Carson has some business in Hollywood which might take several months, and Nancy must leave River Heights behind---as well as her beloved 1950s-style blue roadster.

The roadster is just the first of many things that let's know you that Nancy isn't your modern teenager by far; she makes her own clothes from her late mother's designs, she reads books like "Advanced Sandcastle Making," and she is very mature for her age. So, it's no big surprise that she is going to be a target at Hollywood High School, where she is looked upon as a teenage version of Martha Stewart; the high school girls look at her as some kind of alien because she doesn't wear makeup, has no piercings, wears clothes that are color coordinated, along with---get this---penny loafers! She does meet a boy named Corky (Josh Flitter) who has developed a crush on her, though his sister Inga is a Mean Girl-wannabe who attempts to make a mockery of our beloved Ms. Drew; and when Ned shows up in town, Inga gets the idea of stealing him away from Nancy!

I know, you are probably wondering by now where the mystery comes in, and I admit it doesn't really kick in until halfway through the movie, but then things pick up and get into high gear. Carson and Nancy have rented out a mansion which belonged to Dehlia Dreycott, an actress who was murdered in 1981; while a will was drafted before she died, it was never found. The spirit of Dreycott still haunts the mansion and soon enough Nancy has an encounter with the actress, who hopes that she will find the will for her and ensure that all of her assets go to her missing daughter Jane Brighton (Rachel Leigh Cook). Despite that fact that she promised her father she wouldn't do any sleuthing while in L.A. (which she jokingly refers to as an addiction), she is determined to solve the mystery …even if it means putting her life on the line.

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PUT TING MY TRUST IN ONE MAN
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I'm sure you can all see exactly what the filmmakers were attempting to do with this new Drew, and that is making Nancy her old-fashioned self from the 1930s, and placing her in modern-day L.A., and having to deal with culture differences while at the same time attempting to solve a mystery. Here again, while the film was uneven as a whole, it actually worked for the most part, and credit must be given to director Andrew Fleming for being respectful to the material and not dumbing everything down for the tween set. I've been a huge fan of Fleming's work, ever since he released THREESOME in 1994 (a very underrated film which I had wrote a review on awhile back); however, he also did the more well-known film THE CRAFT, about four girls who dabble in witchcraft, as well as DICK, the sleeper comedy with Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams as clueless valley girls who get involved in with the Watergate investigation and meet Nixon. His last film was the remake of THE IN-LAWS with Michael Douglas which was a mild effort, though I must say I was pleasantly surprised with his update of NANCY DREW; however, I probably would have ended up seeing it on DVD if another director had been hired.

Fleming has always given a light, kooky, almost surreal quality to all his films and here he co-wrote the screenplay with sometime actress Tiffany Paulson, who also wrote the story. Working closely with Jennifer Fisher as an consultant, they manage to bring the spirit, suspense, and fun from the books which we have read for decades to the screen, even if it had been modified somewhat. Sure, they do draw the character of Nancy Drew to life as if she was living in some kind of time warp, though they also bring in a certain amount of nice satire as well, while keeping her mannerisms in check. In addition, the other characters such as Carson and Ned are quite faithful to their literary counterparts as well, even if they have been toned-down in terms of screen time. The humor is tongue-in-cheek without coming across as spoofy or campy, and they do throw in a lot of clever ideas (the part where Nancy looks up Dreycott on www.imdb.com was a nice touch); granted, all of the ideas don't work and there seems to be too many characters, but overall they do a fine job.

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JUL IA'S NIECE SCORES AS NANCY
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There is going to be a lot of attention placed on newcomer Emma Roberts, who fills in Nancy's loafers with a knowing wink; she doesn't have the boundless energy of Bonita Granville (or even the perkiness of Pamela Sue Anderson from the TV series), though she gives the classic character an unabashed sweetness and respect. I'm sure Roberts was aware from the beginning what a responsibility she had on her shoulders, though she carries herself well and never allows Nancy to stoop to a level of juvenile blankness; plus, it doesn't hurt that she is the niece of Julia Roberts (and daughter to has been actor Eric). She doesn't really steal any scenes, though she doesn't have to either, because she still is holds our attention with her pleasant attitude and sleuthing skills, despite the fact it does take a little time to warm up to her performance. Roberts has already gotten overall positive praise, with one critic summing it up best by saying: "Emma Roberts' Nancy has the sort of innocent smile Paris Hilton likely lacked at birth."

Roberts is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, with the unlikely casting of Tate Donovan---who you may remember from LOVE POTION NO. 9 and TV's "The O.C.,"---as Carson Drew being a real surprise. Max Thieriot (THE PACIFIER) is also well cast as Ned, having an uncanny resemblance to Frankie Thomas, who played Ted Nickerson in the B-movies of the late '30s; even if his bumbling quality from the books is gone, he does manage to look right for the part, not looking overly handsome or nerdy. Many of you probably remember Rachel Leigh Cook as being the "ugly girl" in SHE'S ALL THAT, and here she is very believable as the long-lost daughter; Barry "Hi! My name is Brad Majors!" Bostwick is a trip as a businessman with a shady side, and Adam Goldberg (DAZED AND CONFUSED) is hilarious as an arrogant director who gets upset when Nancy interrupts the shooting of the film with a huge Hollywood star---and no, I will not reveal who the star is, though he is very famous!!!

Unfortunately, as I said before, I don't think that all of the characters were necessary, particularly Corky who is supposed provide comic relief…instead, he comes off as thoroughly annoying I thought. I kind of missed Bess and George back in River Heights, and why they had to replace them with this short little twerp I don't know, but he is very much a liability. While Daniella Monet as Inga is ok, she was given (while intentional) trite and tired dialogue which causes more groans than laughs; for example, when they walk into a Chinese gift shop, she utters, "Oh my God, what are we doing in here? Everything is so non-linear!" And Caroline Aaron as a real estate lady is a complete waste, despite the fact she has been a delightful character actor in the past. Still, Emma Roberts is the standout in the cast which makes the film worth watching, and thus makes you soon forget about the other needless characters.

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FRA NCHISE ALERT!
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One of the many technical things about NANCY DREW I loved were the awesome costumes provided for Ms. Roberts by Jeffrey Kurland, who had also gave her aunt those revealing, colorful outfits in ERIN BROCKOVICH and MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING. I'll be honest with you all, I don't give a rat's ass about modern-day fashion, and that's why I found Nancy's costumes hip and refreshing, having a great deal of nostalgia to them, though they also contrasted well with her ladylike sensibilities. The scene where Inga tells Nancy that she wants to take her to Beverly Hills shop to get some new clothes, I said to myself, "Oh, hell no!"; however, when they do arrive there and Inga says she wants to help out a friend in dire need of a wardrobe change, the saleslady thinks she is talking about herself and loves Nancy's wardrobe (I wouldn't be surprised if that is Kurland's favorite scene)! The costumes that Roberts wears are all eye catching, particularly her birthday party dress…now that is a wow! Sure, Kurland will probably get ignored by the Oscars, and that is a shame because his contribution here shouldn't go unnoticed.

I also want to give kudos to Tony Fanning for his spectacular job on the Dreycott mansion, which is creepy, multi-dimensional and also has a certain 1930s flavor to it; he has worked as an art director for several years, and this is the first time he has done production design. Fanning is also aided immeasurably by Kathy Lucas' set decoration and Todd Cherniawsky's art department; the scene late in the film in a run down theater where Nancy is on a catwalk is just an amazing sight. On top of everything else, you gotta love that vintage roadster that Nancy drives.

The soundtrack by Ralph Sall I liked very much, considering the fact I was afraid that it would be wall-to-wall girly pop songs, though he and Andrew Fleming (who executive produced the album) manage to throw in some terrific tunes, including a new one by one of my favorite singers: Liz Phair, who is seriously underrated. Her song is the second on the album, and it is "Perfect Misfit," which acts as somewhat of a theme for Nancy's character…and it has an appropriate title to be sure! There is also a new version of "Kids in America" by The Donnas, which is played over the end credits, as well as some other snazzy riffs by Price ("Hey Nancy Drew"), Katie Melua ("Looking for Clues") and Persephone's Bees ("Like A Star"). The soundtrack is available to order from Bulletproof records for 13 GBP from www.amazon.co.uk, or even less at your local music store; the ASIN is B000QXDDX2. If you are a Liz Phair fan like me, then it is surely a must buy; you can listen to the songs at www.nancydrewsoundtrack.com.

Most people say that sequels are dependent on how well the original film does at the box office, though many of you may be surprised to hear that a sequel is already being developed for release in 2009, with Andrew Fleming returning as writer-director and Roberts coming back as Ms. Drew. Personally, I don't care how good or bad the financial return is, I'm just glad the legendary girl detective who has acted as a heroine for young readers everywhere has gotten the big-screen treatment she so richly deserves. And with Emma Roberts being more than an acceptable and appealing Nancy Drew, the classic literary character will no doubt get more fans than the late Mildred Wirt Benson ever imagined. My hat is off to Fleming and Tiffany Paulson for respecting the character and creating a highly enjoyable and fun (if still flawed) adaptation of the books. NANCY DREW will be released in the UK on October 19, so start catching up on the books and then run to the theater in your penny loafers!!!

NOTE: You can view the trailer of the film at the offical website http://nancydrewmovie.warnerbros.com, along with listening to the songs on the soundtrack. Also check out www.nancydrewsleuth.com, the fan website created by Jennifer Fisher, which has everything you would ever want to know about the history and phenomenon of all things Drew. Time to celebrate her return to the screen in almost 70 years!!!!! 

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