KATE NETFLIX KISS PLUS
The film’s script - credited to co-star Brandon Scott Jones, plus Andrew Knauer and Arthur Pielli - does attempt to interrogate those bad old habits (a scene in which Holland’s adult Martha explains to Stephanie that she can’t say “gay” as a pejorative is handled nicely, and actually has dramatic payoff), while also taking aim at our increasingly “woke” modern world. Meanwhile, other early-aught memories fly fast and furious, from Stephanie’s choice of music (heavy on the early Britney Spears, which eventually births a banger of a remake of the pop queen’s “Crazy” music video) to her hair accessories (plenty of butterfly clips) - and, uh, the casual way teens toss words like “skank” and “slut” as terms of endearment for their best pals.
This all seems like such a direct lift from the hit comedy that earned Barrymore the 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Actress that this film does itself a disservice by never directly referencing it. There’s some problems - her dead mom, friends from her dork days who still love her, a jealous rival determined to usurp her - but nothing beats the big trauma: cheer captain Stephanie get dropped right on her melon during a tricky routine. But, oh, Stephanie dreams of being popular too, eventually making it happen through sheer force of will (plus tons of tips from teen magazines of the day, a cute touch) and by 2002, she’s the the queen bee of her senior year. Teenage Stephanie (Angourie Rice, who does delightful work imitating Rebel Wilson) isn’t popular as a freshman, encountering a major freeze-out from “The Populars” who have no use for an eager-to-please Australian dweeb.
Such is also the case in “Senior Year,” which lightly resets the charm of “Never Been Kissed” thanks to a wacky coma subplot, but finds little new in the process. It stands to reason that Stephanie Conway, the Aussie outcast at the center of Alex Hardcastle’s “ Senior Year” would have seen “Never Been Kissed.” Released in 1999 - almost exactly when Hardcastle’s film starts - Drew Barrymore’s high school rom-com followed a well-meaning, dorky kid as she embarks on a do-over after a humiliating teen experience.
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