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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting Movie, March 13, 2001
I am not in the target audience and did not expect to see this movie, just picked it up for my daughter. However, I found this film to be very good, especially the performance of Freddie Prinze (Ryan) and Clarie Forlani (Jennifer). The way they play the changes in feelings between them is well acted and interesting. The dance scene is outstanding and really puts you into the film. I purchased the film after renting it I enjoyed so much--not something I normally do. Clarie provides an outgoing personality that plays very well with Freddie's quiet character who's feelings warm to a roast as the movie reaches its love scene. The final scene is the movie's peak and as well done as any I have enjoyed. The first level of the movie is standard boy meets girl. But below the surface are two individuals that have many conflicting emotions. This was well played by Freddie when at a party he asks if his "sis" wants to leave. Claire, the sis, is involved with a guy and wants to stay. This scene shows how Freddie both wants her to follow, he rescued her from another guy earlier and subconsciencely hopes to do it again to be with him, and having to wait for her to really take notice of him and not knowing how to show her, since they are "just friends." He also turns down another girl at the same party before he trys his "rescue." The other two main characters, Amy and Steve, contrast well against Ryan and Jennifer showing youth confusion on self identity in a way that lets you enjoy Ryan and Jennifer but not tire of their predictable growing relationship. (We know at the start what should happen by the end of the movie.) Amy and Steve also show in a "louder" way what it is like to find identity, something Ryan and Jennifer must do if they are to get together. I enjoyed this movie for the acting, character chemistry, interesting use of a character bringing the audience into her experience (Jennifer's music man break-up) and the many emotions considered through out the film, and finally the fun the characters showed in trying to deal with their lifes together.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
When Harry Met Sally for teens, November 8, 2004
Misery loves company. I became addicted to this quirky, somewhat surreal romantic comedy when a long term relationship of mine ended. To watch Freddie Prinze Jr. and Claire Forlani as long-time friends navigate through the minefield of failed relationships and teen angst only to eventually consider getting together themselves seemed like the perfect anecdotal medecine to relieve what I was going through at that time. Yes, it's ultimately a funny and touching drama that taps into that need for comfortable feel good stories to put the sparkle back into life. Really, it bears more than a striking resemblance to WHEN HARRY MET SALLY in both structure and themes. (Is it a surprise they are both favorites of mine).
Ultimately my favorite part of the movie is the first half. The movie starts with a young Ryan and Jennifer meeting for the first time on a plane from New York to Los Angeles. Their encounter remains so memorable that five years later Ryan recognizes Jennifer during a football game. As luck would have it the two also eventually end up both in college at Berkeley and bump into each other in a series of When-Harry-Met-Sally-esque encounters over a number of years.
Prinze definitely plays against type here, he doesn't play a hotshot high school football star but instead Ryan is a difficult, unsure teen attempting to make his way through an engineering degree and Forlani is the confident, assured college girl who has no trouble getting dates, but is unable to maintain any long-term commitment.
Providing possibly his funniest performance is Jason Biggs (of American Pie fame) who plays Ryans college roommate Hunter (well that's not his real name but he feels it sounds better when picking up girls). From his introduction - getting stuck in a storage case to his eventual success in the girl department - his all too rare screen moments provide some great humor and lend a certain charm to the movie giving it an edge over the adult movie that so clearly inspired it.
I've seen this movie numerous times, its one of my guilty pleasures that speaks to me on so many levels.
Incidently if you have seen this movie on television the chances are that you have not seen it all. I have seen "Boys and Girls" shredded to bits on network tv.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should friends become lovers?, February 17, 2004
Should you be yourself, or smooth out the rough edges? What about opposites? After many bad endings, how do you know if love is going to be worth the trouble? Jennifer & Ryan are pre-teens when they meet. Jennifer is being very forward, discussing the implications of her period. Ryan is a geek, trying to plan everything, who doesn't think Jennifer is his type, and pushes her away. As the plane takes off, he is afraid of flying. I actually missed this symbolism, but something at the end of the movie reminds you of it. For the next 5 or so years, and dozens of chance meetings, this scenario repeats until the viewer can hardly stand it. Ryan will not pick up on Jenny's advances. For contrast, his roomate works entirely too hard at meeting girls. Does Ryan play it too straight and careful? Is Jenny too slutty? Is her roomate gay? There are lots of interesting angles and subplots, exaggerated so you don't have to be a genius to pick them up, which I find helpful. :) For the next 3 years Ryan & Jenny are best friends. Then something complicated happens, involving all four characters (including Jenny's roomate). No, not group sex, it's not that kind of movie, but some strange things, and I will try not to give awayany more . What do you get when you cross Eric Rohmer (director of French "talkie" films about the early stages of relationships, in fact he made one called "Boyfriends and Girlfriends") with Jane Austen (early 19th century author of carefully plotted romances, e.g. the award winning "Sense & Sensibility")? You get something like "Boys & Girls." Unfortunately, it is the only movie in this vein that Robert Isgrove directed. Ultra-feminists will not like the ending. Everyone else will. A few people will not like the way the flashbacks are done, but it is not overdone. Audio track is selectable for English or French (suggesting Isgrove was possibly aware he was making an intellectual French-style movie, albeit the ending is very American rom-com). Subtitles can be had in Spanisn or English (for the hearing impaired). Lots of previews of other similar movies on the DVD, but no info about cast, director or "making of." Decent pop soundtrack. As long as your expectation is reasonable (it's not quite as silly and cute as a teen comedy - they meet only once in high school years, most of the action is in college, and they do sometimes pass up parties to hit the books), you should enjoy the movie.
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