Boys and Girls (2000)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Robert Iscove

Writers (WGA):

Andrew Lowery (written by) &
Andrew Miller (written by)

Release Date:

16 June 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Opposites Attack

Plot:

A friendship is put to the ultimate test when two best friends wind up in bed together.

Plot Keywords:

Uc Berkeley | Best Friend | Friendship | Break Up | High School

Cast

Brendon Ryan Barrett	...	Young Ryan Walker
Gay Thomas-Wilson	...	N.Y. Flight Attendant
Raquel Beaudene	...	Young Jennifer Burrows
Claire Forlani	...	Jennifer Burrows
David Smigelski	...	Homecoming King
Blake Shields	...	Homecoming Knight
Freddie Prinze Jr.	...	Ryan Walker
Alyson Hannigan	...	Betty
Jason Biggs	...	Hunter / Steve
Amanda Detmer	...	Amy
Sean Maysonet	...	Michael
John X	...	D.J. at Club
Tsianina Joelson	...	Girl in Bar
Kristofer Mickelson	...	Big Guy
Matt Carmody	...	Kirt

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:A | France:U | Germany:6 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Berkeley, California, USA

Company:

Punch 21 Productions

Trivia:

Monica Potter was originally cast as Katie.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When driving from Berkeley to the airport they cross the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is in the opposite direction from all Bay Area airports.

Quotes:

[first lines]
N.Y. Flight Attendant: Can I help you?
Ryan: I don't know. Can you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Soundtrack:

Lately

One of the best romantic comedies out there

Okay, technically, it was kind of predictable in the case that boy meets girl, boy and girl encounter turbulence in relationship, and then boy and girl end up back together at the very end of the movie. However, let me ask you this: How else is a romantic comedy suppose to go? I challenge anyone who isolates this flick's unoriginality as the reason for their dislike to come up with a better overall plot for a romantic comedy. I think that the writers did an excellent job of adding onto the generic template and making this film enjoyable to watch. First of all there's the whole thing with "fated" meetings where the two main characters seem just unable to get away from each other which adds that sweet "soul mates" ideal (even though I personally don't buy into that stuff, there is an undeniable charm to the idea). Then there is the still-unoriginal-but-not-yet-hackneyed idea of attempting a mere friendship between the guy and the girl. Finally, there is the inevitable falling in love, the relationship problems, and then the falling back in love towards the end of the movie. As a matter of fact, the only problem I have with the script is the miniscule hypocrisy found in it: at some point in the movie, Jennifer states that a romance movie never shows the affect of time on long term relationships, and this movie was not an exception as it ends with them making up and going off to live "happily ever after".

Now we can look at the undeniable chemistry and superb acting of the two main characters, Ryan and Jennifer. The interactions of these two characters is the classic example of not getting along as kids but falling in love as adults. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Claire Forlani are two of the up and coming celebrities of teen movies and I personally feel that they did their part in this movie by acting well. Also, the principle humor of this movie did not lie in the common slapstick or sexual humor, although Jason Biggs does add in those factors hilariously. I think the main characters came off as more intellectual (as one majors in engineering and the other in Latin) so the writers aimed more towards clever jokes, anecdotes, and quip remarks which, to me, seemed just as hilarious as Jason Biggs's antics.

All in all, this isn't the BEST movie in the world, but it IS definitely a good movie if you want to watch a movie that will make you feel like Love is something real and not just some random idea that people have in their heads.