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Get Over It is a half-decent flick that manages to be about 12 times more entertaining than many of its ilk. Sure, calling any flick "better than Van Wilder" is damning it with faint praise... but did I mention that this one's got Kirsten Dunst in it?



Get Over It is one of the new-generation entries in the overcrowded and generally pitiful sub-genre known as the "teen flick". But unlike many of its modern day brethren (such as Out Cold, Summer Catch, and Ten Things I Hate About You, Get Over It contains a quick wit and slick visual style generally absent in these cookie-cutter teenie romps. The movie opens with an altogether delightful (and somewhat bizarre) musical sequence set to Captain & Tenille, and if the playfulness seems to wane as the film goes on, that’s just because director Tommy O’Haver (Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss) used his best bit during the opening credits. (To be totally fair, this musical number may well be worth the price of a rental fee all by itself!)

The plot is certainly nothing revolutionary: Boy A is dumped by Girl B, so his plan is to win her back by participating in the school Shakespeare festival. Girl B starts making doe eyes with wanna-be rockstar Boy C. This makes Boy A particularly intent on delivering an impressive audition, so he asks for help from Girl D. (That Girl D is played by Kirsten Dunst is one big reason why Get Over It isn’t entirely forgettable.) Girl D’s brother (Boy E) is Boy A’s best pal, so things work out fairly well on that end. The fulcrum of the drama is meant to be that Girl D (Dunst) is so much the better overall package than is bitchy Girl B, but, alas, Boy A is so blinded by jealousy and heartbreak that he fails to acknowledge that never-ending buoyancy of the glorious rack sitting right before his eyes...

Ahem. Sorry. My mild obsession with the lovely Ms. Dunst is well documented and I’ve thus far obeyed the judge’s restraining order as much as possible. As cute as Kirsten is, the truth is that she’s also a bona-fide movie star. Sure, she’s not a bad little actress (who I predict will become a "legit" leading lady one fine day), but this gal’s a Movie Star. Even in a supporting role, she steals scenes whole from everyone around her. Dunst is one of the few young actresses working today who elevates a potentially mediocre film solely by appearing onscreen.

OK, enough of my creepy praise for the new Mrs. Spider-Man. Get Over It is one of the better teen comedies of the past few years. Sure, that's not reall saying much, but it’s not my fault that most of these movies are entirely indistinguishable from one another. Ben Foster (Liberty Heights) is half-bland, half-likable as Boy A, and Melissa Sagemiller (last seen in the mind numbing Sorority Boys...speaking of teen movie garbage…) is enjoyably detestable as the nasty Girl B. Colin Hanks (son of Tom, recently seen in Orange County) is the recipient of many of the movie’s best punchlines, and he does the most with them. Teens may rent this one for the whole package, but parents will best appreciate the performances of veterans Swoosie Kurtz, Ed Begley Jr., and especially Martin Short, playing a hilariously uptight school administrator. Last but in no possible way least, we’re offered an early appearance from Mila Kunis, the painfully adorable gal from TV’s 'That 70’s Show!' What more need a film deliver??


Most of these teen flicks are feature-length sitcoms: setup-punchline, setup-punchline, fart joke, bra shot, credits. Get Over It deserves a little credit for inserting enough cock-eyed camera twists and goofy, comical ideas to elevate it a little above the pack. It’s a bright little confection that starts out great and ends with a decidedly clever take on Shakespeare, and the sinfully sexy Carmen Electra even pops in to say hi! The whole darn genre would get a welcome kick in the pants once Not Another Teen Movie hit the screens, but Get Over It stands a bit taller than its high-school peers. But then again, I also liked She’s All That, so take it for what it’s worth. Look, there are a few young women in tight outfits and stuff like that, but there’s this one scene...Kirsten in a bikini..If ever there were a time that I felt compelled to kneel down and thank whatever conspiracy of biology that made me a male, that was the moment. Great googly moogly. To say Kirsten is a stunning vision of female loveliness is like calling the Dead Sea a bit salty. ‘Nuff Said.

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