I am still unsure why I went to see this movie. I am clearly not a part of the target audience, nor did I have any particular reason to see Amanda Bynes on the big screen; I don't even think I've ever seen her in anything outside of the entertainment news programs of which I see bits and pieces. Well, whatever the case is, I did see it, and surprisingly, I was entertained. This is no cinematic classic, but it is successful at being a fun movie.
She's the Man is loosely based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Let me emphasize that it is a loose adaptation, in a way similar to how 10 Things I Hate About You was based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
Amanda Bynes is Viola, a high school soccer star whose team has just been cut at her prep school. Wanting to prove her worth, she asks to tryout for the boys team. When that falls through, her twin brother conveniently leaves town for a few weeks. This allows her to take her brother's place at a rival school.
So, does Amanda Bynes play a convincing boy? The short answer is no. I could go on to say that anyone who believes she is a boy is foolish. The idea that she could pull it off is absurd — what with having to take showers and dealing with typical male pranks, I doubt that the charade would last long. The good thing is that the breezy pace of the movie and the lightness of the material glosses over that in exchange for a fun tale of teen love and mistaken identity.
The film sets up an intricate series of love interests. Duke likes Olivia, who likes Sebastian/Viola, then there are Viola and Sebastian's respective exes who also come into play. There are some fun interactions as Viola tries to keep up the charade and play soccer, all while fending off Olivia and trying to find a way to tell Duke the truth. Then there is Viola's mother who dreams of her daughter being a débutante, never discovering the truth until the appropriate unveiling when all is, uh, revealed.
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Article comments
1 - kendall
hey amanda i love she`s the man it`s such a great movie!!!!!!!!!
2 - Steve
I had pretty much the same response to the movie as the articler did.
I went to the movie as a middle aged guy who had seen some talk shows recently with a lesbian (Norah Vincent) who had written a book after having dressed up as a man for a number of months for the sole purpose of being around men without women around to see what they talk about.
Obviously, this Hollywood movie was not going to go to quite the same places topically that her book apparently did (I haven't read it yet) but I thought it might be interesting anyway. It was marginally so. Could have been alot better but, it's a teen movie after all.
3 - chantal stone
My husband and I took our kids to see this movie (ages 8 and 10). I have to admit, hubby and I were excited to see it...the previews reminded us of the '80s film Just One of the Guys.
We thought it was a good movie, funny and entertaining, just like it was supposed to be. For a teen movie, it certainly delivered. I thought Amada Bynes was excellent. As a parent of Nickelodeon-generation children, I've seen quite a bit of Amanda's work, and she's a great entertainer--funny and likeable.
For about 2 seconds we thought it would be cool to let our kids see Just One of the Guys, but then we remembered all of the sexual innuendo. Compared to many of the teen movies of today, it kinda surprises me at how sexually charged teen movies were back in the '80s.
Maybe I'm just getting old.
4 - Steve
That's interesting, Chantal, I've never heard of "Just One Of The Guys", who was in that movie??
I was more of a fantasy/sci-fi buff as a kid, so I didn't see alot of those 'teen relationship' movies as a kid like "Breakfast Club" and "Pretty In Pink" etc...(though being a music buff, I do have four songs from their respective soundtracks lol).
5 - chantal stone
Steve, you need to step away from the keyboard and go directly to the nearest Blockbuster and rent The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's day off, Pretty in Pink, Just One of the Guys, and any other '80s teen flick you have missed!!
Joyce Hyser and William Zabka were in Just One of the Guys. I don't think it was a blockbuster or anything, but I LOVED it when it came out in '85. I can remember seeing it in the theater at least 3 times. But this was back when $5 would get you matinee admission, popcorn and a drink!
6 - Donna A.
I am looking forward in seeing this. Just for myself. I don't have any teenagers. (My daughter is 28 and married)
Donna A.
7 - chantal stone
Donna....you'll love it.
I'll be honest, I think the hubby and I liked it more than our kids did!
8 - Steve
Chantal, out of all the 80's teen movies you've seen, which one would you say was the best??
[[If I may have this aside....Chantal, I've been trying to comment on your "Life After Death..." article but unfortunately, my screen wont show any of the comments when I get the page, only the article, with no space for my comment. Have you ever had that happen to you before? Anything I can do about it?]]
9 - alannah
im only 16 and ive seen all those..( breakfast club, ferris buellers day off, pretty in pink, sixteen candles) i love them! youu really should see them... this movie is alot like "just one of the guys".. but i'd have to say i like this one better ..because the girl comes out on top :)