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The New Guy 2002 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Ed Decter
PG-13, 89 min. (sexuality, language, crude humor) |
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Starring: DJ Qualls, Lyle Lovett, Eddie Griffin, Eliza Dushku, Zooey Deschanel, Parry Shen, Laura Clifton, Kurt Fuller, Bryan Shy, Charles Allen Hutchison, Avery Waddell
Producers: Mark Ciardi, Todd Garner, Gordon Gray
Screenplay: David Kendall
Distributor: Columbia Tristar
Released: 5/10/02 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
About the only interesting aspect to The New Guy, an abysmal rehashing of an all-too-familiar teen storyline, is whether it's
as bad or worse than a couple of other teen comedies released this year (Slackers or Van Wilder). Like those disastrously orchestrated aberrations
of cinema, this effort is filled of gross-out gags, inept direction, and downright insulting dialogue. In fact, some viewers will
be offended by an underhanded jab at the socially isolated. Why films like this are made I'm not sure (similar films have
made little money), but studio execs need to realize that this sort of dreck is inexcusable. Unfortunately, that would require
some discipline on the part of the teenage audience to refrain from seeing it, something that's inherently missing from that age group anyway.
Dizzy (DJ Qualls) is an outcast at his high school - he's nerdy, uncoordinated and unattractive. The constant butt of jokes,
Dizzy decides that a trip to prison might impress his schoolmates. While incarcerated he learns how to be a "bad-ass" from
Luther (Eddie Griffin), an inmate whose "look" scares away others. Soon Dizzy has transferred to another high school with
his new image intact. His newfound popularity brings him the attention of a beautiful girl (Eliza Dushku), while alienating
his true friends in his band from his old school. Of course, he's eventually confronted with his past and must decide how
to proceed.
Although he's in a really bad film, Qualls does an adequate job portraying Dizzy as a person who doesn't know how to handle
his new image and the attention that it brings him. He's identifiable for many people - innocent and caring, but also angry
and desperate to be accepted. His impressive turn in Road Trip gave him considerable pull for this part, and he does the
best he can with inept material. The rest of the cast, including unnecessary cameos from Vanilla Ice, Jerry O'Connell, Gene Simons,
Tommy Lee, and Henry Rollins, are forgettable. Even the likable Dushku is terribly misused here. In a sidenote,
Lyle Lovett's turn as Dizzy's father is one of the worst performances I've ever seen on the big screen - it's jaw-droppingly awful.
At one point in this tiresome idiocy, a school principal (Geoffrey Lewis) is shown straining to pass a bowel movement on closed circuit TV for
all the school to see. I must say, is this really funny? Is this what screenwriters believe people want to see, much less
double over in laughter as a result? This is simply done in bad taste. The New Guy purports itself to be about accepting
who you are and standing up for others around you, but it's lost in a string of bad skits that use crude humor and
horrific dialogue to make its point. At this stage, it may be time to consider the fact that the art of making a truly effective
teen comedy is lost on countless mind-numbing exercises such as The New Guy.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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| Masterpiece - Movie perfection |
 | Excellent - One of the best films of the year |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth a look |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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