The girls next door
The House Bunny is as transparent as a pair of clear heels
By Kathleen Keish
Published: August 26th, 2008 | 12:40pm
The House Bunny is what I imagine The Girls Next Door would be like if the show was intentionally trying to be funny, rather than occasionally vapid and creepily voyeuristic.
Alas, that fact alone is not enough to save what inevitably is a sweet movie
void of any real comedic value. Anna Faris plays Shelley Darlington, a former
ugly ducking who has blossomed into a beautiful bunny, a Playboy Bunny to be
exact, who resides at the
Cue predictable slapstick humor and predictable subplot about reveling in one's inner beauty.
Of course, the girls of Zeta house are the epitome of the term 'misfit': nerdy, pierced, disabled, and in one case, pregnant. Because of this, they are the campus outcasts and risk losing their house to a rival sorority if they fail to find pledges. In order to do that, they decide that they must become attractive to boys so that other girls will want to join. They do so with Shelley's help, as she schools them in her Bunny ways, teaching them to apply make-up, wear short skirts and high heels, and flirt with the opposite sex.
Unsurprisingly, I’m sure you can guess what happens next. In the end, both Shelley and the girls learn that true beauty is on the inside and that only when you are yourself can you find true happiness, though you’ll notice that not a single misfit reverts back to her old ways. They realize they can be themselves—with the help of clear heels and an array of cosmetics. Shelley in particular realizes this when she meets a certain guy (played by the adorable Colin Hanks who is the spitting image of his rom-com famous father) who looks for something more than a cookie cutter centerfold.
Despite the weak plot, all of the girls are wonderfully endearing in their respective roles. Among the Zetas are Emma Stone of Superbad fame, up-and-coming indie star Kat Dennings, former American Idol runner-up Katherine McPhee (who unnecessarily sings two songs in the film), and celebuspawn Rumer Willis. They are all adorable as nerdy outcasts; Stone and Dennings in particular, who both add a bit of edge to the cookie cutter plot. And for all the crap Perez Hilton gives her for vaguely resembling Mr. Potato Head, Rumer Willis is not half bad. She may not be the next Demi, but she succeeds in this disappointing movie.
To her credit, Anna Faris is genuinely making the blond airhead shtick work.
From her portrayal as Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie franchise to her
surprising appearances in art-house flicks such as Lost in Translation
and
The House Bunny is certainly more entertaining than an issue of Playboy or its accompanying TV show. It even includes a cameo by the man himself, Hugh Hefner, who actually proves to be quite the on-screen sweetie. However, even the lothario octogenarian can’t save this comedy from its poorly written script. Hopefully Faris and the other girls will find better vehicles with which to display their comedy skills. Until then, you’ll have to settle for something merely so-so.
Issue #38
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