Emma Roberts was cast as the leading lady, none other than Nancy Drew. Nancy Drew, for those who don’t know, is a very well known amateur sleuth in the town of River Heights. Nancy starts off capturing a couple of robbers, convincing them to turn themselves in. She climbs up to the top of the building and pulls out a rope that clamps onto the building and propels herself down unscathed, leaving the bad guys for the police. There is a gathering of people there to congratulate her, including Sherriff McGinnis who is very pleased with Nancy.Nancy Drew’s father is having them visit Hollywood for a while for a business trip. Since Nancy ends up leaving the city for a while with her father, her crush, Ned, is afraid she will meet a guy from Smallville. As they drive off in the car, Nancy says that the guy from Smallville isn’t her type. She does briefly meet another actor though - a veteran actor, Bruce Willis, during a cameo movie-filming segment. This feature is a nice little addition for the older crowd, since the youngsters may not be familiar with the Die Hard actor.
Then Nancy promises her dad that when they go to California that she will not sleuth any more. But that doesn’t last long as she inevitably starts to unravel a new mystery. They are staying at the house where the famous actress Dehlia Draycott was apparently murdered… Nancy must solve clues while also keeping up with schoolwork and trying to fit in at school, when she was destined to stand out. Nancy specifically picked this house to stay in because of the mystery surrounding it, without her father knowing. She does get a surprise visit from Ned while in California. Ned stays for about a week and helps her and Corky with the Dehlia Draycott mystery. Emma Roberts (Aquamarine) was specifically cast as the leading lady and is generally convincing in her role. Rachael Leigh Cook (She’s All That) plays the part of the suspected daughter of Dehlia Draycott. Josh Flitter (Air Buddies, License to Wed) does a nice job being a friend to Nancy, as Corky. They meet at the high school she is attending while in California, and Corky really seems to like her.
The humor that is included will be more for the children. The film does include a few subtle positive messages within as well, such as being cautious while driving, which parents may like. In some ways people can relate to Nancy in the parts when she is doing high school related things, and she doesn’t fit it in at all. The soundtrack includes songs by Liz Phair, J-Kwon, The Donnas, and others.Nancy Drew should be especially entertaining for fans of the books and is also a family-friendly film, but there is little to attract non-fans and the older generation. Time will tell if the film was successful enough to spawn a sequel.
By: Jason Leyanna (2008.04.10)
