Movies News Talk
Inspired by several of the hit teen films from the 1980s and 1990s, Not Another Teen Movie is a comedy parodies She's All That, about a popular high school guy who bets with friends that he can turn any female in the school into a prom queen, is the main adolescent movie that inspires the story and key characters of Not Another adolescent Movie. Following a fairly similar plot, Not Another Teen Movie stars Chris Evans as a popular athlete attempting to make geeky and unpopular girl Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh) prom queen.
Apart from the central storyline, the movie features various Easter eggs and references to She's All That all around. For instance, Janey Briggs's persona is mostly based on Laney Boggs ( Rachel Leigh Cook), a geeky artist-turned-prom queen in She's All That. Based on soccer player jock Zack Siler, Jake Wyler features Priscilla's character based on Zack's ex-girlfriend, Taylor Vaughn. Another allusion to She's All That is the scene in which Janey descends the stairs to "Kiss Me," reminiscent of a well-known sequence in the film.
Not Another Teen Movie draws on the party movie Can't Hardly Wait. Based on Preston Myers from Can't Hardly Wait, Janey's younger brother Mitch Briggs (Cody McMains) epitribes "The Desperate Virgin" stereotype. Lacey Chabert's Amanda character also directly references Jennifer Love Hewitt's character of the same name from Can't Hardly Wait. Another scene parodies the moment Amanda shows up at the party and everyone freezes to stare.
Though Janey's character is mostly based on She's All That, her dynamic derives from Katarina Stratford (Julia Stiles) in 10 Things I Hate About You. She talks about how she's a rebel who reads Sylvia Platt, drawing from the rebel archetype and personality qualities Kat likes to push out to people, in an early scene when Janey's dad is driving her to school. Another allusion is the scene where Jake sings "Janie's Got A Gun," parodies the scene where Heath Ledger's character serenades Kat with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," at the stadium in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Not Another Teen Movie makes constant allusion to the 1999 football film Varsity Blues. Chris Evans's character from She's All That pulls from Varsity Blues, but much of his stereotype draws on James Van der Beek's role in Varsity Blues. Austin's character also finds influence in Paul Walker's performances in Varsity Blues and She's All That. But Ron Lester's character Reggie Ray parodies Lester's own Varsity Blues persona, Billy Bob.
Not Another Teen Movie's best friend, Ricky Lipman, who portrays "The Obsessed Best Friend," stereotype that Andie's best buddy Duckie Dale (Jon Cryer) popularized, references Pretty in Pink. Ricky even sports a cap and has the same loud vitality as Ducky. Additionally influencing the Austin persona is the well-known rich jerk Steff McKee (James Spader) from Pretty in Pink. Fascinatingly, Molly Ringwald, who portrayed Andie Walsh in Pretty in Pink, also makes a flight attendant appearance in Not Another Teen Movie.