There is not much that makes "Get Over It" stand out amongst other teen movies released around the same time period. The main plot point, about a boy being dumped by his girlfriend, who then begins dating a minor celebrity who happens to be a douche bag, had interestingly enough been a subplot in another high school comedy released two years earlier: "She's All That" (1999).
Even more interestingly, this movie's screenwriter, R. Lee Fleming, Jr., actually wrote the screenplay to "She's All That". Although he doesn't have to worry about being sued for copyright infringement, it really shows laziness on his part that "Get Over It" doesn't do more to add originality to a hackneyed story involving young, unrequited love.
In all fairness, though, Fleming actually wrote the screenplay to "Get Over It" before "She's All That" according to interviews. Still, there are other elements of this movie that feel mercilessly ripped from other teen comedies.
Most notably, the love story within this movie loosely follows the non-supernatural plot line to William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", which, not coincidentally, happens to be the play in which the movie's characters participate. A little too reminiscent of "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999), wouldn't you say? Recycled teen movie trends aside, a movie called "Get Over It" should effectively make the audience feel for the protagonist who has just been dumped. The said protagonist is Berke Landers (Ben Foster), whose longtime girlfriend Alison (Melissa Sagemiller) breaks off their 16 month relationship.
It's not because she's a bad person, or because she's fallen for someone else. She clearly explains that she just doesn't feel the same way about Berke anymore.
Of course, breaking up is hard to do, and it hurts no matter what age you are. However, it's difficult to feel bad for Berke for these reasons.
First, all you see of Berke and Alison's previous relationship is a montage of them making out. Sure, Melissa Sagemiller is pretty, but the film needed more vivid scenes reflecting the anecdotal happiness of their relationship.
Second, other than Ben Foster's sulking expression, you get no indication from his acting how much this breakup really hurts him, or why and how he misses Alison. As good an actor as Foster is in movies like "Liberty Heights" (1999) and "3:10 To Yuma" (2007), he's not convincing enough here to play heartbroken. His expression is morose, but that's about it.
Third, while Sagemiller seems to be (and play) a nice person, you don't get what it is about her that sets her apart from other girls, especially the many hot ones that exist in this movie (including then-unknown Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis, who have supporting roles). Berke doesn't seem to explain that fact at any point in the movie, either, and it hurts his case.
Finally, in the film's opening credits, you see Berke, departing Alison's house after she lay down the bad news, being followed by Vitamin C and an accompanying band as they lip synch Captain & Tennille's classic "Love Will Keep Us Together". Vitamin C mouths the song very well, but would feel less out-of-place in that scene if she were actually mocking Berke on his walk of shame.
So Berke tries out for the spring play, a musical version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", specifically to spite Alison and Bentley (Shane West). Bentley is her jerk of a rebound boyfriend who is a former boy band member with a very phony British accent. When Kelly Woods (Kirsten Dunst), a cheerful, magnetic girl who happens to be the sister of Berke's best friend Felix (Colin Hanks), offers to help Berke with his lines, you pretty much know how the story is going to go.
Kirsten Dunst gets top billing in this movie despite having fewer lines and scenes than Ben Foster, but she totally deserves it. She's a welcome presence on screen, and the only downside to her character is that you fall in love with her instantly, thereby making you wonder why Berke doesn't do the same sooner.
Interestingly enough, Sisqo gets third billing after Dunst and Foster. Despite an energetic ending sequence where he and Vitamin C sing a rendition of Earth, Wind, & Fire's "September", Sisqo has a thankless role as the Token Black Guy. On the other hand, it's better to remember Sisqo from this movie than for his only hit, the atrocious "The Thong Song".
While Foster is on emotional autopilot along with the love story, Dunst actively makes the best of her role. One of her best scenes is when she sings "Dream Of Me", a touching song her character wrote and included in the play against the wishes of Dr. Desmond Forrest Oates (Martin Short), the production's narcissistic director. Dunst is one of the few actresses and singers to make that song more heartbreaking and less cheesy, and she sells it.
"Get Over It" has its good moments, and the climactic final showing of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" lives up to more than the entire film ultimately does. It just could have been so much more if it had tried to differentiate itself plot-wise with "She's All That" and other teen films. As it is, it's worth at least bag of chips, but not much more that that.
Even more interestingly, this movie's screenwriter, R. Lee Fleming, Jr., actually wrote the screenplay to "She's All That". Although he doesn't have to worry about being sued for copyright infringement, it really shows laziness on his part that "Get Over It" doesn't do more to add originality to a hackneyed story involving young, unrequited love.
In all fairness, though, Fleming actually wrote the screenplay to "Get Over It" before "She's All That" according to interviews. Still, there are other elements of this movie that feel mercilessly ripped from other teen comedies.
Most notably, the love story within this movie loosely follows the non-supernatural plot line to William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", which, not coincidentally, happens to be the play in which the movie's characters participate. A little too reminiscent of "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999), wouldn't you say? Recycled teen movie trends aside, a movie called "Get Over It" should effectively make the audience feel for the protagonist who has just been dumped. The said protagonist is Berke Landers (Ben Foster), whose longtime girlfriend Alison (Melissa Sagemiller) breaks off their 16 month relationship.
It's not because she's a bad person, or because she's fallen for someone else. She clearly explains that she just doesn't feel the same way about Berke anymore.
Of course, breaking up is hard to do, and it hurts no matter what age you are. However, it's difficult to feel bad for Berke for these reasons.
First, all you see of Berke and Alison's previous relationship is a montage of them making out. Sure, Melissa Sagemiller is pretty, but the film needed more vivid scenes reflecting the anecdotal happiness of their relationship.
Second, other than Ben Foster's sulking expression, you get no indication from his acting how much this breakup really hurts him, or why and how he misses Alison. As good an actor as Foster is in movies like "Liberty Heights" (1999) and "3:10 To Yuma" (2007), he's not convincing enough here to play heartbroken. His expression is morose, but that's about it.
Third, while Sagemiller seems to be (and play) a nice person, you don't get what it is about her that sets her apart from other girls, especially the many hot ones that exist in this movie (including then-unknown Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis, who have supporting roles). Berke doesn't seem to explain that fact at any point in the movie, either, and it hurts his case.
Finally, in the film's opening credits, you see Berke, departing Alison's house after she lay down the bad news, being followed by Vitamin C and an accompanying band as they lip synch Captain & Tennille's classic "Love Will Keep Us Together". Vitamin C mouths the song very well, but would feel less out-of-place in that scene if she were actually mocking Berke on his walk of shame.
So Berke tries out for the spring play, a musical version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", specifically to spite Alison and Bentley (Shane West). Bentley is her jerk of a rebound boyfriend who is a former boy band member with a very phony British accent. When Kelly Woods (Kirsten Dunst), a cheerful, magnetic girl who happens to be the sister of Berke's best friend Felix (Colin Hanks), offers to help Berke with his lines, you pretty much know how the story is going to go.
Kirsten Dunst gets top billing in this movie despite having fewer lines and scenes than Ben Foster, but she totally deserves it. She's a welcome presence on screen, and the only downside to her character is that you fall in love with her instantly, thereby making you wonder why Berke doesn't do the same sooner.
Interestingly enough, Sisqo gets third billing after Dunst and Foster. Despite an energetic ending sequence where he and Vitamin C sing a rendition of Earth, Wind, & Fire's "September", Sisqo has a thankless role as the Token Black Guy. On the other hand, it's better to remember Sisqo from this movie than for his only hit, the atrocious "The Thong Song".
While Foster is on emotional autopilot along with the love story, Dunst actively makes the best of her role. One of her best scenes is when she sings "Dream Of Me", a touching song her character wrote and included in the play against the wishes of Dr. Desmond Forrest Oates (Martin Short), the production's narcissistic director. Dunst is one of the few actresses and singers to make that song more heartbreaking and less cheesy, and she sells it.
"Get Over It" has its good moments, and the climactic final showing of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" lives up to more than the entire film ultimately does. It just could have been so much more if it had tried to differentiate itself plot-wise with "She's All That" and other teen films. As it is, it's worth at least bag of chips, but not much more that that.