Movie Review: Nancy Drew The Mystery in Hollywood Hills

I really like this one. So far, it’s one of the best movies this summer and yes, I know there are blockbusters in the theatres. But this confection, starring Julia’s niece Emma Roberts, is spirited, entertaining, makes sense and celebrates individuality.

Its typical Nancy Drew, set in a creepy, crumbling Hollywood mansion, the home of the murdered actress Dehlia Draycott (Laura Harring). It’s a place in which the iconic girl detective can live out all her sleuthing dreams – hidden chambers, underground tunnels, ghosts, hidden wills, it’s all there.The title sequence features illustrations straight out of the Carolyn Keene (actually Harriet Adams) books, circa 1960, which are different from the earlier drawings dating back to the series’ creation in the ‘30’s. Girls will respond as I did, with warm, bittersweet nostalgia.Emma Roberts is terrific. She’s exceptionally self-assured and comports herself in a way that’s intelligent but age appropriate. Nancy can solve mysteries, perform CPR, defuse a bomb, sew her own clothes and, run a household for her single father Carson Drew (Tate Donovan). But she’s never prissy or off-putting. It’s interesting that such a throwback to old-fashioned values would be revived in 2007, but there you go – an essay in itself.
Nancy’s beset by a couple of Hollywood wannabe classmates who are completely irked to see a girl their age so accomplished but weird. They launch a campaign of humiliation against her but she manages to handle it with aplomb – she is never rude or vengeful. One of the great things about Nancy is her refusal to change her ways to meet the standard, the norm, the trend of the day. She dresses in sweater sets, princess shirts and blazers, adorable and stylish old-fashioned dresses and penny loafers, while her classmates pile on every conceivable trend. Nancy is enlightened, who knows who she is at the age when most girls are obsessing over makeup or boys or begging daddy for a sports car. She knows what’s what and if she doesn’t, she investigates! Boys are naturally attracted to her, as the film has it, because of these qualities. Especially River Heights’ own Ned Nickerson (Max Theoriot).This cinematic Nancy Drew is a boon to teenage girls who wonder what a good role model looks like. She’s a construct but she’s a construct based on solid ground, a throwback and an inspiration.Nancy has a particularly intriguing mystery to solve. It began 25 years earlier when Draycott disappeared for five months at the height of her career. A short while after her return she shows up dead in her swimming pool. And her will’s missing.The plot’s top notch, although an overlong chase scene towards the end weighs it down, like a soufflé with a sleuth kit thrown onto it. Aside from that complaint, Nancy Drew is a jaunty little number that has the earmarks and potential of a franchise. Nancy Drew
35mm adventure
Written and directed by Andrew Fleming
Runtime: 99 minutesOpens June 15th. MPAA: Rated PG for mild violence, thematic elements and brief language

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Og OggilbyJun 15th, 2007 - 11:19:33

Well well it looks like they have another dog to along with the Fantastic 4 bomb. This brainless brat has as much talent as a pea which is roughly the size of her brain as well. It's apparent that the studio has some high hopes in this misguided turkey and I can't imagine why. Because she's related to the much over rated Julia, perhaps?
Read the things this twit says she makes Paris, Brittany and company look positively brilliant. Her voice alone is worse than the old fingernail down the chalk board. The girls today are not going to buy this sad sack of saccharine and she has zero sex appeal which I'm sure the suits made sure of considering all the trouble Lohan and company have caused. Now we have to endure a studio's force feeding us this bag of hair. Really Hollywood no one is buying this turkey get her a job in a salon and be done with it but please don't let her SPEAK another word or dub her voice with anyone else.

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TGJun 18th, 2007 - 23:22:06

Ditto--big time!

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Movie Review: Nancy Drew The Mystery in Hollywood Hills

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