“Sorry I’m late. It took me forever to get here.”
“I know what you mean.”
In “Never Been Kissed,” newspaper copy editor Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) gets assigned to go undercover at a high school, looking for stories about what the heck teens are all about these days. Flashbacks to the unpopular “Josie Grossy” days of her own high school years nearly sink her, but a well-timed coolness assist from her brother and a budding relationship with a hot (and technically age-appropriate) teacher lead Josie to find a front-page story: her own.
I have a soft spot for this film because:
- I’ve been a copy editor at a major city newspaper, and I promise you this premise is beyond ridiculous. But it’s also wish fulfillment for every word nerd who dreams of a front page byline.
- It came out in 1999, perhaps the most perfect era of cheesy romantic comedies.
- The final scene on the baseball field: Ugly crying just thinking about it.
These “Never Been Kissed” trivia questions are totally crunching on you:
- Guy, the A-list hottie of the school, takes Josie to the prom, where the theme is Famous Couples Throughout History. What Shakespearean duo do Guy and Josie dress as?
- At what mail service place does Josie’s brother, Rob, work?
- Jessica Alba, Marley Shelton and Jordan Ladd play the clique of popular girls who Josie desperately tries to become friends with. Name that trio.
- Aldys and her friends invite Josie to join what math-related group?
- What Beach Boys song is playing over the final scene when Mr. Coulson shows up to meet Josie on the pitcher’s mound of the baseball field?
Answers up after the Ferris wheel scene with Sam that proves he should teach chemistry instead of English.
Answers
- Rosalind and Orlando from “As You Like It”
- The Tiki Post
- Kirsten, Gibby and Kristin
- The Denominators
- “Don’t Worry Baby”
“Never Been Kissed” is available for streaming on Amazon.