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I Know It’s Cheesy, But…

Ana and I have been talking, and we wanted to start a new occasional special. In which we share some guilty pleasures. Embarrassing? Perhaps. But hey, they’re guilty pleasures. Nothing wrong with that.

And so I’ll kick it off with our first cheesefest post. “I know it’s cheesy, but…”

I love Amanda Bynes movies.

So, these aren’t exactly high class Cannes Film Festival winners, but I have an enormous soft spot for the teen actress (is she even a teen anymore? Probably not. I digress). My personal favorite? She’s the Man, costarring that hot guy from Step Up, Channing Tatum.

In the same line as 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s the Man is a teenybopper take on Shakespeare, but this time it’s Twelfth Night–which, coincidentally is my favorite of Willy’s comedies. In a nutshell, the story follows Viola, twin of Sebastian. Sebastian is a slacker in school and totally dedicated to his music–so instead of starting class at Illyria when he’s supposed to, he gets Vi to call him in sick while he trollops around London with his band. Viola is a star soccer player, and her school has just cut the girl’s soccer team–and, the boys team head coach is a dick, saying that the girls can’t try out for the guys team. Viola’s boyfriend (played by the guy in Step Up 2, if you can believe that!) is a complete toolbag, laughing at Viola and telling “Honey, you’re just not good enough.” Ahh, girl power movies–in limited doses and with a strong side serving of self-deprecating humor–are just what I want to see sometimes.

So. When Sebastian tells Vi to call him in sick for the first two weeks, Viola instead decides to masquerade as her twin bro, to try out for the Illyria boys team, and then kick ass in the big rival soccer showdown in 2 weeks, proving that she was SO good enough. At the same time, Viola forms a huge crush on her roommate Duke Orsino (Channing)–who also happens to be captain of the soccer team, and who also is in love with Viola’s lab partner, Olivia. In exchange for soccer tips, Viola promises to put in a good word with Olivia for Orsino. Unfortunately, Olivia is totally digging Viola (disguised as Sebastian). Add Sebastian’s girlfriend Monique into the mix, and we’ve got a great comedy. Of course, in the end, everyone ends up with who they deserve, Viola is unmasked as the chick she really is, and manages to show up her ex on the soccer field.

So…what sets Amanda Bynes apart from other teenybopper actresses? In my opinion, it’s the deadly combination of the fact that she is hot, and yet totally willing to make a complete ass of herself. And I’m not talking about half-assing it cheap physical comedy ala Jessica Alba in Good Luck Chuck *shudders* No, Amanda Bynes goes balls to the wall, funny faces, voices, bad costumes, physical humor, you name it (in the same vein, Anna Farris does this beautifully as well–I’m not talking Scary Movie. I dare you to watch Just Friends and tell me that shit isn’t funny). And it totally works. Any time an Amanda Bynes movie is on, I have to watch it. I’ve even hooked my boyfriend on them. Now THAT’S a true test.

So, I’ve spilled! Anyone else have a guilty pleasure film to share??

13 Comments

  • pidute
    August 10, 2008 at 6:09 am

    OK I’ll say it ,even if i lost the smidgen of respect you give me ….
    I ABSOLUTELY LOVE “home alone ” (the first one only ).
    i just think it’ s fun ….ok ….ok i go hide myself …..

  • Christine
    August 10, 2008 at 6:33 am

    Oooo! My daughters and I love the 2003 Amanda Bynes film What a Girl Wants! So much fun and very sweet, too. The focus is on family with a touch of teen romance.

  • Thea
    August 10, 2008 at 9:15 am

    Hey Pidute, I heart Home Alone. One and Two!!! LOL!!!! πŸ™‚ There’s absolutely no shame in that, Home Alone is the shiznit–every time I watch Kevin run home and set up his booby traps I get that tingly goosebump feeling πŸ™‚

    Christine, yes What a Girl Wants is fun too!! I also highly recommend Sydney White :p Very sweet, happy feel good movies. Completely cheeseball, but whatever πŸ˜‰

  • kmont
    August 10, 2008 at 9:43 am

    I embrace my guilty pleasure films. Probably the best one to come to mind for me is Eurotrip. Every single aspect of that movie cracks me up. And I don’t even have to wait for it to come on cable – finally bought my own DVD copy a few months ago.

    Another one I looooove is Ten Things I Hate About You. For the young and as yet untried Heath Ledger, for the most part.

    And to kick it back real old school, Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt – what’s not to love?!

    I AM a closet (not so much anymore) Hilary Duff fan. I’ve got a few of her songs on ye old iPod and I HEART in a major way her movie, A Cinderella Story.

    I have never tried an Amanda Bynes movie though, but always figured I was missing something.

  • Ana
    August 10, 2008 at 9:46 am

    Oh, Ten Things I hate about you is one of my guilty pleasures too. That scene where he sings Can’t Take My Eyes Off You I have watched one million times.

  • Mollie
    August 10, 2008 at 9:56 am

    I love teen movies. LOL. This one included. I liked Sidney White as well.

  • JenB
    August 10, 2008 at 3:14 pm

    Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan and Chris Pine. It’s super cute, and I watch it every couple of months.

    I love lots of the teen movies…10 things I Hate About You, Chasing Liberty, the American Pie movies, Blue Crush…they’re just fun feel-good movies.

    Oh, I also have a sick obsession with Disney cartoons and Sponge Bob, but that’s a whole different story. πŸ™‚

  • Kate
    August 10, 2008 at 5:50 pm

    All righty, so I was sort of ticked off when my girlfriends made me watch Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants a couple of years ago on a gals’ weekend. But I cried at the end. I really wasn’t expecting that to be as good as it was. So every time I want to make fun of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, I have to remind myself that the first one brought me to tears.

  • kmont
    August 11, 2008 at 5:47 am

    Kate, I thought of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants too after posting here earlier. Loved that movie and looking forward to the 2nd one now.

  • Lori
    August 11, 2008 at 8:41 pm

    Not so much me, but my hubby is secretly in love with Amanda Bynes, LOL. He used to watch her with our kids on The Amanda Show, and now it’s a running joke in our house. Does he care that he’s old enough to be her father? Nope. He thinks she’s all that and a bag of chips.

  • Gerd
    February 9, 2009 at 9:16 am

    I love Amanda Bynes movies, I think she’s truly funny. And cute as a button.

    Guilty pleasures, ho-hum, I have dozens of them like ‘Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man’, I’m absolutely, manly in love with that movie eventhough it’s every bit as clichΓ©d as the title hints.

  • Morganne
    July 13, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Guilty pleasures… Um, I don’t have any guilty movies, but I secretly (or on second thought, not so secretly πŸ™‚ ) adore Giradelli (did I) spell that right?) chocolate!

  • Morganne
    July 13, 2009 at 6:58 pm

    Guilty pleasures… Um, I don’t have any guilty movies, but I secretly (or on second thought, not so secretly πŸ™‚ ) adore Giradelli (did spell that right?) chocolate!

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