If you go on Letterboxd or visit the film-focused corners of social media, sooner or later you’re bound to encounter a post that goes: “They don’t make movies like this anymore.” This line of thinking is debatable, but there’s one genre of film that seems to be virtually extinct — the parody. Long gone are the days of films likeAirplane!, the Naked Gun series, orthe works ofMel Brooks; it’s become hard to find a film that’s a genuine parody nowadays. More to the point, it’s hard to find agoodparody film nowadays. It also doesn’t help that one of the last good parodies ever made,Not Another Teen Movie,is slated to leave Netflix by January 31.
Not Another Teen Movie, true to its name, skewers several conventions about the teen-focused movies of the ’80s and ’90s. But it was also one ofChris Evans' first leading roles, serving as proof that he could lead an ensemble long before he picked up Captain America’s shield. Apart from Evans' performance, there are quite a few elements that makeNot Another Teen Movieworth watching.
‘Not Another Teen Movie’ Let Chris Evans Flex His Comedy Chops – and His Sensitive Side
The plot ofNot Another Teen Moviekicks off when popular kid Jake Wyler (Evans) enters a bet to turn nerdy girl Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh) into a “popular” girl. In the process, he has to deal with getting dumped by his girlfriend, Priscilla (Jamie Pressly), and fending off the advances of his stepsister Katherine (Mia Kirshner). What makesNot Another Teen Moviework isEvans' commitment to the bit; he’s fairly grossed out by the fact that his own stepsister is coming onto him, and when his friends dare him to change Janey he shouts “But she’s got glasses! And a ponytail!” — mocking the absurd trope that a pair of glasses and a simple hairstyle could render someone unattractive. Before this, his choices included a girl with albinism and co-joined twins, making the parody even more ridiculous. That’s not even touching upon Jake’s introductory scene, which sees him parking in the “Most Popular Kid” spot then turning to admire a picture of himself…then admiring a picture of him admiring a picture of himself.
When it isn’t poking fun at teenage rom-coms,Not Another Teen Moviealso shows thatEvans can have chemistry, comedic or romantic, with nearly anyone. This is especially true of the scenes he shares with Leigh, which have some genuinely tender moments (including a bonding moment over paintings) and some hilarious ones (Evans in a “whipped cream bikini” that serves as one of many shoutouts toVarsity Blues.) It’s a trend that he would carry over intomultiple rom-coms, and one that he should definitely return to.
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Everyone’s In on the Joke in ‘Not Another Teen Movie’
ThroughoutNot Another Teen Movie’s runtime, it’s clear thatno teen-centered movie is safe from its mockery. The main plot hilariously rips apartShe’s All That. Catherine’s obsession with Jake is skewingCruel Intentions. Janey’s brother Mitch (Cody McMains) dragging his friends into a plot to lose their virginity is basically “What if Kevin fromAmerican Piewas extremely,extremelyunlucky in finding love?” In a hilarious moment early on in the film, a pre-How I Met Your MotherJosh Randorgives a group of high school students a stirring speech about how they’ll spend the next few years finding themselves… then proceeds to separate them into the stereotypical high school cliques.
Surprisingly,Not Another Teen Movieis able to have its cake and eat it too,as it features cameos from stars who appeared in the films it’s mocking.Paul Gleasonreprises his role as Richard VernonfromThe Breakfast Club, whileMelissa Joan Hartappears to impart a valuable lesson about clapping at the right moment. The biggest cameo, however, comes from none other thanMolly Ringwald.Ringwald plays a cynical flight attendant who skewers the cliché moment where Jake and Janey reconcile at an airport. According to screenwriterAndrew Jacobsonat the film’s premiere,this was a last-minute addition: “One of the exciting things was, after the initial cut of the movie there were a few reshoots, and we decided we needed something bigger to happen in the finale scene at the airport… Mike and Joel went after Molly Ringwald, who is kind of the most iconic face of the entire teen movie genre.”
Ever Since ‘Not Another Teen Movie’, Parody’s Been a Lost Art
Not Another Teen Moviearrived at a time whenthe parody movie was dying out. While there would be other parodies, including the underrated rom-com spoofThey Came TogetherandSuperhero Movie(which debuted in the same year asIron ManandThe Dark Knight, no less!), very few operate on the same level asNot Another Teen Movie. Evans, while reflecting on the role,had a good laugh about it. “The movie had me stick a banana in my ass, it wasn’t exactly some highbrow art,” he said. Perhaps not, but it was genuinely funny all the same.
Not Another Teen Movieis currently available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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Not Another Teen Movie
