The Girl Next Door
Short description
The Girl Next Door is a comedy about Matthew Kidman, a high-achieving high school senior with ambitions of a career in politics. His orderly plans take a turn when Danielle, an attractive young woman, moves in next door, and the two begin a romance. Matthew soon learns that Danielle has worked in the adult film industry, and the reappearance of figures from that past threatens both the relationship and the future he has been working toward. The film sets his political aspirations against his feelings for her, and the choices that follow.
Luke Greenfield directed, working from a screenplay by Brent Goldberg, David Wagner and Stuart Blumberg. It was Greenfield's second feature, after The Animal in 2001, and preceded Something Borrowed, Let's Be Cops, Half Brothers and Playdate in his filmography. Emile Hirsch plays Matthew and Elisha Cuthbert plays Danielle, with Timothy Olyphant, Christopher Marquette, Paul Dano and James Remar among the cast. The production involved 37 credited cast members and 141 credited crew.
Released in April 2004, the film had a budget of 21 million US dollars and took about 32 million US dollars worldwide, a modest return on its cost. Audiences have rated it 6.8 out of 10 on TMDB across more than four thousand votes, while critics gave it 5.6 out of 10 from 158 reviews. The gap suggests a warmer reception among viewers than among reviewers.
What's left behind the scenes
- The screenplay is based on a story from one of the film’s creators that happened to him in his youth.
- Filming took place from January to May 2003 in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita.
- During the filming of the scene where Elisha Cuthbert's character makes Emil Hirsch's character undress, director Luke Greenfield wanted the actor to shave his chest hair, but Hirsch refused.
- The drawing that Daniel, played by Elisha Cuthbert, gives to Matthew, played by Emil Hirsch, was made by Elisha herself.
- In the scene with the cigar in the strip club, Emil Hirsch drops it. This was not in the script; it happened accidentally, but the director liked it so much that the scene made it into the film.
- Due to Emil Hirsch's age, a body double was used in all nude scenes. Cushions were used in the chair dance scene.
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