Your '90s Edition Spoiler Free Zone:
Spoiler Free Zone: Fin
It’s hard to judge a ‘90s teen film by today’s standards: all technical aspects tend to be anywhere from mediocre, to worse than your average Tik Tok, while outdated and offensive jokes are often played off as progressive acceptance. But, alas, we love them anyway. For the clothes, the hair, the music – the sheer nostalgia. Especially for those who grew up in the times, and for those who just missed the cut (hey, fellow Millenial-Gen Z Hybrids). So, imagine my surprise when I sat down to watch a beloved teen film with less of a cult following, Drive Me Crazy, and found that despite being no Mean Girls, the story actually stands the test of time quite well.
It’s predictable and cheesy, but only in the ways every Valentine’s Day feel-good movie should be. Most of the technical aspects aren’t great, but the acting is as decent as it can be, with dialogue and plotting that are surprisingly progressive – feminist even. Despite predictabilities, writer Rob Thomas seems to know how to flip things on their head just enough to get away with it, given the decade, and plays well with how the lead characters mirror each other. Just try to ignore the excessive jump cuts, poor sound mixing, and ridiculous scores.
Starring Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s Melissa Joan Hart, opposite a pre-Entourage Adrian Grenier (you know, before the distanced cry of white boys calling out for Vinnie), as two childhood friends that – wait for it – grew apart in middle school. Unheard of, right? Oh yeah, and they live next door to each other, with their bedroom windows facing one another. Classic.
And yet, their relatively amicable relationship was the first pleasant surprise from the film’s formulaic ways. Nicole and Chase (once more, boys, Chase Hammond, not Vincent Chase) aren’t sworn enemies, and certainly are no Janis and Regina, out to ruin each other’s lives. They’re eye rolling neighbours who just want their parents to stop asking why they don’t play in the treehouse together anymore. Something more than a natural growing apart has clearly happened, but nothing that resulted in a cold, blood thirsty hatred of each other. There’s an implicit trust and comfort that makes their chemistry so easy to love from Nicole’s first drunken phone call.
One of the most interesting parts of this underrated teen flick is that the characters almost follow the perfect protagonist vs antagonist character traits, only they’re not actually enemies. They may travel in different social circles with very different tactics, but their goals are the same. They’re both intelligent, determined do-gooders trying to make change in the school, and maintain their supposedly deep understanding of the high school hierarchy. And yes, you heard me, do-gooders. Chase’s bad boy vibes are about as fake as the popular kids’ entire lives. The difference between the two is that Nicole lives out these values in a student government setting, planning big fundraisers and dances, while Chase prefers the route of anarchy and rebellion, attending protests and setting off sprinklers full of orange dye. Nicole wants to maintain the best social order possible in the inevitable chaos of high school, while Chase wants to disrupt it into a different form of chaos. All for the sake of doing the right thing and making the world a better place. It’s no surprise that these two grew up together and their “disdain” for each other is mild at best – even Nicole laughs at the sprinkler prank, while Chase is indifferent to the Centennial dance.
But there isn’t a film if there’s no trouble in paradise for their little bubbles of social change. Nicole may not quite be your typical ‘90s popular girl, but she still wants a date with jock, Brad. And, not unlike the dramas of today, when Chase doesn’t want to attend one animal rights protest, his girlfriend, Dulcie, turns on him. Time for their worlds to collide once more.
While Chase likely wouldn’t be caught dead at a house party, with much more important, less frivolous things to do, his buddy Dave serves as a Designated Driver that drunk kids can page at any time. And when Nicole finds out that her beloved jock is taking someone else to Centennial, she gets wasted and is now in need of that ride.
Cue an unfortunate ride home between Chase and Brad, where the two former friends are dropped off together. Chase doesn’t want her to get caught by her mum, and offers to sneak her around back. Nicole declines. Oh sure, the disdain for each other is so real and so mutual, can you taste it?
Next thing you know, before things like Facebook and Instagram, Nicole resorts to her yearbook to X off all the boys who can’t take her to Centennial. Because, in a teen film, I guess you can’t go to a dance with just your friends? Life or death stuff here, folks.
And can you guess who the only viable option left is? Anyone? Yep, it’s Chase. Who’s currently tied up in his room moping, and one scene away from calling Dulcie to beg for her back – a rant that also includes commentary on the rampant homophobia in their school? Okay, ‘90s, I see you.
But first, Nicole calls for one phone/window conversation, drunkenly pitching our heartbreak boy a classic fake dating scenario to get the jealousy flowing in their love interests. And he’s heartbroken enough, and smart enough, to know that if anyone could actually make this work, it’s Nicole. That, and, what does he have to lose? Other than all his pride and dignity, from a high schooler’s perspective.
And, like any good teen film, it’s makeover time! Only for a refreshing take, it’s actually the guy who gets the makeover. Cue Phantom Planet in their earliest glories. Now, I know, Chase’s makeover sucks. His outfits look like the wardrobe of a middle-aged math teacher, and honestly, Adrian Grenier’s curls never should have been contained like that. But, the great thing is, the plan still works. Not because he’s now so irresistible that Dulcie wants him back, no way. But because he’s so utterly not himself that she can’t ignore it. One day in and she’s already pulling him aside to ask what the hell happened? Nicole really does know what she’s doing. So, they stick with the makeover, for better or for worse, with the outfits and hair only slightly coming out of place by the end of each day.
Moving forward, the popular kids are surprisingly taking to Chase. He does well to fit in at the basketball game, despite a suspicious Alicia, but also he seems to be actually enjoying himself. Not so different after all. Once more, the inherent trust and comfort between these two leads can’t help but be evident. It’s even more endearing when they cruise the strip, discuss the politics of teenagers – including an eloquent comment on how girls’ competitions are an art form – and goof off to I’m Gonna Keep On Loving You. Aw.
Chase gets plenty of time in with Nicole’s gang, and they almost look too natural flirting in each other’s arms. The popular kids mention “Designated” Dave, who so kindly drives them home every Saturday. This doesn’t sit well with loyal Chase, who wants Dave to be more than just an employee of the social hierarchy. In Chase’s first character break, he calls them out on it. This dude doesn’t care about the hierarchy, he just cares about protecting his friends and remaining true to them. Something Nicole’s failures to do have hurt him for deeply in the past.
Having been overly focused on her side of the plan, they finally head over to his alternative dive for the night. Cue expectations for Nicole to dislike everything about the place – except her and Chase must have something in common beyond an affinity for social change, right? And Nicole is the best kind of happy go lucky, so she gets into it right away, turning it into a fantastic night – until Dulcie shows up with her new man just to taunt Chase. But Nicole is all over this, with everyone’s favourite trope, and we get an “unexpected,” mini make out between two old friends. Scream.
Nicole, the leader as always, is focused on the scam and plays it cool, but Chase isn’t near surprised or appalled enough. After, he even admits he now must bow down to the queen of scams. And a queen, she is.
As the schemes continue, they end up at a river party where the girls and boys are divided up for all their delicious gossip, and Alicia begins a scheme of her own. When Chase meets popular girl, Dee Vine, we get a better understanding of why it was so easy for him to fit in. All it took was a weight loss and name change for Dee Vine to climb the latter, and now she’s happy as a peach. The film skipped over most the clichés about popular kids being evil and superficially miserable, and decided that superficiality was all it comes down to. None of this is real. You wear some cute clothes and pretend to feel any ounce of ownership over it, and boom, you’re in. It’s not exactly the moral high ground, but it’s a hell of a lot more relatable than the teen queens that run most fictional high schools with a diamond encrusted fist. No disrespect, Ms. Regina George, we’ve all had our run ins with your kind. But not only is none of this real, none of it even truly matters to the people partaking. They’re too caught up in their own lives to care who isn’t part of their scene. Not unless it directly affects them, which it typically doesn’t. There’s something satisfyingly real about all this.
Soon after, we get Nicole and Chase’s mini heart to heart where we finally understand what happened between them, and it’s so much deeper than different cliques. It’s two twelve year olds that don’t know how to deal with a dying mother. And the natural understanding between them speaks so much to their life together, and to Nicole’s regrets. All her avoidance had nothing to do with hard feelings, and everything to do with her own guilt. And he really is just a loyal, hurt, heartbreak boy who’s lost so much.
Nicole takes this chance to get to Dulcie on a deeper level, explaining to her that maybe Chase doesn’t want to spend his days exploring the darkness of animals stuck dying in labs after watching his own mother go through cancer. That works like a charm on Dulcie, but even if it’s the right thing to do, that might not be what anyone wants anymore. Which gets harder to hide, come the next house party.
Alicia continues her scheme that I don’t really even understand. The film seems to want her to have the sophistication of Cher from Clueless or Courtney Shaye of Jawbreaker, but it’s all overcomplicated. And I have a hard time believing Chase, with no interest in this life of parties and status, would ever cave to Alicia that easily. But I guess, even dreamy, anarchist Heartbreak Boy is still just a teenaged boy. So, a little salt and lime is enough to seduce him right in view of Nicole, and the betrayal in her eyes shows that there’s no pretending what the relationship between these two is anymore. And then, like too many moments in this film, they ruin the angst with a jump cut. This isn’t a Tarantino movie, guys, you don’t have the reputation to break rules for no real reason.
So, let us return to our respective cliques for this quiet, melancholic montage of being unhappy apart. Brad asks Nicole out, and Chase gets Dulcie back, but he can’t take his eyes off a lonesome looking Nicole who wants nothing to do with him again. He’s lost her a second time, and now, it’s actually on him.
Meanwhile, Dave is still semi integrating himself in to the popular gang and Chase can’t stand how much he dumbs himself down for them. “People like that need people like you, otherwise there’s twice as much trash and no one to take it out” is a badass line for a corny movie, even if Chase is projecting a little. Dave faces his last straw when the movie gets momentarily dark, with an attempted date rape on Dee Vine and some violent attacks on Dave when he tries to help her. But Dee Vine pepper sprays the jock (hell yeah, Dee), and they drive back together. Which finally leads to Dave’s big rebellion – a video mocking the very people he’s worshipped so deeply. Comparing their stupid party antics to Nazis and animals. And the darker side comes out in those kids too, immediately turning on Dave. A defence mechanism for their own insecurities. He was a champ until he knew better than to kiss their feet, and then he was just some loser – always had been. And even Nicole can’t stomach it any longer. She’s lost faith in her entire belief system, and men as a whole. Pretty melodramatic for high school but hey, that’s, well, high school.
She lets Ray take her to the dance, when her dad shows up? As if that suddenly earns him Father of the Year award after a forgettable plot line in which he’s barely around and can’t even keep a lunch date with her. She appreciates this effort but can’t be bothered – a fitting wrap up for a crappy arc. The band from the club plays, as a taste of how Chase has influenced her. And in the reveal of the “statue” – if you can call it that – Chase is on top of it? Is this supposed to be some sort of grand gesture? It’s by far the most awkward scene of the film, and I haven’t quite figured out what they were going for. And UGH, I know it’s a formal dance, BUT QUIT PUTTING GEL IN GRENIER’S HAIR.
So, Chase slides down the weird statue thing and steals Nicole away – which, kind of sucks for Ray but I guess this was never about him. Nicole forgives Chase easily because everything is so very high school and she knows it. And now for the best part of the whole movie: “who are we making jealous tonight?” “Everyone, Nicole. Everyone.” And, of course, they dance to the same song from when they cruised the strip. Because, is it even a teen romance if they don’t have a song?
And now, for one last, unnecessary parents-focused storyline – though ever predictable. In almost being caught making out on the porch – to a ridiculously silver screen-esque score – they catch their parents together? So, for a taste of some Clueless reminiscent cringe, your new boyfriend is also your new stepbrother? Ick. But they laugh it off and run to the treehouse together as an amusing, if slightly uncomfortable, callback to the beginning. But, hey, that’s the ‘90s for ya. What else is to be said?
Drive Me Crazy Photos from IMDb
Drive Me Crazy Cinematography by Kees Van Oostrum
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