Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, She's All That was a cultural moment in 1999. But watching it now? It's rough.

The premise—hot guy bets he can turn the 'ugly' artsy girl into prom queen—is inherently problematic and feels even worse 25+ years later. The movie wants credit for an 'inner beauty' message, but it spends 90 minutes reinforcing exactly the shallow stereotypes it claims to reject. Laney isn't even actually nerdy or alternative—she's just wearing overalls and glasses.

The bigger issue: it's boring. Modern teens raised on sharper writing and more complex characters will check out fast. The jokes land with a thud, the 'twist' is visible from space, and the whole thing moves like molasses. Even the nostalgia factor only works if you have nostalgia for it.

Ratings reflect this—43% on Rotten Tomatoes, 5.9 on IMDb, a 2.9 on Letterboxd. It's not offensively bad, just aggressively mediocre and very, very dated. If your teen is curious about late-90s teen movies, 10 Things I Hate About You or Clueless have aged infinitely better. This one? You can skip it.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media recommends 14+, which feels right given the party scenes, sexual references, and teen relationship drama. But honestly, most teens today will find this painfully dated and hard to sit through—it's really more of a nostalgia watch for parents than something kids will genuinely enjoy.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

62

Classic teen rom-com that centers on a bet to 'transform' an artsy girl into prom queen material—which is inherently shallow and objectifying. The movie does eventually land on a message about accepting people for who they are, but it takes the entire runtime to get there. Features some partying, mild sexual content, and the usual high school social hierarchy drama. Not toxic, but the core premise hasn't aged well.

Imaginative

38

This is a paint-by-numbers late-90s teen comedy that follows every expected beat. It's a Pygmalion retread with zero surprises—popular guy makes bet, falls for the 'nerdy' girl, secret comes out, they reconcile at prom. The 'makeover' is literally just taking off glasses and letting down hair. No creative risks, no fresh perspective, just formula.

Safe

72

Pretty tame for a teen comedy. Some mild language, party scenes with implied drinking, sexual references and innuendo but nothing explicit. No violence, gore, or truly shocking content. The main safety concern is the objectification premise and some light bullying/mean girl behavior. Common Sense Media rates it 14+, which tracks—it's not going to traumatize anyone but has typical teen content.

Enriching

44

The eventual message—'be yourself, don't judge people by appearances'—is fine but delivered with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Minimal character depth, no real emotional growth beyond the obvious arc. It's cotton candy entertainment that won't teach kids much beyond what not to do when making a bet with your friends. The artistic protagonist angle is underdeveloped.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Pure 90s nostalgia time capsule—if you're a parent who loved this in high school, it might be fun to revisit
Eventually arrives at a 'be yourself' message, even if it takes the scenic route
Relatively mild content compared to modern teen comedies—no graphic sex or violence
Could spark conversations about how beauty standards and social dynamics have (hopefully) evolved

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What to Watch For

The entire premise is a guy making a bet to transform a girl like she's a project—not exactly empowering
Party scenes with drinking, some sexual references and innuendo throughout
Mean girl behavior and social hierarchy drama that might feel harsh
Honestly, it's just really dated and most modern teens will find it boring and cringey

Conversation Starters

"How do you think the 'makeover' idea in this movie would go over today? Would anyone make a movie like this now?"
"What do you think about Laney's character—was she really 'nerdy' or was that just the movie's shallow definition?"
"Have you ever felt pressure to change yourself to fit in? How did you handle it?"

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