As the title suggests, this movie was kinda forced upon my as YouTube kept recommending it to me for more than a week. I was like, what the heck!
And it’s a Thursday, so this post is kinda perfect for #ThrowbackThursday
Short recap
The girl sitting with her legs parted like a man, and the boy sitting with his legs crossed “properly”: the poster was a dead giveaway of what the movie is about: body swap.
Two teenage neighbours — Woody (popular jock) and Nell (brainy overachiever) — swap bodies after a long argument (which never seemed like a “fight”) in front of magical Aztec statue during a museum trip.
Chaos ensues: Nell-in-Woody must tackle football, Woody-in-Nell discovers makeup, waxing and whatnow. Somewhere in between football games, and Shakespeare essays and load of bedroom hopping, they fall for each other (kinda technically falling for themselves?). It’s awkward, funny, and deeply early-2000s.
Characters
- Kevin Zegers as Woody Deane/Nell Bedworth: Football jock who thinks Shakespeare is a guy in the NBA.
- Samaire Armstrong as Nell Bedworth/Woody Deane: Grammar queen with SAT flashcards in her veins, kinda forced to think that she must go to Yale, yikes.
- Sharon Osbourne as Della Deane: Woody’s mom, living proof that “subtle” isn’t in the family vocabulary.
- Maury Chaykin as Stan Deane: Woody’s dad, runs a spatula business
- Sherry Miller as Katherine Bedworth Nell’s mom, the class-conscious snob because someone has to play a token villain.
- Brooke D’Orsay as Breanna Bailey: Woody’s cheerleader girlfriend and permanent lip-gloss ambassador.
- Mpho Koaho as Harry ‘Horse’ Horson
- Genelle Williams as Tiffany
- Emily Hampshire as Chanel
- And many others
✅ 10 Things I Noticed About It’s a Boy Girl Thing (2006)
1️⃣ Woody adopting Nell’s mannerisms is impressive. Woody adopting Nell’s mannerism was impressive. He looks so pretty when he talked “properly”.
2️⃣ Nell’s hair transformation deserves its own movie. Straight hair when she started from her home, then voluminous curls when Horse’s car splashes water on her, then bad girl messed up hair with goth look and shorter skirt. Where did that come from? Washn’t she always a “proper” girl? Where did she get that outfit?
3️⃣ The “bedroom hopping” trope is wild. Woody sneaks into Nell’s room, Nell sneaks into Woody’s room… HOW did no parent ever notice? This isn’t Hogwarts — these are suburban homes with squeaky doors!
The bedroom hoppin reminded me of the YA novel I read a while ago, something like “The boy who sneaked in my bedroom window”. I’ll have to look for that novel’s name.
Oh, it’s the same name that I remembered: The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window
4️⃣ Aztec curse? Sure, why not. Because nothing screams teen comedy like sacred artifacts being used for plot convenience. Also, the “double ditto” thing causing the swap and unswap was kinda bleh.
5️⃣ The supporting adults are peak caricatures. Woody’s mom appears what? all of three scenes? And Nell’s mom treats Ivy League like it’s the promised land. Brianna and her friends are token vamps. Wished they had more to them.
6️⃣ Woody-in-Nell’s getting football lessons from Nell: Nell-in-Woody teaches Woody-in-Nell some football lessons, out in the open with the whole school watching? Why did nobody raise an eyebrow on that? It’s not like nobody noticed. They did, they laughed, but nobody said: Hey Woody, why is a nerd giving a football jock a football lesson? Was it normal for them? Ah, just convenience, I guess.
7️⃣ Yale prep is treated like the Olympics. Like Nell reading Billy Shakes? And that was all? And the interview? Woody-in-Nell just blaboured about rappers being poet and got selected. I’m no expert in ivy league colleges but reall? Really? Somewhere, an Ivy League admissions officer is weeping.
8️⃣ The prom makeover is obligatory. You can almost hear the writers going: “Wait, has she shown off her oomph? Oh right — give her straight hair and a body-fitting outfit ASAP!”
P.S. I was not impressed by that green dress. Nothing “wow” about it.
9️⃣ The bathroom humour didn’t age well. Because swapping bodies apparently means 45 jokes about anatomy and showering. Woody-in-Nell enjoying girls’ naked body view and Nell-in-Woody squirming. Groundbreaking.
🔟 Despite everything, it’s absurdly charming. I roll my eyes, I question the logic, and then I find yourself rooting for these two idiots under a shower of confetti at prom.
Verdict: If you miss the era when rom-coms had magical curses, prom montages, and boy-girl insults turning into love declarations, this one’s for you.
There, all done. Feeling much better now. Phew!
Shabana Mukhtar