This is a cute little story retelling a modern version of Beauty and the Beast. It takes place in a high school and we enter the story on a student election and the most handsome guy in the class is running for the president. The guy, Kyle, promotes himself by saying that he'll be chosen because of his looks, because in the world, people who look good are better off than people who don't. They're treated better, have more opportunity, are more well liked, etc. And he gets elected. There is a goth girl there (played by Mary-Kate Olsen) who it is hinted, he dated in the past, and she doesn't look too kindly on him or anything he does, the kids also joke around that she's a witch. He also meets a girl, Lindy, who was also in the elections, and they end up taking a picture together. She's sort of nondescript, if slightly alternative. Anyway, Kyle ends up pissing off his gothic ex by attempting to humiliate her, and she puts a spell on him. He will become ugly, and if he can't get someone to tell him they love him before a year is up and a tattoo on his arm blooms, he will look that way for the rest of his life. One thing leads to another, and he starts following Lindy around. He's living in a house by himself because his rich father has neither the time, nor the inclination to bother with him. He gave him a house keeper and hired a tutor so that he doesn't fall behind in school. One night while following her, he sees a couple of men attack her and her father, and her father ends up shooting one. The other promises to hunt down Lindy and take her life for the life of his brother, and Kyle then tells the man to give Lindy to him for protection, and after a slight hesitation, her father agrees. Then the two live in the house together, and I'm sure you can take a stab in the dark at how the rest of the story goes.
I didn't mind this movie. I thought the actress who played Lindy was a little too 'nonchalant' at times, too detached from the situation by her 'coolness'. And I didn't see a reason for Kyle to start obsessing over her so much. I understand the intent, but I think they could have set up the situation a little better to explain the obsession, and not have him obsessively covet some random girl he spoke to twice in his life without properly setting the stage. If you look past that though, the story is kind of cute, and it mas a good message, that substance is more important than good looks and that you don't need to care about what the entire world thinks about you... just what the select few you care about think. They didn't really go into Kyle trying to accept himself regardless of appearance, that would have been the next step, but at least it gets the audience thinking, hopefully.
As for some actor comments, Niel Patrick Harris plays his blind tutor, and I can't help but see him as his role in How I Met Your Mother, in which he's hilarious. So that was kind of distracting, but he was still good in it. The girl who played Lindy was ok too, but (and I know this is a weird criticism) she has a beak-ish upper lip that I rather not have had to look at for an hour. She seemed to be a decent actress though.
To sum up, cute teen romance trying to tackle the whole 'image' issue through a modern retelling of an old fairytale.
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