Review of Sydney White (2007) by David A — 08 Jun 2010

(from The Watermark, 09/06/07).

In an oddly successful movie-fusion, we find ourselves watching Snow White meets Revenge Of The Nerds. Bynes is a college freshman pledging a sorority. Unfortunately, it (along with the student council) is under the control of a self-absorbed rich girl (Paxton), who boasts that she is the "fairest of them all" on campus. Bynes, tom-boyish and brunette, unwittingly starts to topple Paxton's popularity with her earthiness and sense of humor. She also wins the attentions of the cutest guy on campus (the princely and charming Long), who is also Paxton's ex. Paxton has Bynes expelled from the sisterhood, leaving her no choice but to move in with a group of seven of the college's geekiest pariahs. (Get it? As in Sydney White And The Seven Dorks.) Bynes ends up fighting back with her new entourage, launching a student council campaign to bring down Paxton's reign.

What works well about the film is the modern and believable depictions of the seven social misfits: each of them is a well-rounded comic character that refers to one of the original classic Disney dwarves. Even though it's a story we've heard many times over, the script does still give us a few surprises. The production values are at times a little shaky with some odd editing and the occasional Woolworth wig. Bynes' comic chops are very strong, but her dramatic work is less effective. Still the film is overall enjoyable thanks to the appealing performances of its seven dweebs, and its subtle visual and verbal references to the original classic.

Of local interest to us Central Floridians: a lot of the exterior shots will look familiar, as they were shot at UCF and Rollins College this past April. And watch for Danny The Tranny, performing in an evening of gay & lesbian poetry. S/he was played by local theme park dancer and Fringe actor-writer Tait Moline. (OK, and he's a friend of mine.) For a film whose audience is clearly high-school age girls, I think it's kind of cool that we're represented in what is essentially a teeny-bopper comedy.