Suburban Girl [DVD]

By Clint Morris

It’s “The Hunt for…..Buffy’s G-Spot” as Alec Baldwin romances Sarah ‘the Vampire Slayer’ Gellar in the sweet but seen-it-all-before, “Suburban Girl”.

There’s a reason the producers changed the title of the film from “The Girl’s Guide to Hunting & Fishing” (to be fair, that was the name of the book that this flick’s based upon) to something more straight-forward: they’d have enough of an uphill battle as it was getting people to see the film, the last thing they needed was a movie with a title that couldn’t fit on a cinema marquee.

It’s the storyline that’ll probably deter punters. Again, it’s Alec Baldwin romancing Sarah Michelle Gellar. Now who wants to see that? None of you, right? Sounds a little ‘eww’, yeah? Makes you wanna donate some of that clam-chowder to the basin?

Well, yes… it should be – but no. In fact, because it IS Alec Baldwin playing the older suitor, “Suburban Girl” is a lot easier to swallow than you’d presume. Baldwin is so good in that role of the charming book publisher who sweeps impressionable book editor Gellar off her feet, that after the first act, you’re with them – you actually believe that this young girl has fallen for this charming older man, and vice versa.

It’s a testament to the versatile but also brave Baldwin that the film works. Whilst he’s usually playing intimidating ‘boss’ characters on film [and TV] – here he leaves the hair-gel out to play a cuddly nice-guy who, though an alcoholic, is all “what you see is what you get”. Credit too to Sarah Michelle Gellar – she’s mixing it up here to play, well, more of a ‘Willow’ than a ‘Buffy’ and is seemingly giving the role her ‘all’. Considering she has to carry a large part of the picture herself, Gellar’s done a good job – in fact, this might be her best work (this or “Cruel Intentions”).

Despite the sparks between the leads, the film still has its problems – or rather, a problem. It’s all-too “telemovie”-like – there’s not enough punch or anything different in it – compared to the other ‘older man/younger woman’ or ‘younger man/older woman’ flicks - that would’ve seen it reign supreme at the box office (I believe it’s actually going direct to DVD in most territories), and the screenplay plays it all too safe – as if someone’s been informed to keep it uncomplicated.

Pity, this could’ve been something pretty special.

Still, “Suburban Girl” is more a pleasant surprise – the music in it is great too – than an out-and-out disappointment … if only because we expected it to be about as appealing as mulched grass from the foundation.

DVD EXTRAS None