neumu [ cinematronic ]




	New Best Friend
	Zoe Clarke-Williams Mia Kirshner, Taye Diggs, Meredith Monroe, Dominique Swain, Rachel True 2002		The opportunity to laugh at the myriad clichés, absurdities and over-the-top performances may be enough to justify seeing "New Best Friend," as long as you don't pay for your ticket. Alicia (Mia Kirshner of "Exotica") is a brainy, poor Plain Jane student on scholarship at a fancy liberal arts college. She's worried about paying for grad school, but she lets herself get involved with Hadley (Meredith Monroe) and two other classmates (Dominique Swain, Rachel True) — screwed-up, amoral rich girls who corrupt our innocence. Or do they? From the start, you know Alicia ends up overdosing on some kind of drugs — she's comatose in the hospital I.C.U. The question is "How did she get there?" It's up to the local sheriff (Taye Diggs) to figure it out. You'll smirk at how quickly and easily Little Miss Nerd is transformed into a total sexpot by her new friends. You'll howl at the manipulation and backstabbing. Ah, forget it. Rent "Heathers" for a truly smart, satirical look at the damage done by privileged girls in cliqués.