neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The New Guy
	Ed Decter DJ Qualls, Eliza Dushku, Eddie Griffin, Zooey Deschanel, Illeana Douglas, Lyle Lovett 2002		What do you get when you cross the teensploitation comedy "Revenge of the Nerds" with one of those "Geek-to-Chic" makeovers from "The Jenny Jones Show"? "The New Guy," a not-humorous-enough vehicle for gawky, grinning DJ Qualls, whose prior claim to fame was a supporting turn in the so-so collegiate sex frolic "Road Trip." Apparently, Qualls has de-aged. Here, he's playing high-school whipping boy Dizzy Harrison, a constant target for humiliation by his more popular classmates. In jail overnight for a minor offense, Dizzy meets an inmate (Eddie Griffin) who convinces the downtrodden lad to get expelled, reinvent himself as a stud and transfer to another school. The ploy works. Dizzy becomes the coolest of the cool. He even catches the eye of the head cheerleader (Eliza Dushku of "Bring It On"), angering her nasty boyfriend. But Dizzy's dorky past is gonna catch up to him. It's like the film was built from a kit. One startling note: Lanky, lovable country singer Lyle Lovett plays Dizzy's dad.