Before I jump into the rewards of the 2007 film version of “Nancy Drew,” I need to pause for a moment to wonder yet again why no one has yet recognized my innate genius.
I will repeat an idea I first uncovered when I reviewed this winning tween girls movie two years ago: Wouldn’t “Nancy Drew” be a brilliant name for a new Internet search engine? I guess if I were really smart, I’d reserve the Web address, though the copyright owners might have some issues. I’m just saying: Millions of young girls the world over would happily “nancydrew.com”-it when searching for news about the Jonas Brothers.
Now that’s out of the way, back to the film. I found myself thinking about kinder, gentler family movies after taking some teenagers to see “The Hangover.” Very funny movie, don’t get me wrong, and it’s even good a second time through. But raunchy and probably inappropriate? Absolutely, especially the NC-17 end credits, and I still can’t figure how they got away with those.
So, do you feel like your tweens and young teenage girls are growing up too fast? “Nancy Drew,” as embodied by Emma Roberts, is a good antidote. She’s smart and curious without being a dork, and the creators of the 2007 film version didn’t try to go all “Gossip Girl” with the mystery franchise. Nancy survives the film as a solid icon of kind, capable and, yes, cool. What’s cooler than successfully outsmarting the criminals and the surrounding adults?
In the meantime, I’ve noticed nancy has apparently been hijacked by an unauthorized fan club that claims fair use of the name. If I were Simon & Schuster, I’d take back the name and start that search engine soon — consulting fees can be sent to me in care of The Denver Post.
