Ten things to know about Never Been Kissed

In 1999, Drew Barrymore, Michael Vartan, and David Arquette starred in the romantic teen comedy, Never Been Kissed. The movie tells the story of 25-year-old newspaper copy editor, Josie Gellar (Barrymore), who is sent undercover to a high school to write an exposé on student life.

For Josie, the assignment gives her the opportunity to prove she has what it takes to become a fully-fledged reporter. However, it also means she has to pretend to be a student and relive her high school years – a point in time that was not particularly kind to her.

As Josie navigates her way through student life (‘90s-style), she struggles to fit in and discovers that high school is difficult for everyone, not just her. She also has to deal with newfound feelings that she develops for her teacher, who is unaware she is undercover.

Never Been Kissed is filled with heart and humour, and highlights the ups and downs of growing up. It throws the spotlight on cliques and rights of passage, as well as the worries and insecurities associated with youth.

While Never Been Kissed wasn’t a huge hit with the critics upon release, the film has since found a loyal fanbase. Many praise Drew Barrymore’s performance as Josie, citing it as a true highlight of the movie, while others enjoy the fun trip back to the 1990s.

If you’re a fan of Never Been Kissed, you’re new to the film, or you fancy uncovering a bit more information about the picture, then you have come to the right place. In this post I am taking a look back at the film to serve up ten things you may or may not know about this popular rom-com.  

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Ten things you should know about Never Been Kissed

Below are ten snippets of trivia about Never Been Kissed to enhance your next viewing. Read, digest, and enjoy – and then give the movie a re-watch, as you know it has been too long since you last watched it.

Age appropriate

In Never Been Kissed, the premise revolves around Josie Gellar being a 25-year-old pretending to be a 17-year-old. But did you know, at the time the movie was shot, actress Drew Barrymore was really 23-years-old.

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Calling the shots

Raja Gosnell directed Never Been Kissed. The director is no stranger for producing material aimed at a younger generation, having directed the likes of Home Alone 3 (1997), Scooby-Doo (2002), Beverley Hills Chihuahua (2008), and The Smurfs (2011), amongst others.

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Making a connection

Early into the movie, Josie and fellow student, Aldys are on the school football field, when the school brass band marches past them twice as part of a practise routine. On both occasions the band can be heard playing the theme tune to animated television show, The Simpsons.

At the time of production, both The Simpsons and Never Been Kissed were owned by 20^th Century Fox. However, all these years on and both properties are now owned by Disney.

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Who’s that guy?

Garry Marshall appears in Never Been Kissed in the role of Chicago Sun-Times Chief Editor, Rigfort. During his lifetime, Marshall popped up in a number of minor roles in movies, including playing ‘The Devil’ in Hocus Pocus (1993), but is best known for directing popular pictures including Beaches (1988), Pretty Woman (1990), and The Princess Diaries (2001).

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A first

A number of actors who are now very well-known, appear in Never Been Kissed in very minor roles, including Octavia Spencer (Cynthia), Jessica Alba (Kirsten), and Cress Williams (George). Perhaps most notable is James Franco (Jason), as Never Been Kissed provided the actor with his very first movie role.

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Double duties

American singer and actor, Jeremy Jordan plays the role of Guy Perkins in Never Been Kissed. In addition to starring in the film, Jordan’s song, A Girl Named Happiness (Never Been Kissed), also features on the movie’s soundtrack.

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The music man

David Newman composed the score for Never Been Kissed. Throughout his extensive career, Newman has composed scores for movies including Heathers (1988), The Flintstones (1994), The Phantom (1996), Bedazzled (2000), and Serenity (2005), amongst many others.

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The sounds of Never Been Kissed

The soundtrack to Never Been Kissed was released in 1999 via Capitol Records. Artists featured on the album included Jimmy Eat World, The Cardigans, R.E.M, Semisonic, The Beach Boys, The Smiths, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and Ozomatli.

And speaking of Ozomatli…

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A cameo

In addition to providing a song for the soundtrack, Latin funk band, Ozomatli also appear in a brief cameo in Never Been Kissed. The band feature in a scene in which Josie attends popular night spot, The Court.

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By the numbers

And finally, while Never Been Kissed wasn’t a huge hit with the critics, it was popular with audiences. During its theatrical run in 1999, Never Been Kissed took over $84.5 million at the worldwide box office, from a budget of $25 million.

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about Never Been Kissed – I hope it has filled your mind with movie trivia. For more movie-related content be sure to check out the recommended reads below, where you will find further information about a whole collection of likeminded movies.

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