Tagline: Small town girl. Big time adventure.
Nancy Drew brings the timeless heroine to Los Angeles, to face a fresh set of challenges and her most baffling case yet. Emma Roberts stars as the resourceful teen detective, who leaves her friendly hometown of River Heights for the West Coast and enrolls at Hollywood High School.
There, her unique personal style immediately sets her apart from her self-absorbed, fast-living peers, especially reigning fashionistas Inga and Trish, who can’t quite figure her out but know that everything about her is different—from her super-smarts and retro manners to her perfect picnic lunches and penny loafers.
Their less-than-warm reception might bother the average new girl in town, but not Nancy. She has more important things to think about—namely, a brand new mystery. Even though she promised her worried Dad that she’d quit the “sleuthing” business, it isn’t long before Nancy gets a lead on one of the greatest unsolved cases of all time: the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of famous actress Dehlia Draycott. It happens that the Drews are staying in the Draycott Mansion, long reputed to be haunted and now a site where strange things have been happening. How could she resist?…
Nancy Drew is a 2007 American mystery comedy film loosely based on the popular series of mystery novels about the titular teen detective. It stars Emma Roberts as Nancy Drew, Max Thieriot as Ned, Kay Panabaker as George, and Amy Bruckner as Bess Marvin. Set in Los Angeles, it was directed by Andrew Fleming. Critics’ reactions were mixed, with the general thought of it being refreshing. The film grossed $30,666,930 worldwide on a $20 million budget.
Nancy Drew Arrives in Hollywood
Where Nancy Drew goes, mystery follows. And, for more than 75 years, this young heroine’s fans worldwide have been eagerly going along on the adventure—exploring every dark path and secret staircase to find the clues that will solve the crime and confirm Nancy’s reputation as everyone’s favorite teen detective.
“Young people identify with Nancy. They want to do what she’s doing,” says producer Jerry Weintraub. “She’s smart, courageous, self-assured, and she can hold her own in any situation just by being herself. For generations, her stories have offered drama and suspense, as well as fun. Nancy is always where the action is, and that’s why she never goes out of style.”
“I think it’s fun for kids to see someone their own age solving mysteries in an adult world and doing so many cool things,” adds Emma Roberts. In bringing Nancy Drew to the big screen, Weintraub and director Andrew Fleming sought to retain the timeless quality and appeal of the popular series while introducing Nancy to a new generation of movie fans by relocating her to Southern California and giving her another exciting case to solve.
At the same time, Nancy must deal with the challenges that any 16 year old would face as “the new girl in town.” Her confidence is tested from the start by a tough reception from her peers in the fierce clique culture at Hollywood High while, privately, she wonders about her feelings for the boy she left back home in River Heights, now that they’ve been separated by so many miles.
It’s all a little distracting, even for someone as famously focused as Nancy Drew. Says Fleming, “It creates an interesting juxtaposition and some natural humor to take her out of her comfort zone and throw her into this unfamiliar world, since Nancy Drew is the classic American girl, a combination of high spirits and hometown values. Everything is faster, louder and crazier in Los Angeles than what she’s accustomed to. It’s an invigorating challenge to her coping skills, and ultimately brings us back to the heart and soul of who she really is.”
As fans will attest, states Weintraub, “The essence of Nancy Drew is that she is always true to herself, no matter the circumstances.”
The film offers an original story, written for the screen by Andrew Fleming and Tiffany Paulsen. True to form is Nancy’s uncanny ability to attract a mystery, and her unswerving commitment to solving it, no matter what. In this case, however, pursuing that passion puts her in the uncomfortable position of keeping the truth of her activities from her father, widowed attorney Carson Drew, whose job is what has relocated them to Southern California.
Carson is proud of his daughter’s accomplishments but worries for her safety. “In River Heights, he can live with it because it’s a small town and they know the police chief personally, but in L.A. it’s a different game and he’s understandably nervous about her pursuing an investigation here,” Weintraub explains. “Besides, he wants her to focus on having a good time and just enjoying being a teenager for once. So they come to California with the understanding that she will take a break from the detective work.”
Unfortunately for Nancy, prior to making this promise to her Dad, she had already selected the Draycott Mansion as the place for them to stay while in Los Angeles. “Because he feels a little guilty about uprooting her from everything familiar, he lets her pick the house for them to live in,” Roberts says. She then pauses before adding, “That was his first mistake.”
In fact, Nancy chose the house specifically because of the tantalizing mystery it holds: the unexplained death of its former owner, glamorous bygone film star Dehlia Draycott—a fictional incident that, Fleming says, “is an amalgamation of various strange Hollywood tragedies and rumors that have circulated over the years, which gives it a ring of familiarity.”
Within hours of their arrival, some of Nancy’s personal items go missing from her room, the eerie sound of footsteps lead nowhere and a distinctly menacing caretaker makes it clear that he doesn’t appreciate their company. If Nancy honors her promise not to investigate the strange goings-on at Draycott Mansion, it could mean turning her back on the greatest mystery of her life.
Fleming concedes, “As any Nancy Drew fan knows, she just won’t be able to help herself. She has to get involved.”
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Nancy Drew (2007)
Directed by: Andrew Fleming
Starring: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Tate Donovan, Rachael Leigh Cook, Kelly Vitz, Daniella Monet, Caroline Aaron, Laura Harring, Daniella Monet, Marshall Bell
Screenplay by: Tiffany Paulsen, Andrew Fleming
Production Design by: Tony Fanning
Cinematography by: Alexander Gruszynski
Film Editing by: Jeff Freeman
Costume Design by: Jeffrey Kurland
Set Decoration by: Kathy Lucas
Art Direction by: Todd Cherniawsky
Music by: Ralph Sall
MPAA Rating: PG for mild violence, thematic elements and brief language.
Distribuuted by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: June 15, 2007
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