Greenfield wanted to depict a comedy of real life – humor derived from the vulnerabilities of its characters and the challenges they must meet head on. The lead character, high school senior Matthew, has his sights are set on a political career. Now, for the first time in his life, he’s out of his element when he falls for Danielle.
The project originated four years ago when the screenwriting team of Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner came up with a concept, and then a screenplay, about a high school student dating an adult film star. Producers Charles Gordon, Harry Gittes and Marc Sternberg sparked to the idea right away, and brought Luke Greenfield on board to direct after Gordon and Sternberg watched a screening of Greenfield’s 10-minute comedy film, “The Right Hook.” “I see a thousand shorts a year,” says Gordon, “but nothing as good as Luke’s film.”
Greenfield set to work on taking what he calls “a great concept” and making it his own, adding realism, danger and surprises. As development continued on The Girl Next Door, Adam Sandler hired Greenfield to direct the Rob Schneider comedy “The Animal,” which Sandler’s company was producing. “I would call Chuck Gordon all the time, begging him, `Please wait for me!’,” says Greenfield. “I couldn’t stop thinking about the project. The second I finished production on `The Animal,’ I was meeting with Chuck, figuring out how we could get The Girl Next Door made.”
Greenfield and the producers brought in screenwriter Stuart Blumberg who, under Greenfield’s supervision, infused the story with a more realistic sensibility, fleshing out some characters and adding new ones. The project continued to move forward until, nearly four years after its inception, a read-through of the script landed a “green light.”
Actress Elisha Cuthbert, who stars in the hit Fox series “24,” was one of the participants in the read-through – even though she had not yet been offered the part of Danielle, the beautiful and mysterious “girl next door” who is trying to reinvent her life. Charles Gordon, a fan of “24,” says the he wanted Cuthbert from “day one.” Greenfield was unfamiliar with the series, but Cuthbert’s read-through and dedication convinced him that she was Danielle. “Elisha was a real trooper and made a huge contribution at the table read,” he says. “She brings a lot to the character and really makes us believe that Danielle is the girl we all wish we could meet one day. The girl who’s always one step ahead of you, who will make you do things you never thought you’d do – and who you’d better be prepared to go all the way for.”
For Cuthbert, the role offered new challenges and opportunities. “The character of Danielle is different from anything I’ve played before,” she says. “It’s way out there. The changes that Danielle goes through are formidable, and her transition from being Athena (the porn star) to Danielle (The Girl Next Door) is huge.”
Danielle is the complete opposite of Matthew, who is as innocent as she is worldly. Surprisingly, each is striving to be more like the other. Says Luke Greenfield: “Danielle is strong on the outside but inside she’s a little girl who just wants to be seen as normal. Matthew is dying to break out and have adventures and new experiences. But he gets a little more than he bargained for when he meets Danielle.”
According to Greenfield, the importance of casting Emile Hirsch as Matthew cannot be overemphasized. “If we didn’t get Emile, I probably wouldn’t have made the movie,” he says.
At first, the young actor, who had not yet read the script, resisted because he perceived the project to be a teen comedy. “Emile is serious about his craft – he’s been memorizing Brando since age 9! – and didn’t want to do anything formulaic,” says the director. “But when he did read the script, he said he was shocked by how edgy it was, and he signed on.”
“Yes, the script was shocking in a way,” Hirsch confirms. “It’s smart and edgy and is partially set in the world of pornography. But I laughed a lot when I read it, and I really like the character of Matthew. He starts out as an overachiever, but one who’s pretty fearful. The Girl Next Door, played by Elisha, makes him break out of his shell and become the guy he always wished he could be. He’s a budding politician who ends up learning about real world politics.”
Upping the stakes of Matthew’s relationship with Danielle is Kelly, her former “producer,” who’ll stop at nothing to keep his favorite actress in the porn fold. Kelly is everything Matthew is not: cool, handsome and mysterious. He challenges Matthew with a query that sums up a key theme: “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” Is Matthew willing to risk everything for Danielle?
As conceived by Greenfield and co-screenwriter Stuart Blumberg, Kelly is far from a typical bad guy. “He’s a charming rogue,” says Blumberg. Adds Greenfield: “Kelly is a different type of villain; in some ways, he’s the big brother Matthew never had, because he takes him under his wing… at least until Matthew persists in his pursuit of Danielle.”
Greenfield credits Timothy Olyphant with keeping the character real. Olyphant, in turn, sees Kelly as Matthew’s best friend – and worst nightmare. “Your most fearsome enemies in life are your best friends who know you and your vulnerabilities.”
Kelly’s professional rival is adult film producer Hugo Posh who, like Kelly, figures prominently in Matthew’s life and pursuit of Danielle. “Hugo is very different from Kelly in many ways,” says veteran actor James Remar, lately of “Sex and the City,” who takes on the role. “For one, Hugo’s hit it big – he’s very successful, with the huge mansion, the cars, etc. – while Kelly is still somewhat small-time.”
Matthew’s closest friends are Eli, a wannabe filmmaker played by Chris Marquette, and Klitz, who is even more uptight than Matthew, played by Paul Dano. The three friends’ bond is so strong that they refer to themselves as a “tripod”: if one falters, then the others go down, too. So, Klitz and Eli will do anything to help Matthew in his quest for Danielle.
The music in The Girl Next Door also plays a key role. “From the beginning, Luke had the movie and the soundtrack in his head,” says Charles Gordon. The 37 songs hand-picked by Greenfield and music supervisors Peter Afterman and Chris Douridas, as well as composer Paul Haslinger’s score, create unexpected mood and emotion throughout the entire film.
The artists featured on the soundtrack represent several musical eras and include The Who, David Gray, Donovan, David Bowie and The Verve. “Ninety-eight percent of the songs I wanted made it into the soundtrack – it was a miracle,” says Greenfield, who wrote many of his “wish list” of songs into the script. “And if the song weren’t mentioned in the script, I still ended up playing it on set, constantly feeding Emile and Elisha the songs I envisioned for whatever scene they were rehearsing.”
Also critical to the film’s humor and emotion is the work of production designer Stephen Lineweaver, whose credits include “Jerry Maguire.” While Matthew’s home town is never identified – “I wanted it to be `Anywhere, USA’,” says Greenfield – the director acknowledges that his hometown of Westport, Connecticut inspired much of the film’s look. The Girl Next Door was filmed entirely in Southern California, yet we feel we’re in the heart of East Coast suburbia. “You can’t find that kind of suburban feel and community in Los Angeles County, yet somehow Stephen found it,” says Greenfield. “He really captured the essence of Westport.”
When Matthew hooks up with Danielle, the adult film world invades his safe, upper-middle-class existence. Later, he, Klitz and Eli visit the Adult Film Convention in Las Vegas. Here, too, Lineweaver pulled off a design miracle, creating the convention entirely on a Los Angeles soundstage. “That set was probably Stephen’s biggest task,” say Greenfield. The director also credits director of photography Jamie Anderson, ASC, for making invaluable contributions to the film’s look.
After Lineweaver, Anderson and the rest of the crew and cast wrapped principal photography, work began on post-production, including the Herculean task of lining up the 37 songs for the soundtrack. As the film began taking shape, the “test screening” process revealed that the filmmakers’ goal of making a smart, edgy film was being realized. “We knew The Girl Next Door would appeal to men,” says Charles Gordon. “After all, it’s kind of a men’s fantasy. But we were thrilled that the film also plays to teenage and adult women.”
Adds Luke Greenfield: “The Girl Next Door is a love story about how far this character is willing to go for the first love of his life. What woman – or man – couldn’t relate to that?”
The Girl Next Door (2004)
Directed by: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant, James Remar, Christopher George Marquette, Timothy Bottoms, Amanda Swisten, Olivia Wilde, Donna Bullock
Screenplay by: Brent Goldberg, Stuart Blumberg, David Wagner
Production Design by: Stephen J. Lineweaver
Cinematography by: Jamie Anderson
Film Editing by: Mark Livolsi
Costume Design by: Marilyn Vance
Set Decoration by: Traci Kirshbaum
Art Direction by: Jason Weil
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexual content, language and some drug / alcohol use.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 9, 2004
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