For generations of fans worldwide, the name Nancy Drew is synonymous with adventure. This young amateur detective has a mind of her own, a passion for solving mysteries and a reputation for getting into--and out of--some very tricky situations.
This summer, "Nancy Drew" brings the timeless heroine to Los Angeles, where she is faced with 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 (TATE DONOVAN as Carson Drew) 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 former Draycott mansion, long reputed to be haunted and now a site where some very strange things have been happening. How could she resist?
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"as the credits rolled, I sat in my seat feeling very surprised; surprised at how much I loved this film"
As the credits rolled, I sat in my seat feeling very surprised; surprised at how much I loved this film! There I was, thinking we were about to watch a mediocre kids film, showing off Julia Roberts' young niece Emma Roberts as some girl detective from a book I'd never even read. And instead I got everything; love triangles, abduction, deceit, ghosts, adultery, brilliant acting...and an amazing wardrobe!
Nancy Drew, our sassy 16 year old heroine, and her father Carson (Tate Donovan) leave mythical Midwestern River Heights for glamorous but dangerous Los Angeles. Fearing for her safety, and longing for her to be "just a normal teenager", the widower begs Nancy to stop sleuthing. Little does he know that she's already embarked on her next case; in the very house that they've moved into. Eager to please her dad, Nancy makes an effort to fit into her uber-cool new school. But with her penchant for 50s fashion, academic excellence and pro-active attitude, she only alienates herself further. Not one to succumb to peer pressure or Tinseltown glitz, she instead focuses her attention on solving the great mystery surrounding the late Dahlia Draycott, and inevitably makes friends along the way, most notably love struck Corky (Josh Flitter) and single mum Jane Brighton (Rachael Leigh Cook).
It's been a long time since a film provoked so many emotions from me. I jumped, hid behind my hands, laughed out loud and even welled up at the end, where an overly sentimental ending could've easily ruined the magic built up in the previous 90 minutes - but somehow Director Andrew Fleming and the cast managed to make it work. In a world where everything is so complicated and unpredictable, the simplicity of Nancy's universe is just what you need. If only I'd had Nancy's courage and wisdom - it's easy to see why this role model character has survived since the 1930s! I have no doubt that children and adults alike will enjoy this mystery tale.
