Its a Boy Girl Thing

Plot

Woody Deane (Kevin Zegers) and Nell Bedworth (Samaire Armstrong) are neighbors and former childhood friends who go to the same high school, but are otherwise completely different. Woody is a popular varsity football player while Nell is a girl who loves literature but lacks social skills. They loathe each other and are constantly in dispute. One day their class goes on a school trip to a museum and they are forced to work together on an assignment. They quickly begin arguing in front of a statue of the ancient Aztec god Tezcatlipoca. As they argue, the statue casts a spell upon them — causing them to wake up in each other's bodies the next morning. When they arrive at school, they immediately blame each other for the body swap, but agree to pretend to be the other person until they can find a way to switch back. At first, they seem to succeed, but quickly return to arguing when they each feel the other is misrepresenting them in the opposite body, such as Woody (in Nell's body) answering a question oddly and surprising a teacher.

The following day, Nell (in Woody's body) arrives at school wearing "Chinos and an Oxford cotton button-down" making Woody's appearance look "dorky" which frustrates Woody, and he is even more frustrated after he hears about how Nell (in Woody's body) failed Woody's football practice the previous day. As payback, Woody (in Nell's body) dresses in inappropriate and provocative clothing the following day. After school, Nell (in Woody's body), in retaliation, breaks up with Breanna (Brooke D'Orsay), Woody's girlfriend, much to the disappointment of Woody. The humiliation competition continues when Woody (in Nell's body) drives off with a biker boy, Nicky (Brandon Carrera), and makes Nell (in Woody's body) think she is going to lose her virginity. However, Woody decides it is "so gay" and leaves Nicky just as he is removing his clothing.

The following day, rumors are being spread around school by Nicky about his night with Nell. When Nell (in Woody's body) finds out, she gets very upset. When Woody (in Nell's body) finds Nell (in Woody's body), he admits that he didn't actually lose Nell's virginity and that everyone was simply spreading Nicky's lies. However, Nell is still let down and so Woody (in Nell's body) decides to confront Nicky. It turns out that Woody (in Nell's body) can't fight him, and Nell (in Woody's body) runs up and punches him in the face. After this, Nell and Woody reach a truce and realize the statue of Tezcatlipoca at the museum had something to do with their body swap. They head down to the museum and even after confronting the statue, they fail to return to their original bodies. They realize they are going to have to help each other in two important upcoming events. Nell must learn how to play football for Woody's Homecoming game and Woody must learn about poetry and literature for Nell's Yale interview. Later that night Nell (in Woody's body) is getting drunk at a party while Woody (in Nell's body) is stuck at a slumber party listening to all the gossip about Woody, and surrounded by nailpolish, pajamas and slippers and gets a bikini wax.

After spending so much time together, Nell and Woody become very fond of each other and start to understand each other better. The night before the interview and the game, they agree to go to the Homecoming Dance together, as "not a date." The day of the interview and match, Woody goes to Yale for the interview and at first messes things up and is asked to leave, but he starts to talk about poetry in rap, which impresses and astonishes the interviewer. After that, he goes to the football game and watches Nell run in the winning touchdown in the closing seconds. A college recruiter witnesses his good performance and wants to talk to him later. After the game, they congratulate each other for their successes. Shortly after this, the spell lifts and they return to their original bodies. The scene finishes with Woody being kissed by Breanna and Nell going home very upset about it.

The following day, Woody tries to talk to Nell, but is stopped by her mother, who sees Woody's family as uneducated. Nell receives a letter from Yale informing her that she has been accepted, meaning that her interview (done by Woody in her body) was successful; however, she is still upset with Woody and has decided not to go to the Homecoming Dance. Meanwhile, Nell's father has a talk with her on the porch about Woody, during which she confesses she truly likes him, and her father surprises her with a dress and shoes for the dance. Woody and Breanna are selected as the Home Coming King and Queen. As the Home Coming King and Queen prepare to dance, an upset Woody sees Nell and both confesses their love for each. They leave the school together and share a kiss in front of their houses. The following day, Nell tells her mother that she is taking a year's sabbatical before attending Yale, and hops into Woody's car as they drive off together.

Cast

Soundtrack

The movie's soundtrack features a range of music. Tracks include a cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now" by Girls Aloud, "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas, "Be Strong" by Fefe Dobson, "High" by James Blunt and "Push the Button" and "Red Dress" by the Sugababes, as well as other songs by the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, Orson, Marz and many more. (Woody, as Nell, refers to "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" as "crappy music"!)

Response

The movie currently holds a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.4 out of 10 on IMDB indicating 'mixed to positive' reviews.