in defense of... DRIVE ME CRAZY

You said it, Melissa.  Though it lacks much pedigree, starring the former Clarissa Explains it All figurehead and the future leader of the pack on Entourage, Drive Me Crazy fell into teen comedy obscurity amongst the plethora of popular ones at the time (namely She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You).  In fact, you'll likely find it relegated to $5 dollar bins across America.  So to sum it up, there's no excuse by way of inaccessibility for seeing this underrated gem.

The premise is admittedly familiar - spunky popular girl takes on outsider next door, remakes him into a BMOC in a week or two, and, what do you know, they fall for each other.  But thanks to the effervescent charms of lead Melissa Joan Hart (yes, I went there - Sabrina haters be damned!) and a surprisingly springy script courtesy of Rob Thomas (no, not that Rob Thomas), we're left with a bit of transcendence.  It's a quiet picture, to be sure, and it certainly has its weak points (some of those supporting fortysomething "teenage" actors aren't exactly grand thespians), but can you really top this interchange:

Nicole: "Turn that radio off, or I'm going to go Sean Young on your ass!"

Chase: "I think she means Sean Penn."

Ray: "Good - Sean Young scares me."

So I tell you, it's time to forget what you think you know about Melissa Joan Hart.  Though she's made some missteps in her career (um... Melissa & Joey?) this flick is a admirable teen comedy that surprises with its zingers.  There's of course a predictable soundtrack loaded with late-90s pop-rock faves, but give it a chance!  Hey, at least it's nice to reminisce about the days when pop was as simple as Britney Spears in a goofy waitress costume.