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C.E. Foreman's reviewL. Martin Scribbler (of Martin's Movie Mania)‘s reviewKlaymano/"The Quit"'s reviewBrad I. Flood's review"Anna"'s reviewRoger Ebert's reviewLeonard Maltin's reviewBen Breeck's review

Okay, first off, I adore the show.  I've got to be one of the biggest "Daria" fans out there.  I paid $305 for a personalized Daria answering-machine message in MTV's Cool Crap auction back in May (which is why I was invited by MTV to fly out for the film's premiere in the first place).  I'm as open-minded as they come.  I liked the "New Kid" episode of "Daria".  I even tried hard not to dislike "Depth Takes a Holiday", which featured personified holiday spirits interacting with Our Heroine.  But "Daria:  The Movie" is no mere "Depth Takes a Holiday".  "Daria:  The Movie" is a thousand times worse than watching a whole season of "DTaH"-style episodes while sitting naked on a pile of rusty nails and sharp, broken glass.

Before I start (and boy, am I ever going to start!), it's worth mentioning that neither Glenn Eichler nor Susie Lewis -- Daria's creators -- is listed in the credits, nor does the "MTV Productions" logo appear anywhere in the film.  Apparently MTV has pulled a Stephen King and fought to have their name extracted to minimize any association with this mess.  That right there should tell you something.  One can only imagine how upset Glenn and Susie must be over seeing their brainchild violated in this manner.

In fact, according to Seth Eastman, a production assistant on the TV show (whom I was fortunate enough to be seated next to), the MTV execs also scrapped the original opening credits, which had the show's colorful, animated cast morphed, one by one, into their corresponding live-action thespians.  This was unfortunate to say the least, as the oh-so-hip Hollywood glamour-heartthrobs (and their costumes) bear virtually no resemblance to their cartoon counterparts.  Instead the poor viewer is left straining to guess, "Who the hell is that supposed to be?!"

A few traces of our beloved show are still evident:  Quinn's too-small pink smiley-face midriff tee, the show's technique of incorporating popular music with transitional cut-scenes, the famous "Sick, Sad World" eye-logo.  But for the most part the Hollywood cuisinart has sliced, diced, folded, spindled and mutilated the world of Lawndale into an unsavory dish that's part teen-crap angst and part failed social satire.

There are so many things wrong with this movie, it's hard to organize them into a presentable format.  Christ, where to begin??

Okay, on the show Daria's always been Quinn's older, brainier outcast sister, right?  Well here, two minutes into the film we're told she's actually Quinn's cousin (yes, her real cousin) who's forced into the custody of Jake and Helen Michalus (sp?) -- a more "marketable" family name, or were the screenwriters simply unable to spell "Morgendorffer"? -- when her parents (one of whom is Helen's sister Amy) perish in a freak skydiving accident.  (No, I am not joking!  You can not make up stuff this preposterous!)

Other "improvements" Hollywood has made to our favorite show:  Trent is now a 19-year-old high-schooler (presumably to skirt the whole Age Issue with the Daria/Trent romance... which I'll get to).  Jane and Andrea have replaced Nick and Max in a now-coed Mystik Spiral.  There's no Tom ("Jane's Addition") at all, Jane and Jesse are an item, and Andrea, upgraded from a perpetually taciturn backgrounder to a major character, has apparently been after Trent for quite some time.  "You are now entering Hell," remarks a guy to Daria at the funeral.  Indeed we are.

It's hard to fathom what screenwriter Akiva Goldsman was aiming at with this script.  At times the number of obscure references to "Daria" episodes gives the impression that Hollywood's flaunting it, saying, "See?  See how well we did our homework?  See all the little details from the show we've brought over?"  Well they may have gotten the details, but man did they ever miss on the big picture.  The result is a misguided joke that completely forsakes everything "Daria" stands for.

Anyway, Jake and Helen bring Daria to Casa Morgen-- er, Michalus, and her new padded, bar-windowed room (which she chooses over the guest suite).  And from there the film meanders from one sloppily retooled episode of the show to the next.  That's right, it basically rehashes what's already been aired.  Which of course means the film is only followable to the hardcore fans, the same people who'll be infuriated over all the changes that have been made.  I recognized chopped-up scenes from "Esteemsters", "The Invitation", "Road Worrier", "The Lab Brat", "Cafe Disaffecto", "Quinn the Brain" and "The Big House", among others.  All of our favorite catch-phrases and classic one-liners are systematically and hideously mangled.  "I have low esteem for people who administer self-esteem tests", states Jennifer Love Hewitt's Daria, as I cringe.

Hewitt is hopelessly miscast as Our Heroine.  Her comic timing is way off, and her "deadpan" deliveries come across as whiny or snotty rather than wry.  She doesn't even put on her glasses until about twenty minutes into the film, and with that figure is barely recognizable as Daria.  Keri Russell screws up Quinn even worse, dropping her lovable whiny side in favor of outright bitchiness.  Did I mention that she's blonde?  Or that she wears prescription sunglasses?

Christina Ricci, on the other hand, makes a competent Jane (even in that awful outfit), but unfortunately her biggest scenes are the ones where she's paired with Hewitt, and there is absolutely none of the partners-in-crime chemistry we see on the show.  The two call each other "babe" and "cutie" throughout, with the lesbian overtones laid on thick from the outset, when Jane forces Daria into a lip-lock (and Our Heroine seems to enjoy it).  Then, of course, there's the infamous locker-room shower scene (all the rumors are true, by the way).  Yes, Joel Schumacher's vision.

The supporting cast is a little better, but the script doesn't imbue them with much in the way of personality, and what little there is strays quite a distance from the show.  Probably the best is Jonathan Taylor Thomas ("Home Improvement") as Upchuck, who provides some comic relief by getting his ass kicked by Daria and Brittany all the time.  What staggers me is the number of bit roles filled by well-known actors.  I found myself playing hunt-the-celebrity rather than following the film's dull story.  It's hard to identify most of the secondary characters, as many of them aren't called by name, but I recognized "Xena"'s Lucy Lawless as Ms Barch (clever), Danny DeVito as Mr DeMartino (HUH?!?), and Uma Thurman as... someone (I never did determine who).  Robin Williams as a very overwrought Mr O'Neill was somewhat amusing, and singer Brandy makes a cute Jodie.  And I'd swear that's Margaret Cho playing Ms Li.

Now on to Trent.  Like I said before, he's back in high school, forced to endure the same group of airheads and posers as Our Heroine.  The good news is, he's probably the closest to an actual likeness of his character.  The bad news is, he's played by Jakob Dylan, who is way too old for the part.  I'm wondering if this was intentional, having a 30-year-old man play the romantic interest of someone who's supposed to be a teenager.  I wouldn't put it past these Hollywood sleazoids.

The film wastes no precious screen time on, oh, say, character development, awkwardly leaping right into the 'shipper stuff with Jane's yenta act and one very corny at-first-sight Daria/Trent scene.  You will gag.  I guarantee it.  The two share their first make-out scene about halfway through the film, and presumably have sex in the Tank later during the Alternapalooza sequence.  Unfortunately for Daria (but fortunately for what semblance of plot there is) Quinn's already decided she wants Trent all to herself.

And so it plods on, for almost two agonizing hours of typical teen-movie crap.  There are some clever bits of dialogue, but for the most part it's populars versus outcasts as Sandi and Quinn try to tear the happy couple apart.  They get Kevin to think Daria has the hots for him.  They spy on our heroes using state-of-the-art cameras and palmtop computer equipment (tech-savvy Tinseltown strikes again).  They recruit Upchuck to take Daria on a date, where Trent will see them together.  They go to parties where they engage in long, insipid conversations with the rest of the cast.  They get into big, stupid fights over little, stupid things.  The movie trudges from subplot to subplot with no sense of style or transition, and all the subtlety of a blunt instrument.  After awhile you just don't care anymore.

Daria retaliates, dressing up like Quinn to steal all of her dates.  Daria and Jane have a big fight over the misunderstanding with Trent, and Daria cries.  They later reconcile in an obvious Oscar-clip scene (yeah, as IF).

Jake (John Travolta, in another casting travesty -- it's just not funny) chews out Daria for liking Trent, whom he calls a "Satanic headbanger".  Brittany does martial-arts moves and breaks furniture.  Sandi and Quinn (everybody calls her "El Quinn" for some unfathomable reason, I couldn't figure it out) sabotage Mystik Spiral's entry in the school talent show, forcing Daria to read her "Melody Powers" story as a substitute entry.  Beavis and Butt-Head show up as the hosts of a "Wayne's World" style webcast show.  The deceased Amy (Janeane Garofolo) appears in a Vision and gives Daria advice.  God, the pain.  God, the unimaginable PAIN.

Finally, Daria and Jane plot revenge on Sandi and Quinn by calling up "Sick, Sad World" reporter Val (yes, The Val, as in "Val").  Val (Alicia Silverstone, utterly wasted) comes to Lawndale High to cover a phony sex-scandal story the outcast duo cooks up to tear down the two populars.

One by one, the entire cast is lined up and testifying to all the horrible things Quinn and Sandi have done.  It's all done in a pseudo-documentary style, with some of the characters silhouetted.  Unfortunately with their new looks and voices it's impossible to tell who's who.  It's a long drawn-out sequence, chewing up almost the entire third act, aiming at high satire but failing miserably.  Schumacher tries to get artsy and Goldsman's script tries to cram too much into the characters, too late.  Boy is it bad.  Bad bad bad bad bad.  We're talking bad with a capital SUCKS.

Sandi and Quinn protest their innocence, the latter uttering the obligatory F-word you can say once and still scrape a PG-13.  For the sake of spoilers, I'll avoid commenting on the ending, except to say that the whole thing closes with a lacerated version of Splendora's "You're Standing on My Neck", performed by, you guessed it, Mystik Spiral.

Okay, so the film's an abomination.  But at least things can't get any worse, right?  Wrong.  Two things can.  The first is a sequel that's already rumored to be in the works (gotta get it done fast, before the cast needs false teeth!)  The second and far more depressing rumor is that (again, according to "Daria" associate producer Seth Eastman) MTV apparently planned the movie to impact much of the show's fourth season, much like the sixth season of "The X-Files" being based on its feature film.  The Fashion Club plot has been resolved.  The Daria/Trent plot has been resolved.  You have to see the movie if you want to keep abreast of what's transpired on the show.  (They're a feindish bunch, MTV... too bad their marketing strategy turned on them.  It'd be funny, if it wasn't just plain sad.)

My advice:  fight it.  Don't go see this crap.  Even though you "need" to for the new season.  Let it die in theaters, let it die on pay-per-view, then rent it for a couple of bucks before the new episodes premiere in early March.  It's the only way to send a message to these people.  (God, I am so mad right now!)

I can't help but ponder Daria's comment on Jodie and Mack's entry in the school talent show:  "I think it's something from The Canterbury Tales...  before it was rewritten."  Is this Hollywood laughing at us, after taking one of the most inspired TV shows in years and twisting it beyond recognition?

I'm also reminded of one Lawndale High student's comment to Val, on Sandi and Quinn, which perfectly sums up my feelings for Schumacher, Goldsman, and all the producers and actors involved in this vapid, inane mockery:

"I wish them only the best.  They'll need it in Hell."

-- C.E. Forman
October 3, 1999
 

L. Martin Scribbler (of Martin’s Movie Mania)‘s review:

BUBBLY JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT AS DARIA LACKS FIZZ

Title: Daria (MTV/Touchstone)
Primary cast:  Jennifer Love Hewitt (Daria Morgendorffer)
   Christina Ricci (Jane Lane)
   Keri Russell (Quinn Michaelis)
   Jakob Dylan (Trent Lane)
   Denise Richards (Sandi Griffin)
Writer:  Akiva Goldsman
Director:  Joel Schumacher
Length:  120 min
Rating:  PG-13 (for violence, adult language, and adult content)
2/5 (wait till it’s out on video, and only then if you’re bored)

What happens when MTV’s best cartoon meets Hollywood’s worst director? Daria is the answer.  Away from the world of comic books, one might hope that Joel Schumacher (infamous director of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin) might be able to produce something worth watching.  That hope did not come to pass.  Teamed up again with the same writer that helped make him hated by Batman fans everywhere, together they have produced something which was angering fans of the cartoon even before it came out.  The movie centers around Daria Morgendorffer (Jennifer Love Hewitt of Party of Five and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, soon to have her own show, Time of Your Life), a teenager who is orphaned and moves in with her aunt Helen (Gates McFadden of Star Trek:  The Next Generation) and uncle Jake Michaelis (John Travolta of Face/Off and Look Who’s Talking).  Their daughter Quinn (Keri Russell of The Curve and Felicity), along with Sandi Griffin (Denise Richards of Wild Things and Drop Dead Gorgeous), head the Fashion Club and are controlling the local high school ruthlessly.  Daria quickly links up with Jane Lane (Christina Ricci of The Opposite of Sex and and the soon to be released Sleepy Hollow) and falls in love with her brother Trent (Jakob Dylan of the band The Wallflowers); there is also some implication of something between Daria and Jane, the innuendo being about as subtle as a blow to the head with a frying pan.  The love affair infuriates Sandi and Quinn, and soon they are out to sabotage it.  Some of the acting was disappointing, particularly that of Hewitt, who kept going in and out of monotone throughout the entire movie and did not pull off the sarcastic heroine of the cartoon very convincingly.  Frequently she was outshined by Ricci, who put up a valiant attempt given the thin writing and, this reviewer feels, would have been a better choice for the title role.  Memorable performances were also given by Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Home Improvement) as Upchuck, a fiendish Cassanova-wannabe who propositions every female character in sight, and Rose McGowan (Going All the Way, Jawbreaker) as Andrea “the goth chick”.  Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Drive Me Crazy) also did a surprisingly good job as Brittany, the head cheerleader, and the perhaps the best moment in the movie occurred in a poetry recitation done by Laura Prepon (That ’70s Show).  Ultimately, though, the writing and directing failed to do the cartoon justice, nor did the movie stand on its own.  There was nothing outcast about this “hot” Daria, who, without glasses and showing off her cleavage, differed only from the Fashion Club in appearance by the color of her clothes.  The entire shallow-deep dynamic was gutted, there being little difference between the popular crowd and the allegedly deeper outcasts.  The sibling rivalry, of course, was totally eliminated by the filmmakers taking Quinn’s assertion that Daria is her cousin seriously.  Whereas the cartoon has drawn out Daria’s crush on Trent even more slowly than the huge government conspiracy was revealed on The X-Files, Daria and Trent end up sleeping together disturbingly quickly in the film.  Of course, there’s a lot of fighting, eye candy, knees to the groin, and the lesbian kiss you knew was going to happen.  Is this the Daria that fans of the series love?  Only in Schumacher’s dreams—and fans’ nightmares.

L. Martin Scribbler
Martin’s Movie Mania
October 8, 1999

A review by “Klaymano”, AKA “The Quit”:

The Review...  a quite negative one...

Uh, waiter? Yes, can you order me a fake-ass movie with a side of chips?  That’s right everyone.  This movie couldn’t possible be a lame excuse for a money maker! My God! It wouldn’t even be a surprise if the cartoon creators of Daria would commit suicide-- Now, let me count the ways of how this movie made me vomit:

Acting- Now, let me just say this--the acting wasn’t *too* terrible, but I’ve seen better.  May I also say, what the hell is Jakob Dylan doing is this film??? People, come on--being a musician doesn’t mean you’re also an actor.  Jennifer Love Hewitt, playing Daria, was also, er--interesting.  But it’s just completely impossible watching her play Daria.  Nor was it possible watching Christina Ricci playing a very open bisexual.  Speaking of Jennifer and Christy, someone definitely had a major acid trip when casting.  In my opinion, Christina would have made an excellent Daria, wouldn’t you agree?  Uh, back to the point.  Everyone sort of kept in character, although it’s sort of a freaky over tone to them.  It’s like you know who they are, but you just don’t think you want to know.

Costume- Ha, completely laughable--although I guess it’d be hard for anyone to imagine Kevin and Brittany out of their usual sports wear.  May the writers burn in hell for allowing Daria to wear that tight black costume! And Jane for wearing THAT costume during Kevin’s party.  Yikes.  Well, maybe the only good costume was Brittany in that oh-so-skimpy wear-- “Ooh, Feisty!” Don’t get me wrong, Daria would look good in a new sleek dress, but I’m pretty sure when that wedding dress designer in the original cartoon said she didn’t have the hips, she meant it.

The Plot In My View- A COMPLETE rip-off of the cartoon with no original work done.  They were basically, poorly repeating the episodes done; this time putting it into, the what, 20-30 years into the future here? Yes, that’s right.  Everyone in the future now has a nifty Palm Pilot! Isn’t that cool???  No, people, it isn’t “cool”.  Last time I checked, Daria was pretty much set in the 90‘s.  The time where computers didn’t crash from the Y2K yet.  Might I also note that Upchuck and Brittany DO NOT know karate.  But, please, don’t stop me now.  Gees, what else could there be? Ah, yes.  I’ll just make another little list:

1.  Trent and Jesse are MUCH older and quit high school waaaaay long ago.
2.  Andrea never was in a band, would never give up that goth look, and is no way a slut.
3.  Amy Morgendorffer was never married and wasn’t the mother of Daria--.period.  But that assumption by Hollywood was pretty nifty for fanfic writers.
4.  Jane was not bisexual--although that remains to be seen--but she isn’t.  And she also doesn’t work with Mystic Spiral AND both her and Trent are real siblings.

There’s an awful lot more, but I’d be afraid to just spoil everything--.  Especially when they need to make money.  And trust me, they’ll need to make it.

-The Quit
 

A review by someone whom we have no idea who he is:

I must say, I wasn't sure what this would be like from the commercials, but if anything, it was better than I expected.  To start off, it stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and her amazing chest puppies in the role of Daria Morgendorffer (I don't know about that last name, but the first makes me think "porn star").  You can't tell me a body like THAT isn't a big plus!  A lot of other great actresses were in this babelicious megafest.  One of the best turn-ons in this film was Christina Ricci as Jane Lane. Christina has come a long way from being in Casper and The Addams Family, and now, having become a huge star (in more ways than one, two specifically), is great as this artsy lesbian chick who helps provide this girl-on-girl thing throughout the entire film.  (I swear, you will love the shower scene!)  And then you have appearances by megababes like Denise Richards (sadly, not topless, sniff, sniff), Melissa Joan Hart (trust me, the Force is with her!), and that Felicity chick who plays this evil bitch who tries to make Jennifer miserable (in a tight, pink t-shirt--YES!). Awesome story in this one, with this whole high school thing, totally like I remember it.  Lots of fights, lots of humor, an explosion, what's not to love?  This is Jennifer's best since Can't Hardly Wait!  I don't know who thought up this whole thing, but he was a genius!  Go out and see this movie now!
 

A review by "Anna":

Oh man, oh man.  I like the show but that movie sucked I saw the preview cuz my mom is journalist so we went to the premiere and it sucked The scenes where you laugh in the cartoon wasn't even funny in the film, it seemed more like a two hours video than a movie.  I swear the film had been paid by a clothing company.  The only character who was funny was Upchuck, Leonardo DiCRAPPYo (I'm sorry for the Ryan thing it wasn't true) as crappy as is name implies well, was bad.  I CAN'T believe he already had a nomination for the Oscars.  Jennifer love Hewitt seemed lost without a bad horror scenario (Another occasion missed to hear her cute scream) Quinn, well, she was just so un-Quinn.  Since when Quinn had curly blonde hair? John Travolta in Jake (man, I didn't have good source.  My best friend swears she heard it from her neighbor's cousin's stepbrother's girlfriend) well, one time it was funny, two times you want to run out of the theater screaming and the third time, you do it.  And what's the big thing with Andrea?

Anyway, don't go see that movie, you'll waste your money.  Go see Double jeopardy instead, it's funny to laugh at Tommy Lee Jones trying to escape to that old scenario.  The realisator did a really bad thing hiring Jennifer Hewitt, she'd be better as Quinn.

Copyright Anna October 5th 1999
 

"Spaz" pointed out this capsule review by Roger Ebert:

Guest critic:  Adam Carolla, cohost of MTV's Loveline

Daria

[C-Down] [E-Down] Jennifer Love Hewwitt, Christina Ricci, Keri Russell, Jakob Dylan, Denise Richards
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Written by Akiva Goldsman

Ebert:  "The casting of Jennifer Love Hewitt was unforgivable in a role which she had no chance of pulling off.  I'm sorry it wasn't her character who fell onto a cow at the beginning instead of her parents.  Most of these characters I really didn't care about at all, all of them shallow, just lumbering from one badly written scene to the next.  There were some good lines but the would-be sarcasm didn't work and most of the time the cast had nothing interesting to say and too many one-liners.  Aside from some of the cast, particularly Christina Ricci, trying the best they could with the writing, there wasn't much to hold my attention because the whole thing was boring.  The focus seemed mostly to be providing eye candy by putting young actresses in breast-emphasizing clothing in fight scenes and sexual situations.  Overall this movie didn't do the audience or the cartoon justice, just being lame, boring, and excruiciating, a complete waste of time."

Carolla:  "You know, this movie had everything I usually look for in a film.  It has the beautiful women with the nipples poking through the clothing, it has the lesbianism, it has the fighting, it has the sexual deviancy, it has a guy being tossed in a dumpster, but even I have to turn my nose up at this stinker and give it a thumb-down.  I mean, here we have two of the loveliest stars in young Hollywood pawing each other for two hours and it still couldn't keep my interest.  If I can give a thumb-down to a movie with two beautiful women together in the shower, you know it's bad."

Source:  Siskel & Ebert / Roger Ebert & The Movies Capsule Summaries
 

The following is the brief review by Leonard Maltin, which will appear in "Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia 2001".

Daria (1999) C-120m *1/2 D: Joel Schumacher.  Jennifer Love Hewitt, Christina Ricci, Keri Russell, Jakob Dylan, Denise Richards, John Travolta, Gates McFadden, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rose McGowan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Melissa Joan Hart, Joey Lawrence, Reese Witherspoon, Alyson Hannigan, Alicia Silverstone, and many others.  Mindless, numbing big-screen adaptation of the popular MTV cartoon.Ê Hewitt plays the title character, a sullen loner who moves in with relatives after her parents' deaths, and finds herself at war with her clique-queen cousin (Russell) for the affections of brooding musician Dylan.  The huge all-star cast, with the exception of Ricci as Daria's bisexual best friend Jane, is mostly wasted in a thinly plotted and pointlessly violent comedy, with only a vague resemblance to its original source.  You know a movie has problems when most of its "teen-friendly" cast look way too old for their roles!  Film debut of Wallflowers lead singer Dylan, son of Bob.  (PG-13)

Submitted by Danny Bronstein
 

This review was sent to us by Ben Breeck.

Daria (1999, MTV/Touchstone Pictures)

I saw all the hype about this film, as well as some negative reviews.  But instead of seeing this film on its first week, I went and saw Bats and Mary Catherine Gallagher:  Superstar instead.  Not until my local Blockbuster came out with it just recently (Yes, it took THAT long) that I was able rent it.  Even then, it went straight to the regular shelf as a five day rental.  Aside from National Geographic specials and the Japanimation section, the only other new releases to do that were the Lexx movie tapes when they first came out, and Femalien.  Even the straight to video tapes and DVDs usually went to the New Releases section.

After ponying up $2.65, plus tax, I now understand why.

To be sure, It wasn't THAT BAD (Compared to its negative hype.)  I had popped it into my machine expecting something that would make Porky's, Bachelor Party, Dumb and Dumber, and American Pie seem like the height of good taste by comparison.

That said, it was PRETTY BAD.  First of all, Daria is no longer Quinn's sister, but rather (truly) her cousin.  She's the daughter of Amy and Jake's brother Keith (Except they're not brothers in the movie; Jake's surname is "Michaelis")  She only wears reading glasses, and even then, not all the time.  Nick and Max are nowhere to be seen, and their places in Mystik Spiral have been replaced by Jane and Andrea.  Quinn, instead of being vain, shallow, utterly narcissistic, but still well meaning, is now an absolute bitch, who wears contacts and prescription sunglasses.  Jane is bisexual. The only recognizable faces are Upchuck,  Sandi, Kevin, Brittany, Joey, Jeffy, and Jamie.

As for the preformances, I feel let down.  Jennifer Love Hewitt (Daria) was the most wooden, unconvincing actress I have ever had the pain to watch. She came off as monotonous any time except when she needed it.  As an actress, I think she would make a great supermodel.  John Travolta (Jake) is a little better, but this simply was not the role for him.  Maybe he was distracted by the simultaneous preproduction that was going on for Battlefield Earth.  Maybe David Miscavige told him to do it.  Maybe his agent was bribed with an eight figure sum.  And who the hell came up with the idea to cast Sting as Van Driesen, or Leonardo DiCaprio as Jesse?  About the only charecters well cast were for Beavis, Butt-Head, Upchuck, and Brittany.  No, I take that back, Christina Ricci and Jakob Dylan were excellent as Jane and Trent.  (All things considered.)

As for the directing, editing, and scripting, well, it's so-so.  Were I the editor, I think that I could make the film twice as good with a little selective cutting.  I would eliminate the lesbian subtext between Daria and Jane, the shower scene in its entirety, the entire closing sequence (replacing it with a pure credit roll) and paint some glasses on Hewitt.  'Course, twice of nothing is still nothing.  Hewitt doesn't even do anything Daria-like until the movie's climax (except for the talent show).

Personally, I would wait until Kroger Video has rotated it to their 79¢ section, or never, If Kroger doesn't have a video section where you live. And even then, only show it as a practical joke on immigrants.  I hear that Schumacher has been given the boot, and Wes Craven will do the sequel.  I think the Wayans Brothers would be a better bet.  They could at least cast Mack better.