Barnes & Noble

The enormously appealing Kirsten Dunst, probably the best of today's young Hollywood actresses, acquits herself handily in Crazy/beautiful, a sincere, thoughtful, and well-written teen romance. She plays the spoiled daughter of a prominent California congressman (the always superb Bruce Davison); a willful, self-destructive girl who masks her insecurity by treating life as one big party staged solely for her benefit. Relative screen newcomer Jay Hernandez, in his first leading role, registers solidly as the ambitious barrio boy whose chance encounter with Kirsten leads to romance -- a romance that threatens his future when her reckless behavior nearly costs him an appointment to Annapolis. Crazy/beautiful should not under any circumstances be mistaken for one of the innumerable crass, witless teen movies that have proliferated in recent years. Director John Stockwell (Under Cover), blessed with a meaty script and well-defined characters, brings out the best in his talented young leads; Dunst, in particular, has never been so achingly vulnerable on screen. The well-crafted situations have the ring of truth, and while the denouement might be a bit too pat, it's certainly not deleterious to the movie's overall effect. A teen movie with brains and heart, Crazy/beautiful is not likely to be soon forgotten by viewers of any age. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

The Romeo and Juliet story has been modernized to a high school setting previously, but this romance from director John Stockwell turns the tale inside out. Jay Hernandez stars as Carlos Nunez, a poor but athletically gifted Latino teenager who endures a two-hour bus ride every day from East L.A. to attend the posh, wealthy Pacific Palisades High School in Los Angeles on a football scholarship. A straight-A student, Carlos is focused and driven, but his future is cast in doubt when he becomes the flirtation target of spoiled, self-destructive bad girl Nicole Oakley (Kirsten Dunst), who's the daughter of a prominent congressman (Bruce Davison). When his friends, family, and even Nicole's own father oppose the romance for Carlos' sake, he chooses to ignore their advice and stubbornly pursues his relationship with Nicole, whose feelings grow from simple physical attraction to something much deeper. Crazy/beautiful is directed by writer, actor, and director John Stockwell, who also penned the same year's Rock Star. Karl Williams

Entertainment Weekly

Dunst, in her finest performance yet, has now transcended her fellow teen stars. Owen Gleiberman

New York Post

Wonderfully unsentimental and smart. Jonathan Foreman

Product Details

• UPC: 786936164725
• Source: TOUCHSTONE / DISNEY
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 1:39:00
• Sales Rank: 18,997

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• She's All That & crazy/beautiful

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