On the whole, I’d have to say that I am generally not in favor of books-to-screen adaptations where Hollywood takes liberty with our favorite characters and makes them unrecognizable. However, in the case (pardon the pun) of Emma Roberts’ Nancy Drew (2007) I’ve no objections. I saw this movie when it first came out on DVD and I’ve seen it several times since, purchasing my own copy for our home library. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should know that some “poetic” license is taken with the character. Still, I thought it was tasteful and rather funny how the movie makers both poked fun at Nancy as well as created an interesting character that you would want to meet and be friends with.
To make this movie unique, it is set in contemporary times (in this case, 2007). However, Nancy’s character loves vintage style clothing and so she is still dressed as you would expect her to be, sporting styles from the 60’s and 70’s. This didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I thought it rather clever to appeal to both the modern audience and the classic Nancy Drew fan. In this particular movie version we find Nancy being whipped off to California where her father, Carson Drew, has an opportunity to work on a big case. As we know from the books, Carson worries about Nancy’s safety as she is sleuthing. However, he accepts Nancy for who she is, encouraging her to use her skills of deduction to help people. In this movie version, Carson is so worried about his daughter that he requests that she stop sleuthing all together and just “be a normal teen.” However, being Nancy, she finds a mystery and she can’t help but want to solve it.
There are certainly aspects about this particular film that I didn’t like. Nancy can’t make herself be a ‘normal teen’ (i.e., be interested in fashion magazines, boys and wild parties) and so she hides her work from her father. Ultimately, this lands in her a heap of trouble though, so I felt like her disregard for her father’s wishes was handled well in the end. Ned is played off as being very weak and stupid, hardly worthy of the well-loved Nancy. However, when it comes down to the wire, Ned reminds Nancy that her father made a specific request of her and points out the fact that she is deliberately disobeying. (Three cheers for Ned on that one!) The girls that Nancy hangs around are annoying to me, as they are more concerned with making fun of Nancy and changing who she is, then they are at making a true and genuine friend. These concerns aside, I really do enjoy this movie as entertainment.
The mystery that Nancy has to solve in the movie is related to a haunted house. Nancy and her father rent a house in California that was previously owned by the late actress, Dehlia Draycott. Draycott dies under mysterious circumstances and Nancy naturally wants to find out who killed Dehlia and why. Will she do it?! Well, you know Nancy! She always saves the day.
Like I said, I enjoyed this movie but I recognize that a great many liberties were taken with the screen play. They used the same characters, same names and same general personality quirks. Nancy is admirable and fun. She makes me want to wear vintage dresses. She almost makes me want to own a blue roadster (almost, but not quite). You have to be ready to just have FUN with this movie in order to enjoy it, I think. If you take it too seriously, you’ll hate it. That said, if you find yourself amused by this particular screen version you’ll be happy to note (as I am) that there is a sequel, again starring Emma Roberts, due out in 2011. I’ll be waiting for it. In the meantime, I’m enjoying revisiting Nancy both on screen and in her original book form during the Children’s Classics Mystery Challenge. I hope you are having as much fun as I am with it!
Nancy Drew was one of Carrie’s best friends growing up. Carrie still makes a habit out of befriending literary characters and blogs about them regularly at Reading to Know and Reading My Library.
Jody says
I use to always read the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books.
Jennifer (5 Minutes for Books) says
This review was fun to read. I haven’t seen the movie, and I’m not sure if Amanda ever did either (I think she probably did).
Stephanie's Mommy Brain says
I haven’t seen this movie. Partly because I’m afraid I won’t like it and then I won’t be able to get the movie version of Nancy out of my head. But… since you enjoyed it, maybe I’ll give it a try.