Film Review: Get Over It (2001)

Berke Landers (Ben Foster) and Alison (Melissa Sagemiller) were the quintessential high school couple. Now it’s over, Berke has to get over it in this rather amusing teen film that is loosely and blatantly based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Typical of the period, this film features everything you would want from a teen film in the early 2000s – cringeworthy moments, musical moments courtesy of star of the day Sisqo, and faces who are better known for much better things these days such as Mila Kunis (now of Family Guy), Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman, Fargo) and Colin Hanks (Fargo).

The thing that makes this film stand out is the subplot features – an almost totally unique selling point in that Berke’s parents (played by Ed Begley Jnr. and Swoozie Kurtz) host a sex advice chat show on television and therefore are remarkably fine with the party his friends arrange at his house (they could have sprung for a DJ), proud of him getting back on the dating scene so quickly (he got arrested at a sex club – in an amusing cringe scene with Carmen Electra) but are strangely unimpressed with him getting involved in the musical that thrusts this film forward ‘A Midsummer Night’s Rockin’ Eve – a musical version of the Shakespeare play with twelve original (cringeworthy) songs written by Dr. Desmond Forrest Oates (Martin Short).

Of course the actual plot is far more simple. Alison finds someone else in the form of Striker (Shane West) and Berke can’t handle it, so his friends help him get over it. And yes, you do get to see the musical.

Whilst the production values of the film are understandably cheap, this film is by no means tacky and is incredibly well produced and choreographed. Watching this again has definitely been a trip down memory lane and will certainly raise more than a few laughs with some amusing cameos. Whilst the music may not be entirely catchy, the competition and mutual hate between Striker and Berke as they play out their roles of Demetrius and Lysander respectively makes for incredibly amusing viewing. As Berke’s parents comment for the audience ‘it’s so real, you can almost feel the tension’.

Get Over It may not be available to view on Netflix or Amazon Video but is bound to be repeated on television at some point – alternatively the DVD can be purchased from Amazon at under £3 – and is well worth the watch.

Nutleyone rating: 4/5