I don't understand why the ratings for this are so low across the board. The satire is extremely well observed, and the application of parody nearly flawless. The only place _NATM_ really lost me was at the idea that "Janey isn't attractive with her ponytail and glasses". Honestly, her normal self is much cuter than "the new and improved Janey Briggs" who goes to the party and the prom.

Well, OK, I also see where some other commenters are coming from about "toilet humor" and such; some _very_ over-the-top gags did temper my overall rating _a little_. (For example: [spoiler]The peeping toms falling through the floor along with the girl they were spying on was hilarious; the toilet spraying an absolute crap-ton of excrement at them afterward was unnecessary.[/spoiler]) But those were such small parts of an otherwise superbly executed film that it doesn't seem fair to tank its rating because of them.

Including background and bit parts, there are _tons_ of connections to (sometimes future) teen sitcoms, movies, and other media: _Even Stevens_' Coach Tugnut as the football announcer; _How I Met Your Mother_'s Ted Mosby as the guy who introduces us to the school; _The A-Team_'s Mr. T as… well, best not spoil that one. There are so many actor connections, tiny prop/costume details, musical references, and miscellaneous touches included, it's impossible for me to list them all. I could rewatch the film five times, taking meticulous notes each time, and still miss half of them.

Clearly I'm not alone in thinking this was a hilarious movie. Based on reading other people's reviews, I guess it's just one of those things you either love or hate, and I'm in the camp that loved it.