Never Been Kissed (1999)

Directed by Raja Gosnell. With Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon. A newspaper reporter enrolls in high school as part of research for a story.

Never Been Kissed is a 1999 romantic comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell, and stars Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Leelee Sobieski, Jeremy Jordan, Molly Shannon, Garry Marshall, John C. Reilly and James Franco in his film debut.

"Never Been Kissed'' stars Drew Barrymore as a copy editor for that excellent newspaper, the Chicago Sun-Times. I recommend its use as a recruiting film--not because it offers a realistic view of journalistic life, but because who wouldn't want to meet a copy editor like Barrymore? Even when she's explaining the difference between "interoffice'' and "intraoffice,'' she's a charmer. The movie's screenplay is contrived and not blindingly original, but Barrymore illuminates it with sunniness, and creates a lovable character. I think this is what's known as star power.

Many people wish they could go back to high school, knowing what they know as an adult; Josie Geller gets the chance to do just that in the comedy Never Been Kissed. Josie (played by Drew Barrymore) is a 25-year-old copy editor at a newspaper in Chicago. But it's her youthful looks as much as her journalistic skills that finally win her a writing assignment: she's ordered to enroll in high school posing as a teenager for a story on the state of America's youth. Trouble is, Josie was a hopeless nerd in high school (called

Amazon.com: Never Been Kissed: Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly, Garry Marshall, Sean Whalen, Cress Williams, Octavia Spencer, Sarah DeVincentis, Allen Covert, Armand Reiser, Alex Nepomniaschy, Raja Gosnell, Jeffrey Downer, Nancy Juvonen, Sandy Isaac, Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein: Movies & TV

Even when I saw the movie as a teenager, I really loved the idea of Never Been Kissed. It wasn't only because in 1999 I hadn't been kissed either, but because I loved the idea of returning to high school as an adult who knows better. I decided to…

Drew Barrymore has figured out what works, and what works for Drew Barrymore is this: Cinderella stories.

A journalist enrolls in her old highschool as part of her research for a story.

She's never been hip. Never been cool. Never been in... until now. Enjoy.

Josie Geller, a baby-faced junior copywriter at the Chicago Sun-Times, must pose as a student at her former high school to research contemporary teenage culture. With the help of her brother, Rob, Josie infiltrates the inner circle of the most popular clique on campus. But she hits a major snag in her investigation -- not to mention her own failed love life -- when she falls for her dreamy English teacher, Sam Coulson.