REVIEWS
THE HOUSE BUNNY
Directed by: Fred Wolf Starring: Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katerine McPhee & Beverly D’Angelo Studio: Happy Madison Productions Distributor: Columbia Pictures Release: Out now
For some, ‘From the writers of Legally Blonde’ is the perfect first introduction. Guaranteeed girly laughs, that fairytale ending and a lot of pink. For others, it would be another nightmare. And the story of The House Bunny didn’t sound much better. Starring Anna Faris as an aging Playboy Bunny, thrown out of the Mansion at the monumental age of 27, her character Shelley Darlington is homeless with nothing but her rusty car and 6-inch heels to keep her company. Driving through town, she stumbles across a street of university houses and sets her heart on taking 44 FAN THE FIRE NOVEMBER 2008
residence. Knocked back from the first few elite sororities without a wisp of a chance, the dolled up Shelley is taken in by Zeta to become the house mother. However, Zeta are more in need of Shelley than she is of the roof over her head. Outcasts at their university the sorority sisters are at risk of losing their house unless they can improve their social standing and gain new pledges for the next year. Shelley takes it on herself to reinvent the girls, with the help of a lot of make up, a lot of shopping and a fair few parties, and save Zeta from losing its sorority status.
While the plot does very little beyond the ordinary, in fact moves the other way in terms of morality and playing to stereotypes, The House Bunny is remarkably funny. The script is very dry with really effective dead pan humour, Emma Stone playing Zeta sister Natalie standing out in particular, while Anna Faris’ performance cannot go unnoticed. The House Bunny might require you to burn off your brain for 98 minutes, but if you go with it, you’ll come out having had a barrel of laughs. Men included.
★★★★★