Get Over It (film)

Get Over It is a 2001 American teen comedy film loosely based on William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream about a high school senior who desperately tries to win back his ex-girlfriend by joining the school play she and her new boyfriend are performing in, against the advice of friends. The film was directed by Tommy O'Haver for Miramax Films and written by R. Lee Fleming Jr. The film was released on March 9, 2001, and stars Kirsten Dunst, Ben Foster, Melissa Sagemiller, Sisqó in his film debut, Shane West, and Colin Hanks. The film grossed $19.9 million against a budget of $22 million and received mixed reviews.

Plot
After Berke Landers' girlfriend Allison breaks up with him, he tries to win her back by auditioning for the school play, despite having no theatrical talent. Meanwhile, his friends Felix and Dennis try to find him a new girlfriend.

With the help of Felix's younger sister Kelly, Berke wins a minor role in the play, a modern musical version of Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream called A Midsummer Night's Rockin' Eve, written and directed by the school's overbearing drama teacher, Dr. Desmond Oates. When one of the leads, the school's star actor Peter Wong, is injured in a freak accident, Berke takes over Wong's role of Lysander. He gradually improves with continuing assistance from Kelly, unaware of their growing attraction.

At a party thrown by Felix at Berke's house, Kelly kisses Berke, but he insists that a relationship between them could not work as she is Felix's sister. At the same party, Berke and Allison catch her new boyfriend Bentley "Striker" Scrumfeld cheating on her with her best friend Maggie. Allison breaks up with Striker.

During the intermission on the play's opening night, Allison confides to Berke that she wants to get back together with him. Meanwhile, Striker bribes two of the theater technicians to try to blow Berke off the stage using stage pyrotechnics. Before the play resumes, Felix gives the orchestra sheet music for a love ballad written by Kelly to replace Oates' unpopular tune.

When the curtain rises, Kelly sings her song so beautifully that Berke finally realizes he loves her. He abandons his lines from the script and improvises his own verse professing his character's love for Kelly's character Helena. The audience applauds as Berke and Kelly kiss. Striker protests this change, but unwittingly signals the technicians to set off the explosion, blowing him offstage and into the orchestral section.

Dennis kisses Kelly's friend and his dancing partner Basin, who kisses him back, suggesting that they also begin a relationship. Kelly and Berke leave the theater looking forward to their future together.

The film ends with Sisqó and Vitamin C singing and dancing along with the cast to the song "September" as the credits roll.

Production
Kirsten Dunst was originally offered the role of Allison but chose to play Kelly because the character had more singing sequences. The late singer and actress Aaliyah was considered for the role of Maggie in the film, but the part was given to Zoe Saldana.

Get Over It was filmed in Ontario, Canada. Filming began on June 1, 2000, and ended on August 2, 2000, lasting 63 days. High school scenes were filmed at Port Credit Secondary School. Other locations in Ontario included Mississauga, Toronto and Port Credit.

Release
The film was released in the US on March 9, 2001, by Miramax. The film then opened in the UK on June 10, 2001, by Momentum Pictures, and in Australia on September 6, 2001, by Buena Vista International.

Home media
The film was released on DVD and VHS in the US by Miramax Home Entertainment on August 14, 2001, and in the UK by Momentum Pictures on April 1, 2002. Special features include a commentary track with director Tommy O'Haver and screenwriter R. Lee Fleming Jr., deleted & extended scenes with optional commentary, and outtakes and a makeup test with Martin Short. Also included are the music videos "The Itch" by Vitamin C and an original song titled "Love Scud" by fictional boy band "The Swingtown Lads". The film was re-released on DVD on May 15, 2012, by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, as part of a deal with Miramax, and contains no special features or subtitle tracks.

Critical response
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a positive review and wrote it "breaks the formula for teen romances. Martin Short, as the vain and zany drama teacher, does not disappoint." A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote though the film "may be halfhearted…it's not entirely without heart, most of it supplied by its adorable central couple, Kirsten Dunst and Ben Foster", as well as Short's comedy. He concluded Get Over It "is mild, harmless and occasionally affecting, possessing the fizz of diet soda and the sweet snap of slightly stale bubble gum." Eddie Cockrell of Variety magazine gave a mixed review, describing the film as "A mildly diverting, largely inoffensive teen laffer that's long on cartoonish high school hijinks but short on dramatic concentration and crucial story details."

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "O'Haver, whose first film was the 1998 gay indie mini-hit Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, relishes the whooshing extravagance of top 40 camp that crests into ironic sincerity," citing scenes like the opening credits sequence. However, he described the film as "mostly an amateur-hour fiasco", said the central romantic pairing lacked credibility, and opined the only worthwhile performance was Short's. Ernest Hardy of LA Weekly also gave the film a negative review, calling it a "lobotomized updating of A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Box office
Get Over It grossed $11.6million domestically (United States and Canada) and $8.3million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $19.9million, failing to cover its production-only budget of $22million. It spent one week in the Top 10 at the domestic box office.

Music
The soundtrack album was released by Island Records on March 13, 2001.

Featured music
Other music featured in the film but omitted from the soundtrack includes:
 * "Happiness (The Eat Me Edit)" – Pizzaman
 * "Magic Carpet Ride (Matt Philly Remix)" – The Mighty Dub Katz
 * "Champion Birdwatchers" – LA Symphony
 * "Love Scud" – The Swingtown Lads
 * "Morse" – Nightmares on Wax
 * "A Little Soul (Lafayette Velvet Revisited Mix)" – Pulp
 * "Reach Inside" – Boh Samba
 * "Phthalo Blue" – The Fairways
 * "The Itch" – Vitamin C
 * "Get On It (Krafty Kuts Latin Funk Mix)" – Resident Filters
 * "Pass It On" – Keoki
 * "September" – Sisqó & Vitamin C