Rachael Leigh Cook is all that

Web posted on:
Friday, January 29, 1999 3:27:15 PM EST

From Correspondent Jim Moret

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- It's a lesson that has been learned before on the big screen: The lead character of a film learns how to interact with high society.

George Bernard Shaw took on the topic in "Pygmalion." Audrey Hepburn went from faulty to flawless in "My Fair Lady." Eddie Murphy became a crafty business man in "Trading Places." And Julia Roberts blossomed in "Pretty Woman."

Now, "She's All That" is hoping a similar plotline will lead to similar success.

Freddie Prinze Jr. makes over Cook's character on a bet

Rachael Leigh Cook plays loner Laney Boggs, the guinea pig for the experiment: A loner student at a snobbish high school in Los Angeles, she keeps to herself until a popular guy bets his buddies he can transform her in five weeks, and turn her into prom queen. As it turns out, she turns heads, and learns something along the way.

"She starts out just as prejudiced against the popular kids as they are to her," says Cook. "So it is really a trade-off. And they both get to realize that appearances aren't everything."

Freddie Prinze Jr. also stars as the high school hero, and he says this film has universal appeal.

"At some point in your life, no matter how beautiful you are, you have felt ugly," Prinze says. "And to see someone else who feels like that, you instantly relate to them."

Prinze, 22, says despite his current movie star status (he also starred in the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" slasher series), during high school he identified with a different crowd.

"I was what was then considered weird," he says. "Now they call me artistic."

Prinze and his castmates are not only enjoying the momentum of hot film careers, but they are also enjoying each other's company.

"Freddie is one of my best friends," says co-star Matthew Lillard. "So much of the day is when you have 15-hour days and it is just great to spend it with a friend of yours."

"Freddie is the sweetest guy," says Anna Paquin, who plays Mackenzie. "He really is an absolute sweetheart and I loved being on set with him."

"There's all these people your own age and you are laughing and joking around," says Jodi Lyn O'Keefe. "And it makes the hours go by a lot quicker."

"She's All That" opens Friday.