Drive Me Crazy (1999)

Drive Me Crazy is the kind of late-’90s teen romance that sneaks up on you: it looks like a familiar fake-dating setup, then wins you over with an easy warmth and a surprisingly grounded sense of growing up. Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier have a lived-in chemistry that makes the neighbors-to-something-more vibe feel earned, not manufactured, and the movie’s best moments come from watching two people try on different versions of themselves and realizing what actually fits. Director John Schultz keeps the tone bright and amiable, with just enough drama to give the sweetness some weight, and the whole thing hums along like a well-curated mixtape from that era. It’s not for you if you can’t stand high school social politics or PG-13 party antics, but if you want a charming, competent crowd-pleaser with a genuine heart, this one delivers.

Drive Me Crazy is aiming for that classic late-’90s teen rom-com comfort: fake dating, social-clique culture, and a sweet “maybe the right person was next door all along” payoff. The problem is it rarely rises above the formula, with thin writing and a predictable plot that can feel more like a teen-pop product than a story with real bite or surprise. If you’re allergic to shallow high school stereotypes, convenient misunderstandings, and scenes that play like a checklist of the era, this will probably test your patience. Still, Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier are likable, the pacing is breezy, and if you want low-stakes nostalgia more than originality, it does the job.