Pooja Sharma
Directed by Joel Gallen, ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ is a teen romance parody film that follows the lives of students in the stereotypical high school community of Southern California. It centers upon the lives of high school students Jake, Janey, and their peers who try to maintain the status quo. As such, movie released in 2001 encapsulates the persistent illusion of cliques in college and high school created by teen movies. By altering the appearance of the high school outcast and turning a ‘nerd’ into a prom queen, the film takes viewers on a journey of the bustle of high school life.
Loosely based on the plot of ‘She’s All That,’ ‘Varsity Blues,’ ‘10 Things I Hate About You’, ‘Can’t Hardly Wait, and ‘Pretty in Pink, the movie satirizes the tropes followed in any average teen movie. With compelling performances by Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, and Eric Christian Olsen, it touches upon the key tropes in the movies of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The scenic backdrop of California lent itself to the production of ‘Not Another Teen Movie.’ It is natural for fans to be curious about the exact film locations, and we’re here to explore the same. Let’s dive in!
Not Another Teen Movie: Where Was it Filmed?
‘Not Another Teen Movie’ was shot primarily across California and emanates the essence of a stereotypical high school teen movie. Featuring an ensemble cast and the lives of young students, the production began on February 21, 2001, and the principal photography was done by April 27, 2001. Let us delve deeper into the details of the filming sites.
Locations in Los Angeles County, California
The house-party scene shot at 4160 Country Club, Long Beach, in Los Angeles, adds another layer of common sequences seen in teen romances. Another location showcasing Jake’s house was also Patrick Swazye’s mansion in Donnie Darko, located at 4254 Country Club Drive in Long Beach.
A portion of ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ was shot in the city of Monrovia, in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County in California. With the majority of the scenes shot to amplify the setting of a traditional high school, the Monrovia High School at 845 West Colorado Boulevard helped serve as the site for the filming of several sequences. The scenes set in the football stadium, the high school cafeteria, the school’s exterior, and even the hallways were reportedly shot in Monrovia.
To perfectly encapsulate the essence of youth movies, the location of Torrance High School, 2200 West Carson Street at El Prado Avenue in south Los Angeles, helped serve as the perfect site for teens to fulfill their skewed aspirations. Also used as the filming site for ‘She’s All That,’ the location helped embody the parody seamlessly.
“The Prom Tonight” song and dance sequence begins with a shot of Jake along the Santa Monica Pier, particularly Rae’s Restaurant at 2901 Pico Boulevard. Relaying the essence of a standard teen rom-com with an emotionally torn protagonist, the squawking of the seagulls adds yet another humorous tone to the infamous lyrics sung at the Santa Monica pier by Jake.
Similarly, the Verdugo Hills High School at 10625 Plainview Avenue in Tunjunga, which is also the filming site for the ‘80s classic ‘Heathers,’ served as the perfect stand-in for John Hughes High School in the film, helping the production team epitomize the essence of every youth movie shot in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
The highlight of any teen movie is its prom. Naturally, the wood-paneled ballroom of Park Plaza Hotel at 607 South Park View Street in Los Angeles helped create the perfect sequence. As one of the most used locations in LA, the former Elks Building, built in the 1920s, helped serve as the exclusive site for the filming of the hotel where the Senior prom is held.
No standard teen rom-com is complete without its end, culminating in a chase and the protagonist professing his love. Naturally, when Jake arrives at the airport to stop Janey from leaving the country for an art school in Paris, the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) serves as the perfect backdrop.
Adding to the scene is Molly Ringwald’s cameo and making ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ one of the greatest parodies ever. The Sony Pictures Studios at 10202 West, Washington Boulevard in Culver City, were used to enhance the production value and showcase several of the movie’s interior scenes.
Read More: Is Not Another Teen Movie (2001) Based on a True Story?
