Courtesy and civility are in short supply today. Very few adults seem to be modeling the spiritual values of putting others first and doing whatever we can to help. As a result, youth are at a loss when it comes to social etiquette, and some parents are having to enroll their children in classes to learn basic manners. In this context Nancy Drew offers a welcome portrait of a resourceful teenage detective whose chief character quality is courtesy. She loves solving mysteries because it is her way of helping others out.

Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts) lives with her widowed father Carson (Tate Donovan), an attorney, in the small town of River Heights. A super achiever in high school, she has earned high regard in the community by solving crimes. Ned Nickerson (Max Thieriot) has a crush on her and just doesn't know what to make of her many achievements. He is sad to watch Nancy and her father leave for Los Angeles, where Carson has a job for several months.

Nancy has rented a house in L.A. that was once owned by the famous actress Dehlia Draycott (Laura Elena Harring), whose death is shrouded in mystery. Although she has promised her dad to give up "sleuthing," this proves impossible because it is her passion. Before long, she is combing the house for clues of what really happened to Dehlia and why.

Nancy tries hard to fit in at Hollywood High School but as the "new girl in town" with a 1950s wardrobe, including penny loafers, she soon becomes the object of ridicule especially by Inga (Daniella Monet) and Trish (Kelly Vitz), two fashion obsessed teenagers. Luckily, Nancy finds a friend in Corky (Josh Flitter), a 12 year old who is very impressed with her take-charge attitude and her unbridled enthusiasm for solving mysteries. He becomes her partner as she begins to unravel Dehlia's story. Nancy soon makes contact with a young woman (Rachael Leigh Cook) who looks like the famous actress, the attorney (Barry Bostwick) for the Draycott estate, and the mansion's scary caretaker (Marshall Bell).

The character of Nancy Drew is very appealing. It's easy to root for this fearless 16 year old as she tries to solve a crime committed years ago. We love the ways in which courtesy determines her actions, even in life-threatening situations. For example, in probably the only car chase scene in the history of film where this happens, the heroine refuses to break the law by going over the speed limit! Running into some thugs who have been chasing her, she even says "Excuse me." Nancy marches to the beat of her own inner drummer and still manages to make a real difference in the lives of everybody she meets. Those are the marks of a real hero!


Special DVD features include both widescreen and full-screen on one disc; "Nancy Drew: Kids at Work"; a gag reel; a music video: Joanna "Pretty Much Amazing"; and a mini-featurette gallery: cool scenes with the cast and crew.