Nancy Drew (2002) Movie Review

Nancy Drew postcards and Nancy Drew-related books


I've read and watched and listened to and played quite a bit of Nancy Drew-related content. From reading The Secret of the Old Clock at age 11 to playing the Nancy Drew computer games to listening to podcasts, I have come to know a lot about the different versions of Nancy Drew. Like other detectives, I searched for the one I thought was the definitive Nancy and for me, it is Lani Manella from the computer games #1-32 (I have said this in previous posts). In terms of television and movies, Pamela-Sue Martin came close, but the creators kept changing the Nancy Drew lore around her, so it wasn't perfect for me. 

I usually prefer the original version of something, whether its book covers or certain actors portraying characters (Here's hoping Liam Hemsworth portrays a good Geralt!). So, when CW's Nancy Drew show was announced in 2019, and I saw it was similar in atmosphere to Riverdale, I didn't bother to watch the show and instead, watched Arglefumph's episode reviews to ensure that it was not something I'd like. And I was right! They changed Nancy's whole universe to the point where it's unrecognizable for me. It was the same thing with Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated, for example, where they introduced violence and weapons into the Scooby Doo world. And like Nancy Drew, I've watched almost every version of Scooby Doo out there.

Since this movie, The Wonderful World of Walk Disney: Nancy Drew, was made in 2002, I held out some hope that it wasn't terrible. It's a decent version that still has some of the basic elements of the classic Nancy Drew, so I wasn't too upset. The movie is available on Youtube (not HD quality, but it's still quite watchable):




Synopsis

Nancy, Bess and George attend their first day at River Heights University, exploring the campus and all it has to offer. Bess wants to join a sorority, so the Drew Crew go on a house tour. During the opening speech made by the sorority president, Allison Price, an ambulance takes away her fiancé, Jesse, to the hospital. Because Nancy is a journalism student and overhears Allison talk to herself with what sounds like an incriminating statement, Nancy senses a story and starts her investigation. 

Note: Many things in the movie are not explained and characters fail to achieve their potential. This is because the "movie" was a pilot for a series that didn't get picked up, according to IMDB. 


Nancy Drew The Secret of the Old Clock Book 1 yellow cover with Nancy on the cover in a green dress opening a clock while kneeling in the woods.
Book 1 of the classic Nancy Drew series, the 1987 edition

Nancy Drew Lore

Here are various elements I noticed that match the classic Nancy Drew lore. I will also point out similarities to other ND versions: 

Nancy, Bess and George all have their signature hair colors: titian, blonde and brunette. When Nancy doesn't have her blue roadster, it's usually a blue convertible, which we see in this movie's opening scene. 

Bess
Unlike in CW's Nancy Drew series, Bess and George are still cousins in this movie as they have always been since the 1930s. Bess is her cute, fashionable girly-girl self who is distracted by handsome guys. George mentions that Bess isn't great with technology, which many modern Nancy adaptations support. Depending on the adaptation, Bess can come across as dim-witted with strengths in other areas, such as being a social butterfly. I'm not sure which way they were aiming for in this movie since it was originally a pilot. 

George
George generally matches her original tomboy essence; she's on the same page as Nancy as both poke fun at the sorority that Bess desperately wants to join, and Nancy and George avoid being Bess's roommate because she is too materialistic. 

Togo, Nancy's bull terrier, from
The Lost Files of Nancy Drew
Nancy
Like in the classic books, Nancy's mother died when she was three, but the movie adds the detail that it was a heart attack. The Silent Spy, game #29 by HeR Interactive in 2013, also provided an explanation of her mother's death, but it was vastly different. Three cheers for Hannah, the housekeeper and Nancy's mother figure, being in the movie! In the classic series, Nancy's dog, Togo, starts off as a bull terrier, but is later changed to a fox terrier and then, a Scottish terrier. In The Secret of the Scarlet Hand, game #6 in 2002 (released five months prior to this movie), Togo is a bulldog, which we see on her laptop. When Nancy visits her dad and Hannah in the movie, we see, instead, what seems to be a golden retriever named Butch. 

Nancy is her usual intelligent self. She has technical knowledge of her car and complicated coffee machines; she is a smooth talker who persuades the campus guard to bend the rules about permit parking; and she watches sports enough to predict what the player will do. Nancy is prepared, as we find out during her phone conversation with Bess where we learn that she sent Bess a color-coordinated map of the campus since Bess isn't great with directions. Nancy has her confident essence (although it can be interpreted as arrogant and cocky). Like in the classic novels, she goes undercover once at the hospital to get Jesse's file and snoops in the school after hours as well as in the sorority house. In the sorority house, she manages to escape with her quick-thinking and create a diversion (although, she would have been caught if the owner of the shoes went to the source to see why her shoes were falling out the window). Nancy Drew, in general, still commits all kinds of crimes, like breaking and entering (B&E), etc.

Carson
Carson, Nancy's father, is in the movie like in the 30s and 70s Nancy Drew series. She discusses her scoop with him like she discusses her cases in the other two series. He is still a lawyer and is a loving father.

Hannah
Though she has a small role, (much like in the game series where she appears in only one game), Hannah is kind and loving, every bit the mother figure to Nancy. She mentions taking care of Nancy's laundry, cooking for the Drews, and taking care of the dog. According to IMDB, Hannah's last name is "Green" instead of "Gruen," but I'm wondering if this is a typo.

Each transition from the show to commercials has an illustration of the actress on the classic yellow Nancy Drew series, which the 2019 CW series imitates. Another connection between the games and this movie shows up: Nick Falcone in The Final Scene, game #5 (released in 2001), has the catchphrase "Fight the power!" which Hank says to Nancy.


 
1930s-, 1940s- and 1950s-women's fashions
from The Lost Files of Nancy Drew


Changed Lore

Time
As expected, this movie was made to reflect current day, so it has what we now recognize today as 90s/early 2000s music, fashion, etc. Nancy and the other characters also reflect the time through their speech, using phrases like, "That bites" and calling people "Honey" and "Babe," which may make some people cringe nowadays or feel defensive, especially if a male character is saying it to a female character. 

Place
The classic Nancy Drew series never stated exactly where River Heights is located, but many have speculated that it's near Chicago based on geographical clues throughout the different series. This movie supports that by placing River Heights in Indiana. We know they're in Indiana because the waitress at the diner says that their Boston Cream pie is the "best this side of Wabash." Now, there are two places called Wabash in Canada, but since River Heights University has a sorority, it's more likely that they're still in the USA. There's further evidence that supports that they're in Indiana when Nancy finds photos of Allison in high school and asks Bess, "Tipton High? Where is that, Indiana?"

Characters
The Drew Crew is in college/university (the characters call it college, but they attend River Heights university), but they are still 18 like in the classic series and in the games. Nancy goes through some growing pains, realizing that she can't rely as much on her dad to help her out as she did in high school. Her journalism teacher makes fun of her for mentioning that she'll research with her dad because it makes her sound like a child. Nancy also gets this kind of treatment from her father, realizing that he doesn't trust her to make good judgement calls because she's only 18.

Bess & George
George is concerned with political issues, which she comments on throughout the movie, specifying children living beneath the poverty level, the quality of the food at the café and going to a protest. Karen and Kelly of It's a Clue podcast will be happy to know that George is different from the classic books and says Bess is too skinny when Bess talks about how the sorority she wants to join makes new initiates put Botox-like markings on their body. George sticks up for her cousin.

Bess complains about sneaking around with Nancy, but actually likes the sleuthing when she admits, "So, the narrow escapes still give me a thrill. So, sue me."

Nancy
Nancy is a little harder to pinpoint when it comes to changes since so many people have written her character; even in the classic series, various ghostwriters wrote the books, and the books were updated more than once to match the times (learn more about this from Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak). In this movie, Nancy comes off as a know-it-all and a perfectionist, such as when she goes behind the counter to show Hank how to operate the coffee machine. With Detective Daly, she is pushy by immediately sitting in his chair when she enters his office (and he doesn't object to her doing so) and trying to pump him for information about Allison.
 
Nancy exhibits rapid deduction skills like Sherlock Holmes. However, Nancy is too much like the press and gets all up in Allison's face with the story she'll write. It's more about the story than the mystery. Like Nancy in the HeR Interactive computer games, she crosses boundaries by pushing suspects too hard and is insensitive at times; Nancy is rude when she ignores Hank at their first meeting in the dorm hallway. I'm not sure, but I got the impression that Nancy is a bit full of herself because she puts up framed newspaper articles of her past accomplishments as she sets up her desk; is that something people do for a dorm?

Like the computer game Nancy, she is a reckless driver in the opening of the movie: Nancy drives while on the phone (more than once) and drives into the other lane to pass a truck. In the introduction of The Haunting of Castle Malloy, game #21 (released in 2008), she talks on her cellphone to Ned, who comments on her driving while being on the phone. 

For drama and conflict, Nancy is not perfect in her investigation: she gets caught, is arrested and is bailed out of jail by Dad, who is not happy. Usually when Nancy is caught, it's by the confirmed culprit and/or their associates and she is tied up until they know what to do with her. In the games, there are various opportunities for the player to make the wrong decision and get caught by the culprit or the police.

In the movie, Nancy doesn't immediately ask the girls to help her investigate as she does in classic books or in the games. Bess helps her once on the spur-of-the-moment and then after she's been bailed out of jail, the Drew Crew agree to work together. I guess they were trying to show how independent Nancy is while demonstrating that she's taking on too much by herself?


Ned and Nancy from the cover of Book 42
of the classic series: The Invisible Intruder by Carolyn Keene


Ned and Nancy's Relationship

As Nancy leaves Detective Daly's office, she turns back and sees he's watching her, obviously impressed. This scene indicates that he is interested in her and because Nancy turned to look back, this could indicate that she is also possibly interested in him.

Nancy talks about Ned with Christina over the phone when Christina brings it up. Notice that Ned is immediately introduced to the story right after Nancy and Detective Daly seem interested in each other. Nancy seems uninterested that Ned called; she doesn't confirm Ned is her boyfriend, although Bess says they've been together forever. Additionally, Nancy says she never thought about her last name with Ned's if they were to marry, which also shows that she is not thinking about marrying him or committing herself to him. 

Ned's only in-person appearance is at the end. He shows up (how did he know where Nancy was?) His dialogue is mysterious and since the series was cancelled, nothing comes of it. Nancy doesn't seem committed to him and we're not sure why. Additionally, the movie changed Ned's career from selling insurance to accounting, although this still supports how boring a boyfriend Ned is, sadly.

Ned needs a plane to go back to Emerson College; we're not given any information about the location. His number changed, but we don't know why, and he doesn't tell Nancy what it is even when she asks him. Sadly, his storyline is completely left hanging and barely developed. We never find out what he wanted to talk about. 

I'm not keen on the language he uses in their conversation, such as his telling her to "Be good." I would understand "Be careful" as Frank constantly tells Nancy in the games or "Be safe", but "Be good"? Again, this indicates that another man in her life sees her as a child. He also kisses her on the forehead rather than the lips.

Looking at this movie with other Nancy Drew works in mind, there was a little more focus on the father/daughter relationship and the inclusion of Hank took away from Ned. Additionally, since Nancy is at college/university and Ned is already in his own college, there isn't an easy way of explaining his presence. This movie and most Nancy Drew-related works always give Ned the short end of the stick as a character and as a love interest for Nancy. Though Ned would probably have shown up more had the series been made, I have a feeling that he would have been like the Ned in the 1995 show, which may not have been good anyways. But we shall never know. It is ironic that when Nancy asks, "What did you want to talk about?" Ned's response is "...We have plenty of time to deal with that."


Nancy and Carson from The Lost Files
of Nancy Drew

Nancy and Carson

Nancy says her dad is her best friend and George mentions that he'd take Nancy on his cases where she learned to research and how the law works, etc. Nancy also has the habit of talking to her dad about her cases, much like the classic Nancy. So, why does Carson lack the confidence in his daughter's capability to break the story without negatively impacting her reputation and future? We are not given an explanation because there is no in-depth communication between the two of them, which contradicts their close relationship. Additionally, Nancy has solved previous cases or rather, has gotten the scoop in previous times, so why is it this story that Carson speaks to Nancy in this way? Why are his fears different now? She has solved and reported on other cases, as we see when she arrives at her dorm and ornaments her desk with newspaper clippings of her successes. As a lawyer, I would expect Carson to be a better communicator and know how headstrong Nancy is about finding the truth. 

Nancy has entered college/university, but still has the bad habit of relying on her father to help her out. Much like in the Nancy Drew games, she calls her father to ask for favors with the police and thinks that because he's a lawyer, she can volunteer his services to anyone in need and he'll fix their problem. Additionally, he refuses to speak with her over the phone because he realizes she's driving, but he never admonishes her for that behavior or even addresses it after she's arrived at the house.

At the police station when he bails her out of jail, Carson refuses to talk to her. I find this out of character and used to simply add more drama and push Nancy, our hero, further down so that her rise to success will be all the more sweet. Carson does not even apologize at the end or talk about anything that happened. He agrees to meet with Allison and potentially be her and Jesse's lawyer. Carson tells Nancy that he loves her only after she says it to him. She proved herself to her dad, but why did she need to in the first place?


Image from The Lost Files of Nancy Drew


Nancy Drew's Zodiac Sign

With Nancy's character having been written in the 1930s, Edward Stratemeyer and all who came after him to shape Nancy and her world probably didn't even consider what her zodiac sign would be. Fans and creators of other Nancy Drew-related works have put forth their own interpretations of her character. 

This movie by Disney has her confess that she's a "Sagittarius, Libra rising." Sagittarius emphasizes travel and truth-seeking, enthusiasm and variety. They can lose interest in projects before completion, and they can struggle with overconfidence. The Rising or Ascendant sign encapsulates the person's social behavior: their spontaneous reactions and the general impression you have on people. Libra sounds right because Nancy has that "justice for all" attitude. The movie writers definitely wrote Nancy according to her signs.  

This article that analyzes the CW's version of Nancy thinks along the same lines as Disney, arguing that Nancy is a Libra (as a Libra and mystery lover myself, I can definitely see that as I mentioned above).

The website Pure Wow, however, pegs Nancy as a Capricorn, highlighting her competitive nature and how she's "practical, no-nonsense and hard-working." However, I don't find Capricorn is the best fit for Nancy since there isn't any trait related to finding truth or seeking justice, which are strong motivators behind why Nancy solves mysteries.

The Nancy Drew 1995 TV show has an episode called "Happy Birthday, Nancy!" but it doesn't seem as though the writers chose a date. The airdate of the episode was September 30, which would support the article above saying that Nancy is a Libra. 

This post that ranks Nancy Drew from the HeR Interactive games puts Nancy as a Virgo. Screenrant, who classified Nancy as a Libra, doesn't think she's a Virgo because "Nancy is the kind of person who isn't after revenge, but justice for everyone." And I would have to agree. While Virgo is a likely candidate for Nancy since she has an inquisitive and logical mind, enjoys analyzing problems and is reliable, the driving force behind her is missing. Nancy sets her mind to catching the culprit and exposing them so that justice is served. 

Based on the CW's Nancy (the latest version in television), Society19 claims Nancy is an Aquarius, but I'm not sure I trust this article since Libra's description does not seem relative to any personality description I've read. They don't even mention Libra's dominant traits, such as indecisiveness, mediation, or judgement. Nonetheless, Aquarius is a sign that favors ideas and has a unique perspective which may give the impression that they don't care about people. They can be stubborn and inflexible once they've made a decision. Again, this sign is a good guess for Nancy's zodiac sign, but a lot is missing for it to match her character, I find. 


George, Bess and Nancy in Nancy's
convertible in Book 7 of the classic 
series The Clue in the Diary by
Carolyn Keene

Unexplained Elements and What Didn't Work

Regardless of this movie being written as a pilot, I will highlight what I found while watching the movie.

Christina's role in the movie is a plot device. She has character and is interesting, but she is left on the sidelines. She is introduced as the fourth roommate for the Drew Crew. Through her, Ned is introduced to the story and after that, well, she is seen hanging around with the Drew Crew a few times with a line or two and passes through the sorority house when the girls are taking the tour, but she doesn't do much for the story. 

When Nancy is in Detective Daly's office for the first time, he offers her his extension for her to contact him. However, he calls her later on to meet at the diner. How did he get her phone number? Additionally, Detective Daly randomly asks Nancy on a date after they've met once and talked solely about the case. For some reason, Daly doesn't specify that he is asking her out; she has no way of knowing he's not on official business since he asks if Nancy knows about a certain diner and adds, "Can you meet me there?" Because of her deductive skills, he assumes Nancy will know he asked out? 

Hank and Detective Daly have similar hair colors and haircuts. I'm not sure why the creators didn't choose different appearances because it can confuse viewers.

After Nancy has been caught by the coach for snooping and has made her phone call, the police officer allows the coach to talk to Nancy in an interrogation room while the officer stands outside. Is that not against police protocol? Or did they make an allowance because they know the coach?

After getting caught by the coach, arrested, making her one phone call, being interviewed by the coach and being released, we see Hank leave the closet to get the information Nancy printed out. Why did Hank wait so long before leaving the closet? It must have been hours! And why not get the information to her that night instead of the next day since they live in the same building?

The mystery doesn't get fully explained at the end like it would in most mysteries where the detective explains everything and ties up the loose ends. In this case, everyone just reads the story in the newspaper, and we see that the sorority sisters and Sweet Money came forward to support Allison. We don't know what information each witness gave. 


Image from The Lost Files of Nancy Drew


The Nancy Drew Community

Be sure to check out these known names in the Nancy Drew community for all kinds of Nancy content:

Other Nancy Drew Posts

I've written a few other Nancy Drew-related posts, so feel free to check them out: 

About Me

I have a freelance business where I offer editing, beta reading and ARC reading for mysteries, historical fiction and fantasy stories. Feel free to email me about your project. You can also follow me on Instagram.

Happy reading and writing!

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