“The Girl Next Door” follows a subject getting a lot of attention in documentaries these days. The world of porn. For two years, director Christine Fugate followed Stacy Baker and documented her transformation from an Oklahoma housewife with an abusive husband to the heights of porn stardom as Stacy Valentine. The film does not sugarcoat Stacy’s life in any way. We see her unsuccessfully try to maintain a relationship with her boyfriend while still “acting.”
By the end, I really felt sorry for this woman who is so desperate for recognition that she travels all the way to France to receive an award for her work in adult films. I was also shocked to learn that those moans of pleasure we hear in adult films are often fake, proving that thos thespians who appear in porn can act after all.
We also observe Stacy’s pursuit of the perfect body as she goes through numerous surgeries for breast enhancement and liposuction. These scenes are graphic and startling. Any thoughts I had about getting breast implants have completely disappeared after seeing this film.
“The Girl Next Door” is a compelling documentary that tells its story without being exploitive. (Which is really difficult considering the amount of nudity in this film, but trust me, it’s not erotic.)
“Scared Straight” taught young boys about the dangers of a criminal life and the world inside prison. “The Girl Next Door” could be for girls what “Scared Straight” is for boys, showing the dangers of certain lifestyles. Any girl even considering entering adult films as a profession should see this film so that they are aware of the harsh realities. It is not pretty.
