Amanda Bynes may not have decided to follow the Lindsay Lohan path to self-destruction, but that doesn't mean her career's in any better shape. After a rather impressive supporting turn in this summer's Hairspray, Bynes is back to clunkers like Sydney White, a spin on the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fairy tale that posits her earnest sorority pledge as the unlikely leader of a group of male misfits one day, campus conquerer the next.
Sydney (Bynes) isn't at all like the blond, size 2 girls that flock to Kappa, but her dead mom was a sister, which should make her a sure thing. Until she dares talk to the sorority head's ex and commits enough various other no-nos to get turned down. Needing a place to stay, Sydney ends up at the Vortex, a forgotten building where approximately seven "misfits" crash. She's a queen to these guys, who aren't merely stammering nerds, they're infantile – and you're too busy wondering what the hell is wrong with these characters to feel sympathy.
Sydney White is ridden with bad dialogue, strained humor, and eye-rolling cliches, including Sydney's "perfect" love interest who is not only a quarterback, he's nice to the nerds and feeds the homeless. There's an inevitable backstabbing involved, with never any doubt as to whom will come out on top. But when Sydney gives a triumphant, "Let's hear it for the dorks!" you'll be heading for the exit instead of cheering.