In 1995, Oklahoma housewife Stacy Baker sent a topless photo to Gallery, a men's magazine which printed it in their "Girl Next Door" feature. The photo prompted an invitation from Hustler to pose for a photo spread, which led to an offer to star in a porno movie, and Stacy soon left her husband, headed to Los Angeles, and never looked back. A few years later, she was making up to two thousand dollars for each sex scene she performed on camera. The Girl Next Door examines Stacy Valentine's new life and career as one of the leading stars in adult entertainment, as she explains her success ("I know I'm good at sex"); deals with her mother, who remains supportive but refuses to see her daughter's movies; shares the occupational hazards of life as a porn star (frequent rounds of plastic surgery and the difficulty of maintaining a romantic relationship); and struggles to live a normal life in a business that doesn't always encourage it. The Girl Next Door was directed by Christine Fugate, who previously made several acclaimed documentaries for PBS, including
Tobacco Blues and
Mother Love, and worked on the Playboy Channel's magazine series Sexcetera. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide