kcw | reviews | dvd << Previous Page | Next Page >>
Year:    2004
Studio:  New Line Cinema, Film Engine
Feature: 3/5
DVD:     1/5

Raise Your Voice is a typical pop-singer star-vehicle movie designed to showcase the singer's talents and good looks. Hilary Duff plays Terri, a small town girl who dreams of being a singer. She wins an invitation to a pretigious Los Angeles conservatory but her dad (David Keith) won't let her go. So mom (Rita Wilson) and aunt (Rebecca De Mornay) hatch a plan: Terri will be "visiting" Aunt Nina in Los Angeles.

Once at the school Terri has a hard time integrating with her fellow students and with the schoolwork. There's a budding relationship with a boy, Jay (Oliver James); getting along with the roommate, Denise (Dana Davis); and helping her weird friend Kiwi (Johnny Lewis) win the love of the piano girl Sloane (Kat Dennings). Everything culminates in a grand competition to win a scholarship for next year.

The tone of the movie is a drama, a coming-of-age story. The big variant here is that at the beginning of the film Terri and her brother Paul (Jason Ritter) are in a horrible car accident that kills Paul. Terri spends most of the movie being sad and blaming herself over Paul's death and yet determined to succeed because that's what he wanted for her.

I thought it was an ok movie. Very predictable so the question is whether Hilary Duff acts well. Years of television acting have trained her and this role adds some dramatic acting for Ms Duff. And she does sing a couple of songs so that's nice.
Extras

Deleted Scenes - 5 minutes of minor stuff
Outtakes - 4 minutes some of it amusing
Behind the Scenes - 7 minutes
Music Video - "Fly" (Hilary Duff)

Copyright (c) 2005 Kevin C. Wong
Page Created: March 28, 2005
Page Last Updated: March 28, 2005