Carr continued, “Well, maybe it didn’t happen exactly that way for me. Maybe I can more relate to the side story of Lizzie McGuire’s dorky best friend Gordo who looks out for her every clumsy step of the way, desperately hoping that she will one day actually fall for him.”
Fans of the “Lizzie McGuire” show on the Disney Channel, mainly consisting of a demographic of pre-teen and teenage girls, are going to love “The Lizzie McGuire Movie.” If you’re not a fan of the television show, then odds are the movie is not meant for you. Carr noted, “If the hordes of screaming kids in the audience at the screening I saw is any indication, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” hits its mark.”
“The Lizzie McGuire Movie” begins where the final season ended on TV. Lizzie, played by Hilary Duff, is graduating from junior high school and has chosen to go on the class trip to Rome. While there, Lizzie runs into Paolo, played by Yani Gellman, a European pop star. Paolo explains to her that she is an almost perfect doppelganger for his singing partner Isabella, also played by Duff. While the rest of the class looks around Rome, Lizzie sneaks away with Paolo, who wants her to stand in for Isabella for their appearance at the International Music Awards.
Covering for Lizzie is Gordo, played by Adam Lamberg. Carr said, “For those in the “Pretty in Pink” generation, Gordo is Lizzie’s Ducky – her best pal who secretly has a crush on her.” Obviously, like many teenage girls, Lizzie is oblivious to this and has no doubts about telling Gordo all her feelings for Paolo. In the end, Gordo isn’t taken in by Paolo’s charms and makes it his mission to be sure his best friend isn’t hurt.
Carr noted, “The Lizzie McGuire franchise is really a vehicle for Hilary Duff, Disney’s latest teenage heroine. With Britney Spears making her virginal image less and less believable every day, and Christina Aguilera dressing like a drunken Las Vegas stripper, Disney is grooming a new child star to be the latest role model for American girls.”
Carr continued, “If you’re bored one day and want some real entertainment, hop on the Internet and go to your newsgroup of choice (Google is a good place to start, but even a visit to the IMDb message boards will do the trick). Search for “Hilary Duff,” and you will be alarmed at how time and energy Internet users devote to this 15 year old’s career.”
Carr admitted, “In general, I have to say that I like Hilary Duff. She’s cute and seems pretty down to earth. Now, how will she end up when she becomes an adult after years of Hollywood pampering? Well, the jury’s still out on that one. I’ve seen first hand how an up-and-coming 15-year-old actress (who will remain nameless) turned into a sudden diva in just two weeks on a shoot because she was pampered. And that was just for a $300,000 independent film.”
You will be surprised at not just how many fans Duff has on the Internet (which might include a large amount of sycophantic middle-aged men along with the large number of teenage girls). But you will be even more surprised at how many people don’t like her. Carr admitted, “Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve been known to lash out against some of America’s on-screen sweethearts (the one topping my current list is Gwyneth Paltrow, whom I detest to the depths of my very soul), but the amount of flames launched at Hilary Duff is just ridiculous.”
Carr compared, “Yeah, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” is riddled with more cliches than “Titanic” meets “Pearl Harbor.” Yeah, most of the characters have about as much depth as a backyard puddle after a rain storm. Yeah, this has a plot about as complicated as you might find in an old “Sweet Valley High” book.” But what do you expect?
Generally, the acting was constantly average, and at some parts bad. The best acting comes from MadTV alum (famous character is Ms. Swan) Alex Borstein (voice of Lois Griffin, Tricia Takanawa, Loretta Brown and Barbara Pewterschmidt from “Family Guy”) as Principal Ungermeyer, the highlight of many scenes from the main cast. Duff herself has a Lizzie McGuire act that she falls into too easily in this film. Will she prove to be a good actress years later? Possibly, if she goes beyond the usual Lizzie McGuire routine.
Carr ended his review by saying, “At the very least, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” gives America a chance to watch Duff develop on screen, not just as an actor, but also how the world watched as Angela Cartwright developed on “Lost In Space.””
As a person who only saw commercials of the show and never watched it when it was airing, I found myself liking this movie. I know that sounds surprising for someone who says that about a movie that is targeted towards teenage girls, but I remember seeing commercials of this movie, but had no interest in seeing it. However, when I saw it, I surprisingly got into it. Check it out if you have seen the show because I think you might like it. I was familiar with the show a little, and this movie I wasn’t expecting to like, but I did, especially the song This is What Dreams Are Made Of. I also, I don’t know why, listened to this film’s version of Supermodel, probably because of how catchy it was, but it’s funny when you think about it.
Tomorrow I will look at another adaptation of a Disney Channel Original Series in “Disney Month 2021.”
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