RAISE YOUR VOICE

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Rated PG (for thematic elements and language). 103 minutes. Directed by Sean McNamara.

“Raise Your Voice” stars Hilary Duff as Terri Fletcher, a small-town girl who loses her will to sing after the sudden death of her older brother. She decides that attending a summer camp for gifted musicians in L.A. is just the thing to help her move on.

Her Dad (David Keith) is against the idea, because “terrible things can happen to a young woman in Los Angeles.” So her Mom (Rita Wilson) conspires with her artistic Aunt Nina (Rebecca De Mornay) to sneak her off to camp.

Once there, Terri finds herself overwhelmed by the snobby kids and highly competitive program, but rises to the occasion with the help of some new friends, a nice boy (Oliver James), and an encouraging music teacher (John Corbett).

WHAT I LIKED: Hilary Duff is not hard to look at, and her smile is one of the best in the business. There are also good messages in this movie about being true to yourself, carrying on in the face of tragedy, and overcoming loss and guilt to succeed in life. This movie also has a stellar cast and some fun music.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Not much new in this predictable plot, and you get the feeling that it’s all a big showcase for Duff’s musical career.

THE WRAP-UP: Girls aged 8 to 12 will love it, but for most of us, “Raise Your Voice” will probably make us want to go home and lie down from boredom.

SCORE: 2 out of 4 Reels.

Jane's Reel Rating System:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Pleasant. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

E-chat with me at jane@reellifewithjane.com - I LOVE to talk about movies!

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