Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
***
PG, 86 m Starring Lindsay Lohan, Adam Garcia and Alison Pill. Directed by Sara Sugarman. Opens tomorrow.
Since her first pairing with Disney for the 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap," Lindsay Lohan's sassy style has graced the screen for several rather enjoyable family films. Last summer's remake of "Freaky Friday," which set Lohan opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, was remarkably well acted and a refreshing oasis in an otherwise dry season of movies. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" differs from Lohan's previous two films in that she is no longer supported by well-respected, top-notch actors; now Lohan is billed as the star. And, for the most part, this works. Lohan has enough energy and sass to carry the film, but at times, because most of the cast is not well-known, it feels like the film is a high-budget, made-for-TV movie.
Lohan plays Lola Cep, an overly dramatic 15-year-old who is uprooted from her home in the Big Apple and trasnported to the New Jersey suburbs. Lola comes from a less well-to-do family than the rest of those in her new home of Dellwood, N.J., although her Cher-like wardrobe has you assuming otherwise. Within five minutes of entering her new high school, Lola has acquired a nerdy best friend and a mortal enemy who looks like she has walked straight off the emaciated runways of the fashion industry.
Ella, played by Alison Pill, quickly becomes Lola's best friend due to a mutual love of the rock band Sid Arthur. The girls love Sid Arthur and its lead singer Stu (Adam Garcia) in an obsessive way that has to be unhealthy.
Lola, eager to jump into the spotlight, auditions for the school musical "Eliza Rocks!", a rather loose interpretation of Pygmalion. Much to the dismay of popularity queen Carla, Lola lands the lead and Carla declares war. So, when Sid Arthur breaks up, Carla brags to Lola that she's been invited to the band's final concert, and the party afterwards at Stu's house. Lola, ready to impress, lies and claims that she too has tickets.
After this setup, the suspense begins to build. Will Lola and Ella get into the sold-out Sid Arthur concert? Will they find and get into the after-party? And more importantly, will Lohan have the perfect outfit to wear when she meets Stu?
Of course, it is fairly easy to determine the answers to these questions because the film is pretty predictable. What is unexpected, however, is how much the film aims to teach. Most films geared toward younger teenage girls are all about the boys and makeup, and while this film certainly showcases both, it also has some positive messages.
The lesson that it is important to dream big and reach for the stars is a valuable one. While most girls who lust after Justin Timberlake will probably never get to meet him, this film highlights that there is nothing wrong with hoping that you will.
One of the most admirable things about "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" is its emphasis on career and personal relationships over gaining a cute boyfriend. There is still the inclusion of a love interest for Lola, but it is very clear that he is a secondary interest. Too often, young adult films preach the traditional Cinderella story in which the needs and goals of the lead female are met when she unites with a boy. Here, Lola is confident and career-driven, a refreshing deviation from many contemporary films.
This film is not perfect and will probably annoy a lot of the viewers who are not of a certain age group. Lohan's clothes and makeup are beyond over the top, and her dramatics often reach the point where they are no longer cute. There is also the irritating inclusion of several marketing ploys often found in Disney films. Lohan is, of course, provided with a "hit" single to sing in the film, which has, of course, already been made into a music video. It is often evident that scenes or outfits are added to the film simply to make Lohan look good, and while they are successful, there is an overwhelming sense that much of it is gratuitous.
Despite its apparent issues, "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" is a fun, feel-good movie that truly succeeds in entertaining. And at the risk of instigating a feud, Lohan is a much more interesting actress than her real-life mortal enemy Hilary Duff.
Continuing coverage of Lohan-Duff superstar cat fight
Forget the controversy that Mel Gibson's religious epic "The Passion of the Christ" is causing, because it pales in comparison to the epic feud that has saturated American youth - especially pre-teen girls: The celebrity feud between "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" starlet Lindsay Lohan and Miss "Metamorphosis," Hilary Duff. Let's take a look at how this feud began and where we stand today.
1998: At 12, Lohan starred as both twin sisters in the Disney remake of "The Parent Trap" with Dennis Quaid, while an 11-year-old Duff played opposite the friendly ghost in the straight-to-video "Casper Meets Wendy." Edge: Lohan.
2000: Thirteen-year-old Lohan is relatively unseen in 2000's TV movie "Life Size" with supermodel Tyra Banks.
2001: Duff, now 13, scores the lead on Disney TV series "Lizzie McGuire," which becomes an instant success and pushes Duff to the forefront of kids' TV.
Edge: Duff.
2002: Pop singer Aaron Carter (brother of Backstreet Boy Nick) allegedly cheats on his then-girlfriend Lohan with Duff. Duff claims she thought they were broken up, according to "Celebrity Gossip" at Netscape.com. Edge: Lohan.
Summer 2003: Duff takes "Lizzie McGuire" to the big screen and it is a surprise financial hit. However, Lohan's teaming with Jamie Lee Curtis for another Disney remake earns her twice the box office of Duff's "Lizzie," according to rottentomatoes.com. However, this doesn't stop Duff from arriving at the premiere of "Freaky Friday" with Carter as her date.
September 2003: While "Freaky Friday" gets great reviews and box-office success, Duff's debut album "Metamorphosis" hits no. 1 on the Billboard charts in September, according to MTV.com. Lohan sings as well and currently has a five-record deal with Emilio Estefan, according to Netscape.com. So far she has only sung on the "Freaky Friday" soundtrack.
December 2003: After breaking things off with Carter, Duff appeared at the end of the year in the Steve Martin comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen," which opened Christmas Day. At the "Dozen" premiere, Duff and her mother attempted to kick out Lohan, who appeared at the screening. According to ContactMusic.com, Duff's mother Susan suspected Lohan of egging her Range Rover, which was parked outside her Hollywood Hills home. However, Lohan's camp claims she was in Canada filming "Mean Girls" during the egg assault. Despite its bad reviews, "Cheaper by the Dozen" has currently out-grossed "Freaky Friday," according to rottentomatoes.com.
Edge: Duff.
2004 and beyond: Lohan's "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" opens Friday, while Duff's latest film "A Cinderella Story" doesn't come out until July. This year, fans of the two stars have been mudslinging on various Internet message boards, including an anonymous post on LohanOnline.com that reads: "Hilary duz suck becuz she has doen horrible things to lindsay!!" To which another user responded: "Hilary is so pretty and is so not fat. She is no fatter then Lindsay."
Edge: It will be interesting to see how this feud heats up when Lohan joins Duff in managing a dual career in both music and film. No one knows which teen queen will walk away with the tiara, but one thing is for sure: this feud is by no means "sooo yesterday."
- DANIEL LONGINO
