Terry Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is an aspiring singer-songwriter stuck in the Midwest, whose only hope of making it lies in a summer music program in Los Angeles. Her super-loving brother (the incestual subtext is more than prevalent) documents Terry's talent in a high-tech DVD submission to the school and immediately after mailing the application he and lil' sis hit the road for a concert.
But this is not just any concert. The band they are going to see is none other than Christian rock band Three Days Grace, who has a butt-rocking cameo. They've got tattoos and mohawks and you can see Duff totally rocking out to these badass Christians. This is clearly a Duff that's out to prove some edge. On the way back from the show, there's a freak accident with a drunk driver, leaving Terry the only surviving Fletcher child. Now, in order to attend the music school, Terry, along with her mom and totally hot aunt (Rebecca De Mornay), has to hide the fact that she's going from her father.
The plot alone of "Raise Your Voice" sets it apart from earlier Duff outings like "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" and "A Cinderella Story." Duff seems to be attempting a crossover to a mainstream audience by dealing with issues like death and social interactions similar to starting college. However, despite its dramatic topical shift from Duff's previous work, "Raise Your Voice" remains trapped in simplistic ideology, and isn't half as sharp as "Lizzie McGuire."
Along Terry's crazy ride at music school, she meets a horde of stereotypical students. The portrayal of her roommate Denise as a young black girl who needs a scholarship and is struggling to get by is slightly racist. The main love interest Jay (Oliver James), the guitar-playing Brit, is a big step down in guy-pals for the Duff. Despite the fact that James was a mad pimp in Amanda Bynes' "What A Girl Wants" (as, you guessed it, a guitar playing Brit), he does a complete 180 in "Raise Your Voice." If you thought Chad Michael Murray, the football super-stud from "A Cinderella Story" was bad, then you'll loathe this wanker. Not only does Terry catch Jay macking it with another girl, but he also stumbles to her dorm room late at night totally drunk. "Why would you drink?" Terry asks. Oh Hilary, why would someone drink? It's just awful.
The rest of the cast is no exception. There's the goofy Kiwi that plays techno and is just an exaggerated version of Ethan Embry. Then there's Sloane, the misunderstood loner piano prodigy. Old crazy Kiwi and surly Sloane, do I smell a spin-off? Terry's father, an overly simple and intimidating figure in the film, seems filled with way too much anger. You half expect him to threaten to belt either his wife or the Duff herself in the mouth if they keep giving him "back talk."
The way in which the film deals with its most serious topic, the death of Terry's brother, is similarly ludicrous. Every time Terry sees a strong light, like the light on a stage perhaps, she laughably flashes back to that fateful night, which happens numerous times throughout the course of the film.
Ultimately, "Raise Your Voice" is out to sell a product. Terry's songs and the songs on the Duff's new album are the same. The movie is one big ad for her new record. Even the strategically placed movie posters in Terry's brother's room such as "Final Destination 2," "The Lord of the Rings" and "American Splendor," all fellow New Line films, are just ads.
This sucks. Everyone misses Gordo. Duff, you can do better.
