Susan Granger’s review of “Raise Your Voice” (New Line Cinema)
Sweet, wholesome Hilary Duff finds “Fame” amid this fluff, aimed specifically at ‘tweens, her loyal “Lizzie McGuire” fans. “Call me a dork, but I love choir practice,” the little waif trills. The story begins in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Terri (Duff), a perky music student, conspires with her mom (Rita Wilson) and hip, bohemian/artist aunt (Rebecca DeMornay) to pursue her dream. “There’s a light in me and it’s shining bright,” she sings in a reedy, whispery thin voice. Terri’s won a scholarship to a prestigious summer music program in Los Angeles, but her dour father (David Keith) is adamantly opposed, particularly after the accidental death of Terri’s big brother Paul (Jason Ritter, son of the late John Ritter to whom he bears a striking resemblance). Once Terri’s at the conservatory, she not only gets over her “survivor guilt” but also rediscovers her inner joy, along with a flirtation with a rakish Brit (Oliver James, who played much the same role opposite Amanda Bynes in “What a Girl Wants”). So much for plot. In the dated, goody-goody screenplay written by Sean Schreiber, based on Mitch Rotter’s story, and directed by Sean McNamara, the clichŽ’d characters Terri encounters are stereotypical and deliberately quirky. There’s her fiddler roommate (Dana Davis), bitchy rival (Lauren C. Mayhew) and scruffy teacher (John Corbett). There’s the keyboardist loner (Kat Dennings) and lovelorn eccentric (Johnny Lewis). And like Britney Spears in “Crossroads” and Mariah Carey in “Glittery,” the bland romantic duo compose a forgettable ballad together. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Raise Your Voice” is a tepid, tremulous 3. In an obviously deliberate marketing strategy, Hilary Duff’s new album was released to coincide with this film. Yawn!
