Reviewed by EWAN MCDONALD
Herald rating: * *
Over much of the civilised (?) world, the name is enough. Here it may need some explanation.
Hilary Duff is 15 and star of the Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire Show, which has been described as "a celebration of popularity, beauty, great hair, lip gloss and
overnight stardom," and yes, "there will soon be a full line of Lizzie McGuire apparel and accessories".
Hilary is the Disney marketing division's answer to Nickelodeon's Amanda Bynes.
Lizzie is a typical American teenager who has just graduated from junior high school and goes on a class trip to Rome, supervised by Miss Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein), a drill-sergeant who moonlights as a teacher. The class checks into the sort of hotel and heads off to do the sights.
Lizzie, who hangs out with platonic best friend Gordo (Adam Lamberg), and whose life might be ruined because classmate Kate Sanders (Ashlie Brillault) is more popular than her, meets Paolo (Yani Gellman), a Vespa-riding Italian idol who says she looks just like his singing partner, Isabella.
But (sob!) Isabella has quit on Paolo so he figures that Lizzie can lip- and body-sync for her at a big event. Which means that the moviemakers can spend the second half of the movie making an extremely long video for (oh, you guessed) Hilary Duff's first single, Why Not.
So if you're looking for a movie that inspires your pre-teen daughter to be a thinking, articulate, empowered individual, buy her a DVD of Whale Rider.
DVD features: movie (94min); In the Recording Studio with Hilary; Why Not music video; Lizzie's Roman Adventure, behind-the-scenes; Roamin' Volare, music video; deleted scenes; alternate ending
