A teenage girl learns that reaching for your dreams isn't always easy in this heartfelt drama with music. Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is a small-town girl with a great love of music and a fine singing voice. Already one of the lead vocalists in her church choir, Terri has also appeared at local nightspots with some help from her older brother. When he tragically dies in an auto accident, Terri becomes all the more determined to make the most of her talent, and she's elated when she's accepted
as part of a summer study program at one of California's most prestigious music schools; however, Terri attends over the stern objections of her father. As she tries to hold together her relationship with her family, she finds herself falling for one of her fellow students, Jay (Oliver James), and competing for attention against dozens of kids whose talent rivals her own. Raise Your Voice also features Jason Ritter, Rebecca De Mornay, Rita Wilson, David Keith, and John Corbett. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
All we can do is marvel at how the mighty -- Northern Exposure hottie John Corbett (as a weirdly flirty music teacher) and Risky Business babe Rebecca De Mornay (as Duff's frisky aunt) -- have fallen.
The music in Raise Your Voice ... manages to bring home what the uninspired script doesn't: Something in you dies if you don't express your musical talent.
It's particularly good at capturing that time of life when you simultaneously believe everything is possible and that each tiny misstep is the end of the world.
Duff carries off the lead role with confidence and grace, exuding a kind of fresh-faced naiveté not often found in other young female stars these days.
Duff's sunny disposition makes her a likable movie presence, but I've yet to see anything from her...beyond a 'let's put on a show' high school drama club enthusiasm.
This is getting 5 stars purely based on Oliver James performance. Such a beautiful guy and you couldn't help but fall in love with him. The plot of the film was good and since I watched this in my early teens, I was always going to have a real soft spot for this film. The start of the film is also unexpected and a real
poignant story. The songs were incredible and you can't deny the fact that Hilary Duff has an amazing singing voice.
June 23, 2011
Bethany Murphy
Super Reviewer
A great movie about finding your place in the world & following your heart :)
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