Wholesome Hilary Duff defies her overprotective father to attend a summer program at an elite music conservatory in LA; her fellow students are supposed to be the most talented young performers in the country, though the actors can't even mime playing their instruments convincingly. That may seem like a niggling point, but this teen romance doesn't have a single authentic moment, from its canned tragedy setup (Duff's brother dies driving home from a Christian rock concert) to its power-ballad finale (dad finally cracks a grin as his little girl belts it out onstage). Movies like this are the reason smart kids seek out R ratings. Sean McNamara (
Race to Space) directed; with Jason Ritter, David Keith, Rita Wilson, Rebecca De Mornay, and John Corbett. PG, 103 min.
By
J.R. Jones
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