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The Lizzie McGuire Movie
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A perky teen's (Hilary Duff) trip to Rome leads to a case of mistaken identity and a romance with a handsome Italian pop idol. Directed by Jim Fall and based on the popular "Lizzie McGuire" TV series, the harmless fluff unfortunately feels like an episode of the show stretched thin in order to fit the longer format. Minor romantic complications. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2003
Full Review
A perky teen lives la dolce vita while on a class trip to Rome in "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" (Disney). Directed by Jim Fall and based on the popular "Lizzie McGuire" TV series, the film, like most small-screen-to-big-screen efforts, feels like an episode of the show stretched thin in order to fit the longer format.
Lizzie McGuire (Hilary Duff) is your average 15-year-old, at least in that alternate universe known as TV land: a bubbly blend of exuberance and insecurities. The only threat to her bubblegum existence is the occasional fashion snub by her snooty middle-school nemesis Kate (Ashlie Brillault).
After being humiliated at her junior high commencement, Lizzie -- who, despite being the most attractive girl in her class, is the "unpopular kid" -- packs her bags and hops a jet along with her fellow graduates, including her nerdy best friend Gordo (Adam Lamberg), to the land of Prada and Gucci. Chaperoning the educational jaunt and serving as tour guide is Miss Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein), a Brunhildian beauty with a Gestapo temperament.
Once in the eternal city, Lizzie is mistaken for Italian recording star Isabella (also played by Duff) by the diva's ex-boyfriend, Paolo (Yani Gellman), himself a pop idol. Paolo and Isabella had recently broken off their relationship over artistic differences. Paolo is immediately smitten and asks Lizzie to meet him the next morning at -- where else? -- the Trevi Fountain. Only one problem: how to get out of Miss Ungermeyer's planned Bataan death march through Roman culture.
Lizzie fakes a fever, allowing her ample screen time to zip through the rest of the film with her new celebrity amore, navigating not only Rome's notorious traffic but a minefield of narrative cliches and flat, forced humor.
Paolo tells Lizzie that he and Isabella are contractually committed to perform at a posh music-award show to be held in a few days at the Colosseum, and that if Isabella -- who is presently out of the country recovering from their emotional split -- does not show up it could ruin her professionally. Paolo also confides that he still has platonic feelings for Isabella and does not want their breaking-up to jeopardize her career. He enlists Lizzie's help to stand-in and lip-sync for the AWOL diva, assuring her that, except for the difference in hair color, not even the Italian paparazzi will be able to tell her apart from Isabella.
Lizzie and Paolo spending so much time together does not sit well with Gordo, who harbors a crush on her of his own. Predictably, the hackneyed plot affords Gordo plenty of opportunities to prove his devotion by covering for Lizzie with Frau Ungermeyer.
On the night of the music-awards, Lizzie's Roman holiday takes an unexpected turn when the real Isabella shows up and smokes out the poser. In a twist that seems uncharacteristically mean-spirited, Lizzie learns that her prince charming is not all he's cracked up to be.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do -- or, in this film's case, when in Hollywood do what's safe: embrace the hey-it-works-as-a-TV-show-so-let's-make-it-into-a-movie mentality, resulting in the puerile fluff currently churned out, of which "Lizzie McGuire" is just the latest manifestation. Sure, Duff is adorable. Sure, the film stresses the importance of friendship. But the contrived narrative is so threadbare that midway through, the film begins to feel like one long Vespa ride played against a grating cotton-candy soundtrack, with breaks just long enough for Duff to change outfits.
All roads may lead to Rome, but this one should lead quickly to video.
Due to minor romantic complications, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.
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