Brave New Girl

People like to complain about TV movies a lot. I have one question. Is there ever a TV movie that is perfect?

Anyway, I find that the movie was good. Considering that I am not a Britney Spears fan and the fact that there was a lot of Britney in it, I thought I was going to hate the movie, but I actually enjoyed it. Though, at some points things seemed to be repeating themselves and it got to be a bit long, there was just something there that was good and made me watch it to the end.

This movie isn't for everybody. If you can't stand pop or classical music, don't watch. If you can't stand some predictable moments don't watch. But if you want to watch a movie that has an uplifting feeling and lets people know that everyone can do whatever they want to in life, a real good family movie, this is it.

Yes, the plot is predictable; yes, there are a few plot holes; yes, it has a made-for-TV quality; and yes, Britney Spears "wrote" the book with obvious self-promotion.

But forget all of that... this movie is fun.

Fun in an After School Special sort-of-way, but fun nevertheless.

Virginia Madsen as the mother does a great job... so good that I'm going to start watching for her movies. She reminded me of Diane Lane for all the good reasons.

The rest of the cast does a fine job, too. If I was a casting agent, I'd be scouting some of these young actors.

The production values are above usual TV standards and the music was really great... better than several big-budget movies I've seen.

If you're in the mood for German noir this movie isn't for you. If you want a safe, fun and underrated movie, this is a good one. It's one you could show to your 10 year old daughter but enjoy it yourself too.

This 2004 TV-movie is based on Britney and Lynne Spears' novel "A Mother's Gift", and was co-executive-produced by the pair. The heroine, Texan teenager Holly Lovell (played by Lindsey Haun), is an aspiring singer and Britney fan - she has a poster of the notorious pop princess on her bedroom wall and Ms Spears' song "Stronger" appears on a number of occasions and in several guises.

One of the vocal profs at a posh conservatoire sees innate talent in Holly's performance at a local jamboree and successfully argues her case for a probationary try-out for a scholarship, despite opposition from his colleagues. Holly's mom makes huge financial sacrifices to get her daughter a semester to prove herself.

Making Britney's "Stronger" her showcase in Vocal Majors doesn't go down too well with the prof, who makes it clear that a classical performance will be required if Holly is to progress any further. Meanwhile, the hot guy of the class hits on her, much to the disgust of bitchy Angela, star soprano, who considers him hers by right.

Meanwhile, Holly's attempts at disguising her redneck origins aren't helped by her mom, who takes a job at a local diner after her car breaks down, and a rift develops between them. It's more than a little unfair on her mom, though, since she's been doing everything she can to avoid showing her daughter up - even declining some romantic enticements from one of the other profs.

Angela sabotages Holly's audition by getting her drunk on vodka, but classmate Zoe offers to help her, and she is given a chance to redeem herself in the class recital. She becomes quite proficient at singing the Habanera from Bizet's "Carmen" once she studies up on her French - and even earns some applause from the previously sceptical academicians.

Zoe turns out to have a secret other side as a rock singer and invites Holly and her pal Portia (aka Ditz) along to her next gig. Zoe calls Holly up on stage and they do a lively duet while Ditz gets rapidly out of it on drink and drugs and ends up in hospital.

Hospital-bound Ditz gives Holly a lesson in mother-appreciation, which is taken very much to heart. Holly makes it up with her mom and invites her to the recital. Her mom feels free to phone the prof and they go to the recital together.

At the recital, Holly does a fine job with the Habanera, even managing to overshadow Angela's Mozart, but as she reaches her final note lights go on, musicians and dancers appear on the stage and she, Zoe and others deliver an aspirational rock song about being strong. They get a standing ovation.

It's a quiet but heartwarming little TV movie, fine for a wet afternoon. Some of the more obvious clichés of college life are avoided, but quite a few are not. There's no great depth in the acting, and if Lindsey Haun had been called Britney Spears the critics would have piled in with predictable savagery. Best turn comes from the ever-excellent Virginia Madsen as Holly's mother.

ok, I thought "not ANOTHER britney spears film" when I saw the preveiws. But, as a matter of fact, I really enjoyed it! The actress who plays the main character (Holly Luvel) was Lindsey Haun, who I happen to be a big fan of. She has a better voice than Britney, and does a really good job with the texan accent and 'twang' even though she comes from L.A. The songs are all so good! The last and final number goes from a song in Carmen, to a dance and hip-hop sort of song. The film really prooves that anything is possible even if everything goes wrong, and that even if your at an all time low, you can turn things around. I recommend this to everyone, and if you don't watch it just because it was from britney. Afterall, I happen to think that is why america is soo messed up, but the film is still really good!

i think i will give this 1 out of 10..because the only thing i really liked in it was the end song..i mean..altho it has a great message for younger girls..you know.."you can do any thing you set your mind to" or whatever..i agree with the person giving the first comment..not saying that others don't work hard for other types of music but i highly doubt you can get into a classical music conservatory singing "a yellow rose of Texas" . and you can't even pass high school choir with out being able to read notes..and is it just me or was miss.spears mentioned just a few to many times hehe. the set up kind of looked like a armature movie maker made it too..however the actors and actresses were wonderful and i absolutely LOVE the song at the end...i bought the movie just for the song lol