Stargirl

Every so often there comes a film or film franchise where people say they can't imagine anyone else in the role, or it's as if the role was meant for them. You know who I'm referring to: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow... the list goes on.

Well, in the midst of the exuberant young career helmed by one Grace VanderWaal (who became an overnight sensation from a talent show with her uplifting lyrics, raw vocal talent and a wooden ukulele), in comes a film whose screenplay is adapted from a 20-year-old novel that hearkens closely to the livelihood of a then 15-year-old girl.

Grace, much like Stargirl (and hereon out I can simply use the pronoun "she" to interchangeably refer to both), has a magic touch: in she comes, out she goes, and everyone is positively affected by her presence and actions. Always humbled, the cogwheels in her head turn differently where she sees light as the spark and answer to all of life's secrets, even if it means that normalcy falls into the wayside of obscurity. She lives in the moment, for the moment. She is never seeking instant gratification, and although she yearns for acceptance, she will not allow herself to be ill-fated by what others deem to groom her to be.

And yet, this film is not even about Stargirl. We see the film through the lens of the other co-star named Leo, who spends the early parts of the film settling for what small role he can blend into in his small school in a small town, all of which are notorious for accomplishing next to nothing. Stargirl's arrival is something of a stroke of magic to some, yet thematically we can all agree that she merely taps the potential that every character instills inside of them.

As far as the movie itself goes, it's pretty decent. It held my attention, and even though it works through minimalistic plot development, it is meant to serve the characters more than anything else. Unfortunately, I think some of the character structure was a bit off with the pacing, and I think the best thing that would have saved it is if this went the way of a TV series instead. I'm fine with it being a film so long as I can feel the passage of time within a few minutes span and fill in any gaps, but otherwise this had some weird off-beat moments.

Anyway, Grace really starts to disappear as Stargirl. When I first heard she was cast for the role, I thought for a while this would be one of those cutesy "Aww, look at little Grace doing her thing in a movie!" moments. Nope, instead she played a character (who could sing and play the uke, but that's okay) and she played it quite strongly. I was proud to see that, and would love to see her in other roles again. They don't always have to be leads and they don't have to involve music, and I would most certainly like to check it out for myself.

Sit back and enjoy this one, but don't expect the world of it. Just let it happen. That's exactly how Grace would want you to watch it, too.

It started as a light, very light movie. However, ended with a cute little message, not more cute than the movie itself. Truthfully, the story was below average. It had very few tent poles, didn't really have negative characters although they tried them. Disney did a wonderful job with the lights they presented it with. Also, it was wonderfully edited and shot. It's quite musical too. The cast were amazing. If truth be told, our own Los Pollos Hermanos aka Gus Fring aka Giancarlo Espacito wasn't really needed in this simple sweet adorable movie. It seemed quite a waste of his stupendous abilities. Also, the Doctor from The Last Ship wasn't really required either. The movie is quite average, one time watch, however, should give a watch to experience it. I really enjoyed the experience of watching this beautifully crafted movie although it wasn't profoundly artistic. It is amazing to see how Disney created a good movie despite a below average story. It could make a few early teens cry too.

Don't shy away from the message.

Leo Borlock moves to a small Arizona town with his mother after his father's death. His new school is a place lacking in hope which is highlighted by the school's empty trophy case. He joins the marching band and has his group of nerdy friends. One day, homeschooler Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal) joins his class. He falls for her immediately and her quirky hopefulness infects the entire school.

I have to admit that I thought this has something to do with the DC character. That went away quickly as I watched the movie. Then I hoped that this has something to do with Starman. That would have been interesting but not to be the case. So we march on. This is a rather standard coming-of-age teen movie with a rather standard manic pixie dream girl. It is not something to be hated. The kids are adorable. I don't know anything about Grace VanderWaal. I watched a couple of America's Got Talent episodes but not her's. She has a sincerity which is very endearing in a manic pixie dream girl and her singing has the same sincerity. The boy is equally endearing. They make this movie endearing. I do have to say that the drama isn't that well written. I do not like that the whole school turned on her over leaving the game. It needs setting up. It needs magic. It needs fantasy. The whole school needs to be under her spell. It comes late to the game. Flowers need to be sprouting under her feet. Song birds need to be dressing her in the morning. That turn needs help and also it needs to be shown not told. On the other hand, I like the bike idea and that's an easier concept to make the dramatic turn. It is more internal and more about her character. It is grounded and it doesn't need the big setup. It does need the little brother. Quite frankly, it fits. It fits the birthday ties. It fits her and it doesn't need fantasy. I'm not going to claim that this is breaking any new ground. VanderWaal could have an interesting career although I don't know if she is going to breakout. This is a nice Disney movie for the whole family.

I read Stargirl in school as a class in eighth grade and loved it. The characters and story were so good. Apparently from this movie though, the narrator was a boy named Leo. I didn't know that. This movie though... If Grace VanderWaal isn't playing the uke and singing while the camera is spinning around her, then the movie is just... okay. I didn't really care for Leo. Stargirl was the only character I liked. I liked how Stargirl finished her fight with the "mean girl" at the dance in the book better than the movie. I don't feel like watching the whole thing again but I would watch the scenes where Grace plays her uke with the cheerleading squad.

Almost like the story itself, Grace (Stargirl) is a spark of character and wonder surrounded by average characters and directing.

I've met people like Stargirl in the real world, and it is amazing how much one person can transform everyone around them. And when they're gone, the magic escapes. This film tried to portray that but sometimes dumbed it down to be a little too literal. It also made a couple character leaps, especially in the second act that just didn't sit right, they were poorly timed or portrayed.

Overall, solid effort. And great start for Grace in an acting career.