Brave New Girl

Wow. I am really really disgusted at this movie. Not only is it so tacky, unoriginal, poorly acted, poorly directed, and over-advertised, it also teaches little girls everywhere that they can go up on stage and sing tacky out-of-date pop songs, send in a tape and get into a CLASSICAL music conservatory among some of the worlds finest and most hard-working musicians. The people that get into those conservatories work their ASSES off trying to perfect their style, and especially in the vocal category, it takes even more hard work and dedication. It is even more insulting later on to see her sitting there not even able to read music. READING MUSIC IS A NECESSITY WHEN YOU WANT TO BE A MUSICIAN!!! period. End of story. You cannot expect to be a music major without being able to read music. If you can sing your favorite pop song after listening to it 20 times over again, somewhat in tune, this does not mean you are talented. It does not mean you belong in a music conservatory. It doesn't even mean you belong in choir. It means you should try out your local karaoke bar. Its enough of a problem to have these blonde bimbos making HIGH-SCHOOL choirs sound like crap, but to put out a movie like this encouraging them that they can major in music with such mediocre abilities is degrating, and insulting to anyone who's worked hard at what they do. This is not a brave new girl, this is a talentless idiot who belongs in beauty school across the street from the music conservatory. I really wish I could sue someone over this, it makes me that mad.

I give this 0 stars out of 10. Don't even see it. Don't support such insulting behavior.

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.

Holly Lovell (Lindsey Haun) lives in a small Texas town with her mother Wanda (Virginia Madsen). Her father is long absent. She is desperate to go to the Haverty music school in Philadelphia. Her mother secretly films her singing for the school application. Her boyfriend Tyler (Aaron Ashmore) proposes but she holds off. She is surprised by the school's midterm acceptance. Unbeknownst to her, the family home has been foreclosed. Ditz is her new rich troubled roommate friend. Her competition Angela pines for Grant who takes a liking to Holly. She struggles with the unfamiliar classical music. With the car breaking down, Wanda takes a nearby waitress job working for Dee (Jayne Eastwood). She keeps all of it a secret while staying with her embarrassed daughter Holly.

This is loosely based on a book written by Britney Spears and her mother which is loosely based on her life. Any resemblance to reality is strictly an accident. They do get producer credit and a lot of references in the movie. The story is basically not terrible. Haun and Madsen are perfectly good actresses. Holly is a little self-obsessed and petty. Her enemies are cartoonish but that's alright. She has a few too many supporters which detracts from her underdog status. I also would get rid of her hometown boyfriend whom she leaves behind way too easily. There are a few too many miscalculations from the standard formula. This should be easily likable but it doesn't completely work.

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.

All of the realism of an old Popeye cartoon. Actually, BRAVE NEW GIRL makes a Popeye cartoon seem like a James Cameron or Steven Spielberg or Mel Gibson history epic!

The super shiny perkiness of the mother and daughter interacting with each other makes the BRADY BUNCH seem like "24" in comparison. Nearly every character is in cheerleader-personality mode during their first 2 minutes of screen time.

In total, BRAVE NEW GIRL makes GILLIGAN'S ISLAND seem like a sober House Finance Committee hearing on C-SPAN.