Raise Your Voice DVD Review:

There is a large sub-genre of follow-your-dreams inspirational films, some of which are fantastically well done (8 Mile, Rocky), and then there are films like Raise Your Voice, which are so bad that they have the ability to embarrass the audience members. Perhaps a better way to describe it is that anyone with enough sense to realize how unbelievably untalented Hillary Duff truly is, even in the scenes in which we are supposed to stand up and cheer for her, should have enough sense to avoid this film at all costs.

Terri Fletcher (Duff) is a sixteen year old from Arizona with some resemblance of musical talent. She sings in the church choir and has applied for a summer program in Los Angeles, but her father refuses to allow her to go. When Terri’s brother dies suddenly in a car accident, she is inspired to go behind her father’s back to the music camp, because it is what her brother would have wanted. From there the plot is typical, with all of the expected characters and twists. There is the mean girl, who treats Terri like an outsider, the cute boy with an accent that pre-teens will love, the cool music professor, and the urban roommate.

The premise is simple, which isn’t always a bad thing, but there is nothing added to this film to separate it from dozens with the same plot. Instead something is missing; talent. There are endless musical numbers, most of which drag on far longer than they should, but when the music stops and they begin to talk it just gets even more ridiculous. It is unfortunate for a few of the fairly talented actors in the cast, such as John Corbett who plays one of the music professors, but even they seem to be brought down by the unrelenting bad script. There is no other way to put it. If you are over the age of thirteen, rent something else. Hopefully audiences won’t be put through too many more of these Hilary Duff disaster films before she grows up, or fades out.

There are a number of special features if you can’t get enough pain. There are five deleted scenes, a "behind-the-scenes" featurette, outtakes and an orchestra sequence, the film's trailer, promos for other New Line titles and a Hilary Duff music video ("Fly").

Ryan Izay

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