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confessions
of a teenage drama queen
Everything is just oh-so-dramatic for 15-year-old Mary, aka
Lola (Lindsay Lohan), who is uprooted from her beloved New
York City by her artist mother (Glenne Headly) and forced
to live in what she thinks is the dregs of New Jersey suburbia.
Once there, however, the wanna-be actress decides she'll make
a difference in her high school, and stand out among the common
folk and show them what true art is all about. Of course,
with an attitude like that, Lola immediately gets on the bad
side of the school's most popular--and mean-spirited--girl
Carla (Megan Fox) but makes fast friends with the meek Ella
(Alison Pill) when they both discover they worship the same
rock band called Sidarthur. Lola soon proves with unstoppable
determination that whatever Lola wants, Lola gets; she stands
up to the evil Carla, wins the lead role in the school musical
and has the adventure of a lifetime trying to see a Sidarthur
concert in New York with Ella. Yet, Lola comes to realize
that while being the premiere drama queen, she sometimes has
to come back down to earth to see what really matters in life.
Lindsay Lohan, a Disney favorite who has truly become the
Hayley Mills of this generation, has the same bebop freshness
she displayed in other Disney fare, including last year's
mega hit Freaky Friday, and is the best choice to play the
ultimate Teenage Drama Queen. Yet, if you strip away all the
sparkle and showmanship, could Lohan hold her own playing
a real, honest-to-goodness dramatic role? At least the actress
has far more potential than, say, that other teen fave, Hilary
Duff (who supposedly has a real-life feud going on with Lohan.
Talk about drama). Alison Pill, on the other hand, who did
a nice job playing the forgotten sister in the indie film
Pieces of April, is the one to watch out for. She illustrates
far more depth as best friend Ella, who is transformed from
a mouse to a lion under Lola's influence. The scenes where
Ella and Lola moon over Sidarthur--and the subsequent misadventure
to see them in concert--gives the film its most realistic
insight to a teenage girl's psyche--and the girls seem to
have a great time connecting to one another. In the supporting
roles, character actress Headly does a quiet, down-to-earth
turn as Lola's mother, while in comparison, Carol Kane really
hams it up as the drama teacher Ms. Baggoli, with the wacky
hair, lispy speech and hyperactive personality.
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ENTERTAINMENT
