Mandy Moore shines, but the scripted dialogue doesn't do the story/plot justice.

Rating: 4/10 (11 February 2012)

I know, I know, this movie doesn't even belong anywhere near the ManCave page...but I have OCD, and it forced me to watch it...you don't even want to know the insane details. Anyway, the film was just as corny as I thought it would be, but I was expecting it, so I wasn't too horrified. Luckily, I watched it on my laptop while Jeremy Lin was dropping 38 on the Lakers on the big-screen TV.
Actually, the plot and story were pretty good...but they were ruined by cheesy dialogue, over-acting, and a few musical numbers that only a teenage girl could love. While I didn't enjoy the songs, I have to admit that Moore is very talented. If anything, this movie served to showcase how good of an actress she is, as she managed to deliver weakly-written lines with a natural, confident demeanor that captured my attention and made me forget a few times that this movie sucked...but then one of the other cast members would ham it up and I'd remember again very quickly. Coyote also did a decent job with the lines he was given. Hannah's part was bland, and she didn't stand out much at all. And, oh yeah, I guess they were still doing the token Black guy thing in 2002--Al Thompson had on his best tap shoes.
One more thing: I forgot how ridiculous portable CD players looked, until I saw West's character wearing one around his shoulder like a purse. Thank God for the digital audio player.
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