A typical teenage chick flick

Rating: 6/10 (3 June 2005)

Sometimes, just by reading the title of the movie, you already know that you will not get an original or extraordinary movie to see. But then again, how many movies do fit that description? Not too many and that's why I gave this movie a try. I hoped that, even though it wouldn't be any special, it still would be worth giving a try...
The movie tells the story of Sara, a typical white young girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina and who is supported in that dream by her mother. But when her mother dies in a tragic car accident, her dream is suddenly over. She is convinced that she caused her mother's death because if she didn't have to do that audition, her mother wouldn't have been on that road at that moment. Because she has no-one to take care of her, she moves to her father in Chicago, which she doesn't know at all and who lives in the ghetto. Communication with him goes difficult and to make things worse she gets transferred to a new school where she is about the only white person. Still she is able to make some friends and she even finds a boy to fall in love with, but racism and jealousy are never far away. Despite all those difficulties, they'll fight to make something of their lives and together they will reach their goals...
As I already said and after reading such a resume you know it too: there can be no doubt that this will not be a very original movie. Still I wasn't prepared to see so many corny clichés in less than two hours time. From the first minute on, you already know exactly where this movie will go to, only to see later on that you were completely right. The director has opened a huge can with all the possible clichés and magic formulas Hollywood has to offer for movies in this genre and used about every possible one of them. White girl on ballet, mom dies, she doesn't know her dad or anyone where she moves to, she goes living in a tough neighborhood and falls in love with a black kid, a lot of racism and jealousy from all sides, they believe in each other and will make something of their lives... Is there any possible cliché that they haven't used? I don't think so.
Still, there was something positive to be noticed as well. The acting for instance wasn't bad. I'm not saying Julia Stiles did an excellent job, but it was OK. She reminded me a bit of Leelee Sobieski for who I guess this could have been a typical role. They are about the same age, look a bit the same and Sobieski plays the same kind of roles, so if the makers had switched them in the middle of the movie, I might not even have seen the difference. Whether that is a good thing or not, I leave up to you. The other actors like Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington, Fredro Starr... were all about the same: nothing exceptional, but not bad either.
If there is one scene that I'll remember and that certainly is worth mentioning than it must be the combination of the ballet audition with the drive-by shooting, almost at the end of the movie. The contrast between these two worlds, the combination of that classical music with that hard urban life show perhaps best what the makers wanted us to see: their love for each other saves them and makes sure they will make something of their lives. The rest of the scenes isn't spectacular, original or even worth mentioning.
All in all this is just a typical teenage chick flick. I'm sure they will love it, but I wasn't too happy about it. I'm not saying it was a complete waste of my time, but it had nothing to offer why I would ever want to see it again. I give it a 5.5/10.