Lizzie McGuire, Vol. 1: Fashionably Lizzie
Lizzie McGuire, played by Teen Choice award-winning Hilary Duff, is a winsome eighth grader with a unique sense of style and burning desire to be popular--a condition that resonates with pre-teens everywhere.  This quartet of episodes from the television series (which inspired thefeature film) finds Lizzie climbing to a new pinnacle of popularity.  When Lizzie signs a modeling contract withTeen Attitude Magazine, she gains instant popularity at the expense of true friendship.  In the second episode, desperation over an upcoming vote for "best dressed" tempts Lizzie to lie and outspend her budget in the quest for notoriety.  Meanwhile, Lizzie's brother Matt becomes a prisoner of his own instant fame.  Lizzie takes being a role model a bit too far in the third episode and almost winds up losing her uniqueness while Matt's Dad takes a beating trying to help Matt earn a wilderness badge.  When Lizzie sets a new school record for the "Presidential Fitness Challenge" in the fourth episode, she quickly gains a reputation as a "dude"--a reputation that just might end her chances of ever getting a date.  Matt, on the other hand, suddenly finds himself praised for a newfound academic prowess--too bad the praise really belongs to a mischievous monkey. (Ages 6 to 12)--Tami Horiuchi