Raise Your Voice (2004) Reviews

• Tragically Predictable

  Ddey652005-06-07

  In my review of "Cheaper by the Dozen"(2003), I mentioned the difficulty Hilary Duff is going to have breaking away from typecasting as Lizzie McGuire. The fact that this movie was a Brookwell/McNamara Production, a staple of the cable network that made her famous may be another obstacle from that typecasting. Make no mistake though -- Hilary Duff *IS* a talented actress and singer(in spite of corporate punk pretensions), and even with this formulaic material she proves it. But the way things are looking now, she couldn't break out of the Disney universe if she did hardcore pornography. Terri Fletcher(Duff) sings in a local church chorus, and for her own personal enjoyment. She also thinks her singing can make her a star, and so does her brother Paul(Jason Ritter) who secretly recommends her for a scholarship to a school for the performing arts in Los Angeles. But her father(David Keith) wants her to stay at home and wait tables at the family diner. After she and her brother sneak out to go to a concert one night, some drunk driver plows into them on the way home. Her brother dies, she survives and is left with crippling flashbacks and survivor's guilt. But just when she thinks she's going to have to spend the rest of her life at the bottom of the barrel, along comes that scholarship to the performing arts school she didn't even know she entered. Of course, the only reason she doesn't want to go is because she's afraid to face the wrath of Dad, so Mom(Rita Wilson) and Aunt Nina(Rebecca De Mornay) tell Daddy she's going to spend time with her aunt, while smuggling her off to that school. And the rest of the movie involves Terri trying to make friends in the big city, cover-up her lie to her father, and deal with her own fear of bright lights, courtesy of that random drunk driver. Too much about this movie is predictable; The overbearing father, sympathetic avant-garde artistic aunt, the tragic car wreck, the boyfriend with an ex-girlfriend who won't let go(who Terri catches putting the moves on and thinks is unfaithful to her), and yes even the triumphant concert at the end. Having said all that, I must reiterate that I don't want my criticism of this movie to be interpreted as another Duff-bashing tirade. Because regardless of the cookie-cutter plot line, Duff is still outstanding. Yes, she's a better actress than a singer, but both of these aspects of her are far superior to the movie. And if you DON'T believe she can play anyone else but Lizzie McGuire, you should've seen her in a highly publicized episode of Joan of Arcadia from the Spring of 2005. So while it's nowhere near the fluff-piece that her first big series was, it makes you wish there were more parts out there that are better for her.

• Heartfelt...most underrated film of the year!

  Smurfette_Smurf2004-10-26

  I went to see Raise Your Voice expecting the worst. What I left with was a lump in my throat and a sincere admiration for this young actress/singer Hilary Duff. People are so hard on her and she just seems so unworthy of such criticism. Sure it's a squeaky clean Fame...and it's kinda cliché. But...the performances of Hilary as well as her supporting cast were honorable. This movie certainly doesn't deserve the bashing it's getting. I was especially impressed with the young supporting cast including Kat Dennings, Johnny K. Lewis and Dana Davis. Not to mention John Corbett who by far was one of the greatest things in this film. I cared...I cried...and when it was all over I honestly felt inspired. I give this film a 6 out of 10...because it makes u care..it really does.

• A little formulaic, but still provides 'that peaceful loving feelin'

  ~AleXa~2005-06-08

  Hilary Duff stars as Terri Fletcher, a 16-year-old anxious to explore her musical talent at a performing arts academy in L.A. for the summer. After a little persuasion, she makes it there, and the movie is more or less about her exploits therein. The film starts well; the Three Days Grace concert helps set the musical tone for the movie. That was an unexpected surprise, although I suppose I'm partially biased since I like the band. A beautiful performance by Hilary Duff. I am more and more impressed with her with every movie I see her in. She brought me to tears twice in the first twenty minutes of the movie. I was impressed by the colorful array of teens at the school, even if they were chosen primarily to make it believable that they're in L.A. I appreciated that none of the teens were written to fulfill any particular stereotype and all seemed like real people, for stereotypes are a sore spot for me, as my teen years were not all that long ago. I loved the scenes with Denise playing the violin; again, very refreshing and stylistic. John Corbett turns in a innovative performance as a progressive music teacher, breathing a little more life into the film. The direction really helps to further the movie along, as it is pretty anti-climatic. The 'unwanted kiss' was a bit predictable, however an element of predictability is generally assumed in movies of this persuasion. The make-out scene was completely unnecessary and should've been cut. And it should be noted that the film is more or less like a Crossroads (2000) for a slightly younger generation, but despite that, it still maintains its own life. I absolutely love the last song in the film—that was the perfect song for the theme of the movie. And I don't care what anyone says, Hilary Duff is a true performer, even if she isn't that great of a singer. She just always has this glow about her, and no matter how I feel, seeing her perform always makes me smile, and that's something to be commended. VERDICT: Very enjoyable musical film despite its predictability. Recommended to anyone with kids, who's young at heart, who likes Hilary Duff, or just needs a good smile, but be forewarned—you might get a little teary-eyed before that smile reaches your lips. 6.5 out of 10.0

• Raise Your Voice 9/10

  joaniekilbride2004-10-11

  In RAISE YOUR VOICE, Terri Fletcher(Hilary Duff) has always had a close relationship with her brother, Paul(Ritter). When they sneak out to a concert and get hit by a drunk driver(Terri survives the accident,leaving Paul dead), she feels terrible. She then loses her passion for singing. She was hoping to attend a summer music program in LA, but her father(David Keith) says she can't go. Terri's mom and aunt sneak her in and tell her father that Terri is spending the summer with her aunt. I am surprised that people didn't think this was a great change for Hilary. All of her other roles were the same; but in this, her character isn't all that different but the heartfelt script brings much emotion into Terri's role, giving Hilary the opportunity to show everyone that she can do a drama. She convinced me. A lot of sadness is brought in through her brother's death. Hilary Duff is good at crying and the rest of the cast is pretty good. Oliver James is great at Hilary's boyfriend, Jay. And John Corrbett is fine as the loose music teacher. Good job, Hilary. I hope to see a movie like this from you again: smart, thematic, romantic, and humorous. Mostly the thematic. PG- thematic elements, mild language, and brief sensuality.

• Too heavy for the kiddies, too lame for everyone else

  docorange62005-04-08

  OK, so, we've got this great dramatic story about this girl with a great singing talent, who pushes through her father's hovering and her brother's death to get accepted into one of the premiere music schools in the country. Great. Who do we cast as the lead? Um, Hillary Duff? You're kidding me, right? Anyone who can buy into the premise of Hillary Duff as a singing prodigy needs to watch some American Idol reruns and realize that Duff, who can barely carry a tune, would probably have not even made it to Hollywood. She has made millions of dollars by pretending to act and sing in order to market her cuteness and general likability, which has been eaten up by her core fanbase of seven- to twelve-year-old girls. The problem with Raise Your Voice lies in the very serious, dramatic storyline crafted by writers Mitch Rotter and Sam Schreiber. It's just too serious for Duff's fanbase, and she doesn't possess the acting ability to make it believable for the rest of us. To their credit, Rotter and Schreiber, along with director Sean McNamara, did a very skillful job in putting together an engaging drama. Some elements of the movie were brilliant, such as Terri's reaction to bright light in her eyes after the accident. The movie was just bogged down by its bungling cast of actors. The only truly good performances were by some of the supporting cast members, such as John Corbett, David Keith and Rita Wilson. Johnny Lewis was a terrific comic relief, but his character's main story - a romance with an uptight, virtuosic pianist named Sloane - seems to fit a more typical giggles-and-good-times Hillary Duff movie. Duff's abysmal singing only made McNamara's job even more difficult, and you can actually hear the pitch correction on her voice at some points of the movie, which makes everything seem that much more ridiculous. And something that especially bothered me was Jay's (Oliver James) guitar-playing during the scholarship performance. There was absolutely no rhythm to it at all. Overall, it's still a cute movie, but it could have been so much better.