newbrownshoe I've read the other reviews and found some to be comparison of movie v real life (eg what it takes to get into music school), Britney Bashing, etc, etc. so let's focus on the movie and the message.I have rated this movie 7 out of 10 for the age range 8 to 14 years, and for a family movie. For the average adult male.... 2 out of 10.I like pop/rock music, i'm 45. I know of Britney Spears but never realised she actually sang Stronger until i read the credits and these reviews. I didn't recognise her poster on the wall so I was not worried about any 'self promotion'.I watch movies to be entertained. i don't care about casting, lighting, producers, directors, etc. What is the movie and does it entertain me.I watched this movie for the message. The world's greatest epidemic is low self-esteem (which is a whole other story) so watched with the message in mind, as that is an area of interest. The movie is light, bright and breezy, great for kids. I found the Texan twang began to fade throughout the movie and of course there are only so many ways to convey the give up/don't give up message, so yeh, it was a bit predictable. Great message though...should be more of them.This movie is a great family movie, but for a bloke watching by himself, get Hannibal.

akiyhrah It was a decent movie, I actually kind of enjoyed it. But the ending is so abrupt!! There is absolutely no closure and it leaves tons of loose ends. What happens after the concert? What happens with her boyfriend? Does she hook up with Grant? Does she come beck in the next semester? And what about Angela? Obviously Holly's performance would knock Angela down a few pegs, but nothing is shown to indicate how she reacts. There is so much left up in the air and it's very unsatisfying. I don't know if it is trying to leave room for a sequel or something, but it is a terrible ending and I think that it really makes the movie a joke. I was very disappointed.

karenjwilson This 2004 TV-movie is based on Britney and Lynne Spears' novel "A Mother's Gift", and was co-executive-produced by the pair. The heroine, Texan teenager Holly Lovell (played by Lindsey Haun), is an aspiring singer and Britney fan - she has a poster of the notorious pop princess on her bedroom wall and Ms Spears' song "Stronger" appears on a number of occasions and in several guises.One of the vocal profs at a posh conservatoire sees innate talent in Holly's performance at a local jamboree and successfully argues her case for a probationary try-out for a scholarship, despite opposition from his colleagues. Holly's mom makes huge financial sacrifices to get her daughter a semester to prove herself.Making Britney's "Stronger" her showcase in Vocal Majors doesn't go down too well with the prof, who makes it clear that a classical performance will be required if Holly is to progress any further. Meanwhile, the hot guy of the class hits on her, much to the disgust of bitchy Angela, star soprano, who considers him hers by right.Meanwhile, Holly's attempts at disguising her redneck origins aren't helped by her mom, who takes a job at a local diner after her car breaks down, and a rift develops between them. It's more than a little unfair on her mom, though, since she's been doing everything she can to avoid showing her daughter up - even declining some romantic enticements from one of the other profs.Angela sabotages Holly's audition by getting her drunk on vodka, but classmate Zoe offers to help her, and she is given a chance to redeem herself in the class recital. She becomes quite proficient at singing the Habanera from Bizet's "Carmen" once she studies up on her French - and even earns some applause from the previously sceptical academicians.Zoe turns out to have a secret other side as a rock singer and invites Holly and her pal Portia (aka Ditz) along to her next gig. Zoe calls Holly up on stage and they do a lively duet while Ditz gets rapidly out of it on drink and drugs and ends up in hospital.Hospital-bound Ditz gives Holly a lesson in mother-appreciation, which is taken very much to heart. Holly makes it up with her mom and invites her to the recital. Her mom feels free to phone the prof and they go to the recital together.At the recital, Holly does a fine job with the Habanera, even managing to overshadow Angela's Mozart, but as she reaches her final note lights go on, musicians and dancers appear on the stage and she, Zoe and others deliver an aspirational rock song about being strong. They get a standing ovation.It's a quiet but heartwarming little TV movie, fine for a wet afternoon. Some of the more obvious clichés of college life are avoided, but quite a few are not. There's no great depth in the acting, and if Lindsey Haun had been called Britney Spears the critics would have piled in with predictable savagery. Best turn comes from the ever-excellent Virginia Madsen as Holly's mother.

angelic_innocence019 i think i will give this 1 out of 10..because the only thing i really liked in it was the end song..i mean..altho it has a great message for younger girls..you know.."you can do any thing you set your mind to" or whatever..i agree with the person giving the first comment..not saying that others don't work hard for other types of music but i highly doubt you can get into a classical music conservatory singing "a yellow rose of Texas" . and you can't even pass high school choir with out being able to read notes..and is it just me or was miss.spears mentioned just a few to many times hehe. the set up kind of looked like a armature movie maker made it too..however the actors and actresses were wonderful and i absolutely LOVE the song at the end...i bought the movie just for the song lol