Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Starring Lindsey Lohan, Adam Garcia…

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Starring Lindsey Lohan, Adam Garcia and Alison Pill

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, based on the novel by Dyan Sheldon and directed by Sara Sugarman, follows drama queen Lola (Lindsey Lohan) as she’s forced to move from New York to Dellwood, New Jersey. Initially convinced that her acting career is over, Lola soon has a change of heart as she makes friends and takes on the lead in the school play. A rivalry forms between Lola and Carla Santini (Megan Fox), the most popular girl in school. It looks like Lola will win until her tendency to glamorize the truth gets her in trouble. Can she possibly come out on top?

The answer, of course, is yes. This is Hollywood, after all.

While this film has its entertaining moments, for the most part, it remains mediocre. The direction is uninspired, doing little to remove typical teen-movie conventions. Lola’s fantasy sequences, which display her in a world of animation and clip art, do nothing to relieve the mediocrity. Had the film been more artfully directed, the dream sequences would be charming. In a bland film, they feel forced and detract from the telling of the story.

The movie’s stars, Lohan and Alison Pill, who plays Lola’s best friend Ella, aren’t bad, but they aren’t good either. Those who enjoyed Lohan in Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap will most likely be disappointed, though the fault lies more in poor direction than in her acting skills. At times, the movie seems a mere launching pad for Lohan’s budding music career. While she can sing, it’s not enough to carry the film.

Two members of the ensemble redeem the film a bit. Adam Garcia is great as Stu, lead singer of the girl’s favorite rock band Sidarthur. Scenes that find him in a drunken stupor are hilarious, and while he spends most of the film dirty and unkempt, he cleans up in the end. Garcia gives us a glimpse of the Coyote Ugly hottie we all love. Also funny is Carol Kane in her portrayal of the teacher Miss Baggoli. While her performance is a bit excessive, it’s a nice relief from the other, more stereotypical characters.

With bland direction and boring acting, Confessions fails to get the laughs for which it strives. Save a few dollars and wait for it to hit the Disney channel.