SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE LIZZIE McGUIRE MOVIE

"THE LIZZIE McGUIRE MOVIE"
(2003) (Hilary Duff, Adam Lamberg) (PG)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Minor	None	Moderate	None	None

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Minor	None	Minor

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
*None	None	None	Mild	Minor

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: After graduating from middle school, a teen, her best friend and their classmates head off to Rome on a school trip where she falls under the spell of a 17-year-old pop singer who wants her to stand in for the other half of his musical act.

PLOT:

Lizzie McGuire (HILARY DUFF) is a typical teenager who's just graduated from middle school, but not without accidentally embarrassing herself in front of everyone. Accordingly, she's happy to be heading off to Rome for a two-week school trip with her best friend, David "Gordo" Gordon (ADAM LAMBERG).

They and a handful of classmates, including Ethan Craft (CLAYTON SNYDER) and Kate Sanders (ASHLIE BRILLAULT), will be under the supervision of high school principal Miss Ungermeyer (ALEX BORSTEIN) who's acting as their chaperone, but are hoping for some sort of great adventure.

They get that when Italian pop star Paolo (YANI GELLMAN) realizes that Lizzie is a near identical twin to his musical partner, Isabella (HILARY DUFF), whom he reports has flown the coup. Stating that they'll be sued if the duo doesn't show at a video awards ceremony, Paolo convinces Lizzie to act like Isabella and appear with him.

With bodyguard Sergei (BRENDAN KELLY) in tow, the two rehearse their act, which suddenly involves Lizzie having to sing on stage, much to her horror. At the same time, Lizzie's mischievous brother, Matt (JAKE THOMAS), convinces their parents, Sam (ROBERT CARRADINE) and Jo (HALLIE TODD), to fly to Rome. While they're on their way, Lizzie, Gordo and others try to keep her extracurricular activities secret from Ungermeyer as the big singing event nears.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of the show, it's a good bet they probably will want to see this film in theaters and then again on video.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG: For mild thematic elements.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: HILARY DUFF plays a somewhat clumsy teenager who lies to her chaperone so that she can sneak off with Paolo, and then agrees to impersonate Isabella to help Paolo with whom she's smitten.
ADAM LAMBERG plays her best friend who helps keep her extracurricular activity secret from their chaperone.
YANI GELLMAN plays half of an Italian pop duo who wants Lizzie to impersonate his partner, intentions that may or may not be honorable.
BRENDAN KELLY plays his bodyguard.
ALEX BORSTEIN plays the high school principal who's serving as the students' chaperone and is a bit full of herself and her power.
ASHLIE BRILLAULT plays Lizzie's initially snobby classmate who's a thorn in her side until she eventually comes around to helping Lizzie.
JAKE THOMAS plays Lizzie's bratty brother who's always trying to blackmail or embarrass her.
HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; ADAM LAMBERG plays her best friend who helps keep her extracurricular activity secret from their chaperone.
YANI GELLMAN plays half of an Italian pop duo who wants Lizzie to impersonate his partner, intentions that may or may not be honorable.
BRENDAN KELLY plays his bodyguard.
ALEX BORSTEIN plays the high school principal who's serving as the students' chaperone and is a bit full of herself and her power.
ASHLIE BRILLAULT plays Lizzie's initially snobby classmate who's a thorn in her side until she eventually comes around to helping Lizzie.
JAKE THOMAS plays Lizzie's bratty brother who's always trying to blackmail or embarrass her.
HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; YANI GELLMAN plays half of an Italian pop duo who wants Lizzie to impersonate his partner, intentions that may or may not be honorable.
BRENDAN KELLY plays his bodyguard.
ALEX BORSTEIN plays the high school principal who's serving as the students' chaperone and is a bit full of herself and her power.
ASHLIE BRILLAULT plays Lizzie's initially snobby classmate who's a thorn in her side until she eventually comes around to helping Lizzie.
JAKE THOMAS plays Lizzie's bratty brother who's always trying to blackmail or embarrass her.
HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; BRENDAN KELLY plays his bodyguard.
ALEX BORSTEIN plays the high school principal who's serving as the students' chaperone and is a bit full of herself and her power.
ASHLIE BRILLAULT plays Lizzie's initially snobby classmate who's a thorn in her side until she eventually comes around to helping Lizzie.
JAKE THOMAS plays Lizzie's bratty brother who's always trying to blackmail or embarrass her.
HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; ALEX BORSTEIN plays the high school principal who's serving as the students' chaperone and is a bit full of herself and her power.
ASHLIE BRILLAULT plays Lizzie's initially snobby classmate who's a thorn in her side until she eventually comes around to helping Lizzie.
JAKE THOMAS plays Lizzie's bratty brother who's always trying to blackmail or embarrass her.
HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; ASHLIE BRILLAULT plays Lizzie's initially snobby classmate who's a thorn in her side until she eventually comes around to helping Lizzie.
JAKE THOMAS plays Lizzie's bratty brother who's always trying to blackmail or embarrass her.
HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; JAKE THOMAS plays Lizzie's bratty brother who's always trying to blackmail or embarrass her.
HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; HALLIE TODD and ROBERT CARRADINE play Lizzie's mostly oblivious parents.
CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.; CLAYTON SNYDER plays a laidback classmate who's also on the trip.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a quick look at the content found in this tame drama that's been rated PG. Some bad attitudes are present (including lying about being sick), as is some imitative behavior. A brief, chaste kiss occurs between young people and some slapstick style material (including some comical striking of others) occurs, while several uses of "Oh my God" are present and some miscellaneous characters appear to drink in the background of a scene.

Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

For those concerned about bright flashes of light on the screen, some of that occurs late in the film from many camera flashes during a red carpet event.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Some people appear to have drinks in the background of a shot.

BLOOD/GORE: None.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Matt makes various blackmail tapes of Lizzie doing things (singing in her bedroom, etc.) he believes will embarrass her.
Kate initially has a condescending attitude toward Lizzie, but eventually comes around to helping her.
Ungermeyer has a sarcastic attitude toward most of the students and is full of herself.
Lizzie lies and feigns being sick to Ungermeyer so that she can skip the school tour and spend time with Paolo. Gordo and later Kate conspire to help keep that a secret and divert Ungermeyer's attention when she comes close to discovering the ruse.
A person tries to ruin another's career out of spite and lies to another person to make that happen, not caring what it will do to either.
It's possible some viewers could be offended by the stereotypical Italian accents, but being a comedy of sorts, it's not terribly offensive.
Matt's friend, Malina, has a bad attitude.
A fashion designer has a comically bad attitude.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: None.

GUNS/WEAPONS: None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "You are an outfit repeater," "Shut your pie hole," "Back-talking miscreant," "Mouth-breathing trailer trash," "Brown noser," "Screw up," "Zip it," "Freaked out," "You rock," "Dorko-rella" and "Really freaky."
Matt makes various blackmail tapes of Lizzie doing things (singing in her bedroom, etc.) he believes will embarrass her. He either shoots them himself with a video camera, or mounts the camera on a remote control mini-truck that he sends into her bedroom.
Lizzie lies and feigns being sick to Ungermeyer so that she can skip the school tour and spend time with Paolo.
Lizzie and Isabella wear midriff-revealing tops during a concert performance.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A tiny bit of overwrought dramatic music plays in one scene.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 5 uses of "Oh my God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: None, but Lizzie and Gordo share a very brief and quite chaste kiss at the end of the film.

SMOKING: None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: School trips.
Lying and deception.
Making sacrifices for friends.
Singers who lip-synch.
Being clumsy.

VIOLENCE: Slapstick style material (where no one is really hurt) includes several scenes of Lizzie tripping and falling (including into a bathtub and accidentally yanking down a graduation backdrop curtain in one scene) and a student whacking another on the head to wake him up. Matt's friend Malina slaps him on the head several times and pushes him aside on his rolling chair (with the sounds of it crashing off-camera in the bedroom) and a female fashion designer pushes a man to the floor while giving out orders. A bus driver accidentally hits his head on the bus, while the cartoon representation of Lizzie occasionally has large objects fall on her in a cartoon fashion.
Ungermeyer hits and kicks (in comical fashion) two security guards to get into a concert with others.

Reviewed April 28, 2003 / Posted May 2, 2003

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