Raise Your Voice [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Customer Reviews:

Well done.......2007-10-06

I found this movie to be well done. It takes you through the range of emotions, and you feel them. Hilary Duff plays a promising young songwriter who over protective father becomes even more so when she loses her brother. And some of the reviews think that the movie forgets about the boys' death and moves on. I think the opposite.

This movie shows that regardless of your age, tragedy can come into your life. And even if you are young, you cannot give up. You have to continue on with your life and follow your dreams. This does not mean you have forgotten about your loss. We watch Hilary's character deal with this loss in her life and grow up in spite of it. It also shows parents that it is important to let go a little and let their children follow their dreams.

On the lighter side, the acting is fine as is the casting. And the film has a fantastic soundtrack I think teens will love. Yes this is a chick flick, but it has a good plot and message.

Hilary Duff tries to sing her way out of all the clichés.......2005-02-18

There was a moment near the end of "Raise Your Voice" where I was wondering how low this 2004 film was going to go. The main setting for the story is three-week music camp for gifted youngsters in Los Angeles, which ends with the students performing and the awarding of a $10,000 scholarship. I was worried that the script was going to follow all of the other clichés that riddle the story, but they actually gave the scholarship to the person who deserved it. This would be one of the few high notes in a film that has trouble finding an original voice.

Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is a young, vivacious and talented singer (i.e., Hilary Duff at her best). Then there is a family tragedy (Jason Ritter really needs to start turning down scripts that have getting into cars), and Terri becomes a shadow of her former self. However, she gets accepted to the aforementioned music camp and goes off to see what she can do. There is a problem in that her father, Simon (David Keith) refuses to let her go, which requires her mother, Frances (Rita Wilson) and her Aunt Nina (Rebecca De Mornay), to conspire behind her father's back to get her to the camp (collectively the talents of these three adults are wasted in this film). Simon is an angry man and while the film suggests there are psychological reasons for him being the way he is the character is reduced to an angry stereotype. His wife, his sister, his son, and his daughter all come up with valid reasons for him to bring his head back to where the sun shines, but the script by Sam Schreiber, based on the story by Mitch Rotter, does not allow anything to get through his thick skull until the big finale (note that even then he makes his daughter shut up so that he can speak).

At the music camp Terri has trouble fitting in. She is talented and open and the others are talented and tend not to work well with others. Her roommate, Denise Gilmore (Dana Davis), does some really interesting things with a violin, but was apparently hoping to have the room to herself. Then there is Robin Childers (Lauren C. Mayhew), who was the Queen B at last summer's camp and assumes everything has stayed the same, making a point of telling people in case they thinking music has something to do with talent or personality. Then there is Jay Corgan (Oliver James), who has an English accent to go with the guitar case that is usually strung across his shoulder. He seems a decent sort, who treats Terri like she was as human being (it probably has something to do with the English accent). Robin thinks Jay is still her consort, which gives her another reason to hate Terri. There is also the fact that Terri is this summer's teacher's pet for the school's cool teacher (John Corbett).

Although so much of this film is predictable, my biggest complaint is that one of the sub-plots never gets to its payoff. The choir class is working on "The Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah." Terri is given a solo, which is just another reason to Robin to be miffed (the movie is rated PG so I am trying to temper my language accordingly). Terri is struggling to be freed from the shackles of overwhelming psychological guilt so that her voice can take flight again. There are several scenes of the class working on this song, with and without Terri. But is there a scene where they stand up and sing the song? Why, no, there is not. It seems that Terri has been working on another song, with Jay, that he had written (she helps with the words), and that is much more in the musical vein that Duff is known for singing (although she does tackle an aria from "Don Giovanni" to show she is game).

Director Sean McNamara seems to have been inspired by the movie "Fame," which is a pretty good movie to be inspired by if you are doing this sort of genre where are legitimately bursting into song and the instruments behind the singers can actually be seen on the screen. But that means the best scenes of this film seem rather derivative of Alan Parker's 1980 film and it seems rather counterproductive to make Hilary Duff part of the gang. In fact, I was thinking that "Raise Your Voice" might work better if it did not star Hilary Duff. I read that Evan Rachel Wood and Jonathan Jackson were the original choices for the young leads, and that only confirms my working hypothesis. Duff is okay in the role. She has a nice smile and when she has to cry she puts a lot into it, but she is not an actress on the same level of Wood, who I think is more talented than Duff and Lindsey Lohan combined. Unfortunately the current generation of young movie goers is being asked to choose only between those two teen queens.

so good.......2005-02-17

Parents who are sick of Hilary Duff might actually appreciate this performance. Yes, it focuses a lot on singing, but there is a decent enough story--and the acting is amazing as Hilary Duff becomes more dramatic (though still sweet and innocent).

Duff is Terri Fletcher, whose mother and aunt help her get to the most famous music academy in the country behind her dad's back.

There, she meets Jay and several other people...and learns to come to terms with a personal tragedy.

Most of the songs appear on Duff's self-titled CD. "Fly" is a favorite of mine, but it seems misplaced in this movie.

Four stars for the misplaced song, and I wish they had another actor play the father. People say Duff is a one note, one face actress--I disagree. This comment is more accurate to the poor acting ability of David Keith

brill best by duff.......2005-02-16

this is so good

Steafan Hannigan - The Bodhran
Average customer rating:

great basic info for the beginner and something for the more expert

Steafan Hannigan - The Bodhran
Starring: Steafan Hannigan
Manufacturer: Music Sales Limited
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 1846090865
Release Date: 2005-07-07
Steafan Hannigan - The Bodhran

Customer Reviews:

great basic info for the beginner and something for the more expert.......2007-01-28

The tuition is clear and effective for everyone who wants to learn how to play the bodhran and their is no "showing off" by this guy to put you off.Very useful band at the end so that you can play along with them.

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