Britney's `Girl': The pop tart produces a charming TV film
By Amy Amatangelo | Friday, April 23, 2004
Oops . . . she did it again. Britney Spears hits audiences one more time with ``Brave New Girl,'' premiering Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC Family.
The pop princess has had a busy year. She married and divorced her childhood friend within a matter of days. She exchanged more than lyrics with Madonna. And she had everyone wondering if perhaps the song ``Toxic'' was about a certain pop prince. But with ``Brave New Girl,'' the singer shows off her so-innocent side.
The made-for-TV movie is based on the book ``A Mother's Gift,'' written by Spears and her mother, Lynne (the duo also served as executive producers on the film). Even though it is billed as an ``original'' movie, Spears and her mom obviously watched such flicks as ``Fame,'' ``Save the Last Dance'' and ``Center Stage.'' Heck, take out the scene in which Brit was deflowered in ``Crossroads,'' and ``Brave New Girl'' has quite a bit in common with Spears' 2002 film. The two-hour movie is so instantly familiar that the viewer could watch it without the sound and still know exactly what's going on. But darn it all if the movie doesn't work.
Holly Lovell (Lindsey Haun) is living deep in the heart of Texas (where it snows a lot, since the movie was filmed in Toronto) with the dream of leaving her job at the local Dairy Princess and enrolling in the Haverty Conservatory of Music and Dance. Single mom Wanda (Virginia Madsen) sacrifices everything to make sure her baby girl can attend the snooty college and fulfill her lifelong goal. Holly idolizes Britney Spears (what a coincidence!) and has turned the hit ``Stronger'' into her personal theme song. The ditty goes from a song about sticking it to an ex-boyfriend to an anthem of girl power.
At Haverty, Holly meets bitchy Angela (Barbara Mamabolo), who is jealous of Holly's talent. Best friend and troubled party girl Ditz (Jackie Rosenbaum) is ignored by her father and desperately tries to get his attention through drugs and alcohol. Dreamy Grant (Nick Roth) is immediately drawn to Holly and encourages her to be herself. There's the Cruella de Vil professor who wants to see her fail and the kind professor who gently encourages her to succeed.
Embarrassed by her impoverished background, Holly makes up a glamorous career for her mother and a fictional version of her deadbeat father. But tunes from the teen idol do not go over well at snooty Haverty.
``Holly, this is not `American Idol,' '' a professor tells her after she belts out a Spears tune. Holly must learn to sing classical opera in Italian and French to perform at the Winter Voice Recital.
Of course, in the end, she learns the message that she has to be true to herself. And for the tweens at which this movie is clearly aimed, there's also a solid anti-drinking, anti-drug message.
Plucky Haun (who looks as though she was separated at birth from Beverley Mitchell of ``7th Heaven'') could have toned down the Texas twang. But with her winning smile and innate enthusiasm, she's perfect as the show's heroine. Madsen manages to rise above her character's stereotype. There's not much that can be done with such lines as ``We just can't afford a fancy music school, Holly. Besides, that's just not the kind of place for folks like us,'' but Madsen does her best.
``Brave New Girl'' marks a new direction for ABC Family. The cable channel traditionally has produced romantic comedies. Its producers excel at taking a familiar story with a predictable plot and, as ``American Idol'' judge Paula Abdul likes to say, making it their own.
There's no doubt Holly will find her way at Haverty, and that the movie will end with a triumphant musical number (because living a dream means singing like Britney, with a headset microphone and backup dancers), but it's still fun to watch her journey.
( ``Brave New Girl.'' Premiering Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC Family. Three stars (out of four). )
