It’s that time of the year for the senior dance expecting to enhance memories of friendships, puppy love and dreams of being a mature adult. Yes it’s the Prom and Disney’s new movie knows how to make it PG with some new faces and a display of morals fit for Middle America and the Bible belt. It may not be reality with the lifestyle in the 2nd millennium, but what are movies for anyway? Places where you can still see family values and feel that they still exist. You know, it’s the perfect movie for moms who worry about their High School daughters.
In this film every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. Several intersecting stories unfold at one high school as the big dance approaches; the movie portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite. For Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden), it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to Jesse the guy (Thomas McDonell) who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei (Yin Chang) and Tyler (De’Vaughn Nixon) harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events. Will this ‘perfect night’ be a night to remember?
Prom director Joe Nussbaum, who gave us Sydney White and Sleepover, both films featuring a group of newbie’s, continues his quest to find the perfect newcomers for the teen appeal. His only known player, Aimee Teegarden has already had a string of hits, especially television’s Friday Night Lights that spotlighted her throughout the series. Here she plays the pivotal role giving some strength to the very predictable plot. Although Nussbaum gives her a lot of rope with her character, it’s not enough to make the film a winner.
Unfortunately the prime audience that will watch this film, ladies 12-18, will probably walk away with an empty feeling on what it may really be like at ‘the prom.’ Sadly the only action, a fire and a fight that points out the bad boy in town and the sole comedy surrounds a boy trying to come up with the nerve to ask out his perfect prom choice.
Prom is rated PG for mild language and a fight. But, this is a TEEN film so it’s a loss that Nussbaum made the film a little unrealistic by sticking in the ‘magic’ that’s usually infused in Disney’s Animated division youngsters.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A sugarcoated version of a High School rite of passage. ( C )
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
