'Prom' review

Aimee Teegarden (Credit: Richard Foreman Jr./Disney)

related items

'Fast Five' review

The story should move faster, but the action is furiouser...

Metromix picks: Best new movies

All the recent recommended releases

Brookside High’s senior class president Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden) is determined to plan the best prom ever for her classmates, but after a freak fire causes her hard work to go up in flames she has to rely on hunky rebel Jesse Richter (Thomas McDonell) to rebuild the decorations in time. Among the many meanwhiles unfolding in the days before the big dance, sophomores Simone (Danielle Campbell) and Lucas (Nolan Sotillo) experience the pangs of puppy love.

The buzz: Clearly inspired by Disney’s success with TV movies for tweens, this low budget effort with mostly unknown actors hopes to lure the same audience into theaters without the help of a proven commodity like “High School Musical” or “Hannah Montana.” Director Joe Nussbaum’s undistinguished credits include tween flop “Sleepover” and direct-to-DVD sex comedy “American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile.”

The verdict: No, the events on screen do not resemble anyone’s actual high school experience. And no, that’s not the problem. Realism isn’t necessary in an effective teen romantic comedy, but any worthy entry to the genre better have some wit or originality or energy or…something. “Prom” is just an innocuous jumble of bland clichés. The misunderstood bad boy, the social outcast comically bungling his attempts to find a date, the couple that might be torn apart by college, the buddy who becomes the third wheel in his friend’s relationship, the girl who can’t wait for her “Pretty Woman” dress shopping montage—and none of it executed with any depth that can’t be conveyed in a perfunctory description. Even invoking “Pretty Woman” may go too far. It might suggest the characters have heard of sex, which no one in this movie about teen dating rituals seems even vaguely aware of. That innocence could have been charming if there was enough personality in the writing, acting or directing to pick up the slack. Instead the extra-large ensemble mostly chokes on the cheesy dialogue and threadbare production values. Even Teegarden’s “Friday Night Lights” pedigree works against her. That TV series is only one of many recent high school stories well crafted enough to appeal to viewers of any age. “Prom” is strictly for those still wondering how cool it'll feel to be a freshman.

Did you know? Nussbaum requested all the actors watch “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink” and “Say Anything” before filming—which just seems like cruel and unusual punishment given how little smarts and attitude “Prom” has by comparison.

Movie Trailer: