Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5215 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-05-23
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 102 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Perky teen starlet Hilary Duff wholeheartedly embraces the kind of earnest innocence all parents wish their daughters had. In Raise Your Voice, Terri Fletcher yearns to go to a prestigious music conservatory in Los Angeles. Her father won't let her because L.A. is a bad place, but her loving mom and kooky aunt sneak her away. Once there, she gets a sassy roommate-of-colour, geeky cool friends, a snooty rival, and a sexy British boyfriend. Of course, all conflicts with family and friends come to a head at a big competition at which Terri rediscovers herself. Formulaic? Yes. Bland? Yes. Will preteen girls enjoy it anyway? Maybe, because Duff plays it so sincere. --Bret Fetzer, amazon.com

Synopsis
Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is your typical sweet-hearted, small-town girl and she always obeys her intensely overprotective dad (David Keith), but when she gets accepted to a summer program at a prestigious Los Angeles music school and he forbids her to go, she realises it's time to break away. With the help of her cool aunt (Rebecca De Mornay), Terri figures out a ruse to sneak off to LA and seize the chance to actualise her musical dreams. Once there, it's harsh wake-up time however, as she realises being naive, adorable, blonde, un-pierced, and un-tattooed means being ostracised in this too-cool musical community. Luckily John Corbett, a sympathetic music teacher, is there to help, and there's time for romance to bloom with a British classmate (Oliver James). Before this little star can truly blossom though, she still has to cope with the trauma of losing her brother in a car accident (it's left her terrified of bright lights, a real problem for a stage performer) and then there's the matter of telling the truth to her furious father. Duff's effortless charisma lifts this sturdy, comfortably worn-in vehicle easily over the bumpier cliche's, and delivers it safely to its inspiring destination.

Customer Reviews

This is a late preteen/teen girls movie - it's not that suitable for the rest of us
This film is aimed pretty squarely at the Lizzie McGuire audience of young teenagers (I'd say 10 to 14 year old girls would go for it most), and it has the feel of a decent Disney TV movie. Hillary Duff stars as Terri Fletcher, a small town singer chosen to attend the Los Angeles performing arts academy summer school after her brother secretly submits a DVD of her. Naturally her dad strongly disapproves. At the final show put on at the end of the summer school the best student wins a scholarship. So there's everything to sing/play/dance for. The final show does present some real young talent and the build up to it is largely well acted and entertaining, if a little bit clichéd at times.

My daughter (13) has enjoyed watching this movie 4 or 5 times already over the last few months, so the underlying sad theme obviously didn't put her off, and clearly the storyline attracted her - whereas she found the far classier film 'My Girl' great, but simply too sad to watch again. This film is pretty much a rip off of FAME (no bad thing) with perhaps a shallow hint of 'Ordinary People'. It's tolerable enough for adults in their daughter's company though, jolly enough for repeat viewing by the kids, and obviously hits the spot for the intended audience. Like many others here, I preferred 'Cinderalla Story' and perhaps even 'Cadet Kelly', but my daughter found this DVD to be £5 well spent as well. The DVD also has the usual few 'behind the out-takes' bits as well. So as a young Andy Hardy used to say many years ago 'Lets put on a show'...

pure cheesy chick flick!!! its got the feel good factor!!!
i love this film! its not often i can watch a film over and over again, but this is one of them. not a hugh hillary duff fan but she was good in this. the songs are really catchy and i was singing them round the house all day. its a feel good movie with a thick layer of cheese!!!!!! highly recommended. hope u enjoy!!!!!!!

Heartwrenching
I'm really into een rom coms, which is probably why I love this film so much. It's the only film that has ever made me cry. I really feel like I can relate with the main character, which Hilary Duff plays excellently. I suggest this film for teen girls, as others may not enjoy it as much.