Aimee Teegarden

Blu-Ray Review: Disney’s Sugar-Coated ‘Prom’ Lacks Tangible Insight

mattmovieman — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:52:28 -0400

CHICAGO – If your ideal vision of prom is best represented by “Carrie,” then odds are Disney’s “Prom” is not for you. In fact, if you are a high schooler, were a high schooler or may become a high schooler, “Prom” is guaranteed to strike you as monumentally childish. It’s the sort of harmless dreck so mediocre and generic that it could’ve been made in any time period. In a sense, it’s timeless dreck.

See if this sounds familiar: a perky popular overachiever finds herself falling for the long-haired brooding loser with a motorcycle and a criminal record. “He’s a rude, arrogant menace!” she shouts early in the film, thus solidifying that she will undoubtedly end up in his arms at the final fade-out. Seriously, how many “Breakfast Club” retreads and Disneyfied teenage dramas does the human race need?

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0

Of course, the real inspiration for this glorified Disney Channel special is “Love Actually,” Richard Curtis’s beloved romantic comedy of interlocking lives. The picture was gift-wrapped especially for the 2003 Christmas season, and has since inspired some the laziest Hollywood films in recent memory. It’s a simple formula: producers choose a holiday weekend, gather a bunch of contractually obligated stars and hurl them into a blender of melodramatic clichés. “Pretty Woman” helmer Garry Marshall has already made a reputation-tarnishing career out of churning out these forgettable money-makers, namely “Valentine’s Day” and the upcoming “New Years Eve.” Yet even though “Prom” was released on April 29th of this year, it failed to find an audience. Perhaps it was due to a lack of bankable names in the cast. Perhaps it was due to the bland direction from Joe Nussbaum, the same hack behind “Sydney White” and “American Pie Presents The Naked Mile.” Or perhaps it’s simply because Hollywood screenwriters have used the “Love Actually” formula as an excuse to stitch together a series of half-baked sketches and pass it off as a motion picture. The “Prom” script by Katie Wech requires the fresh young ensemble to struggle through undeliverable lines like, “The tuxedo is the ultimate symbol of conformity,” and “Prom…that soul-crushing mistress!”

Aimee Teegarden stars in Joe Nussbaum’s Prom.
Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Aimee Teegarden of “Friday Night Lights” fame emotes admirably as Nova the Overachieving Heroine, but her central story thread is the least successful of the bunch. There’s also a manipulative jock (DeVaughn Nixon), a pair of geeky sophomores (Nolan Sotillo and Cameron Monaghan), and a clueless loser (Nicholas Braun of “Red State”) with no girl to take to the big dance. Braun isn’t just afraid of women, he’s a colossal moron. When a girl shows interest in him but confesses that she’s already taking a friend to prom, Braun hangs his head in despair. Why doesn’t he just ask her to hang out another night? Because “Prom” blows its titular ritual so exponentially out of proportion that the kids act as if they are asking for each other’s hands in marriage. Nussbaum and Wech’s depiction of prom as a unifying event is entirely wrongheaded. Everyone that’s stepped foot in high school knows that prom is merely an uneasy meshing of cliques. “Prom” shows what high school would look like without sex, drugs, profanity, bullying, peer pressure, homosexuality and acne. Take all those ingredients away, and what are we left with? A feature-length “Mickey Mouse Club” episode from 1955. Sorry Disney, but this fluff is far too innocent for the era of “Glee.”

Prom was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on August 30, 2011.
Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

“Prom” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio), accompanied by English, French, Spanish and Descriptive Video Service audio tracks, and comes equipped with a DVD copy of the film. A 10-minute short edits together additional scenes of Braun’s ultra-pathetic attempts at finding a date for prom night. The extra screen time allows Braun to sport a Jay Baruchel-like timing, and some of his self-deprecating quips are genuinely amusing, such as when he answers his phone with the line, “Purgatory, can I help you?” In a five-minute featurette, the filmmakers claim that they were attempting to capture an “authentic version of adolescent life” loosely based on the experiences of first-time feature screenwriter Wech. Nussbaum says that prom is an ideal topic for comedy because it inherently heightens the emotions of its participants to a ridiculous degree. Yet if this painfully sincerely exercise in saccharin sentiment is supposed to function as satire, I suggest that Nussbaum not only go back to the drawing board but back to film school.

Rounding out the extras are a brief blooper reel and no less than seven music videos featuring the work of “Allstar Weekend,” “Neon Trees,” “Moon,” “Those Dancing Days,” “Girl in a Coma” and Nolan Sotillo, a YouTube sensation who actually delivers a charming performance in the film as lovesick sophomore Lucas. Nussbaum and co-producer Justin Springer do a fine job hosting the disc’s seven minutes of deleted scenes, and their diverting banter could’ve easily been stretched into an audio commentary. Most of the cut scenes are merely unnecessary beats, but there’s one moment involving Nova’s brooding beau Jesse (Thomas McDonell) that absolutely should have been left in the film. It takes place during a humiliating tuxedo fitting where the young hothead resists the urge to pummel a group of bullying peers. It’s a tame scene but it’s also an honest one, not to mention the only scene of teenage bullying to be found on this disc. More moments like this might’ve made “Prom” more substantial and less infuriating.

‘Prom’ is released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and stars Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, DeVaughn Nixon, Danielle Campbell, Yin Chang, Jared Kusnitz, Nolan Sotillo, Cameron Monaghan, Kylie Bunbury, Joe Adler, Janelle Ortiz, Jonathan Keltz and Nicholas Braun. It was written by Katie Wech and directed by Joe Nussbaum. It was released on August 30, 2011. It is rated PG.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: Aimee Teegarden Discovers ‘Prom’ Isn’t So Bad

PatrickMcD — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:39:54 -0400

CHICAGO – There are many essential questions in life. What is my purpose? How do I find my place in the universe? Where did I put my mobile phone? But the most important of all, as Aimee Teegarden is about to experience, is who will I get to take me to “Prom.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Prom, a new film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, is old school. It’s not set in another time, it is set within a former teen movie framework. In the tradition of director John Hughes, Prom portrays high school as a character challenge, with all the highs, lows, heartaches and the strange hope that a transition of life has been achieved.

Nova (Aimee Teegarden) is little Miss Perfect. She’s class president, scholarship student and of course, head of the Prom Committee. Her world is turned upside down when the meticulous decorations for the ‘Starry Night’ theme are destroyed in a school warehouse fire. This collides Nova with Jesse (Thomas McDonell), a moody, motorcycle-riding rebel who is ordered by the school principal to assist on rebuilding the event or risk not graduating. This launches the classic opposites-attract-because-they’re-not-so-opposite discovery.

The rest of the school gets ready for the big night. Mei (Yin Chang) and Justin (Jared Kusnitz) are the long-term couple, destined to be together until they’re not. Tyler (DeVaughn Nixon) and Jordan (Kylie Bunbury) are the popular shoo-ins for King and Queen of the Prom, but Tyler has eyes for the fetching sophomore Simone (Danielle Campbell), which may cause problems. Also a crush on Simone by fellow classmate Lucas (Nolan Sotillo), causes a rift between him and his best friend Corey (Cameron Monaghan). And finally there is Lloyd (Nicholas Braun), the senior who trying to get the courage to ask a girl, any girl to accompany him to Prom.

All these forces collide in anticipation of that unforgettable night where the ill-fitting tuxes suddenly seem tailored, the expensive dresses justify their cost and the date that you bring will determine if the Prom lives on as a long or fleeting memory.

”Prom” opens everywhere on April 29th. Featuring Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, DeVaughn Nixon, Danielle Campbell, Yin Chang, Jared Kusnitz, Nicholas Braun and Faith Ford. Screenplay by Kate Wech, directed by Joe Nussbaum. Rated “PG”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Prom”

Prom-crossed Lovers: Thomas McDonnell (Jesse) and Aimee Teegarden (Nova) in ‘Prom’
Photo credit: Richard Foreman, Jr. for © Disney Enterprises

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Prom”

DVD, TV Review: Final Season of NBC’s Beloved ‘Friday Night Lights’

BrianTT — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:38:52 -0400

CHICAGO – Even diehard fans of the show have to be stunned that “Friday Night Lights” made it five seasons. And perhaps the program’s most enduring legacy will be that it changes the delivery model. The fifth and final season has already aired on DirecTV’s 101 and starts playing tonight, April 15th, 2011 on NBC, but is also already available on DVD. Yes, the shows haven’t even aired on network TV but they’re already at the DVD store. Times are changing.

DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0

What’s most remarkable about “Friday Night Lights” (outside of the quality of the writing and acting on the actual program) is how the show survived. It’s not unlike an underestimated football team who makes an unexpected playoff run by changing the rules of the game. In many ways, it’s redefined how a program can stay on the air through the cost-sharing agreement between NBC and DirecTV and the unusual decision by NBC/Universal to release the final season on DVD before most people have had a chance to watch it on TV.

Friday Night Lights: The Fifth and Final Season was released on DVD on April 5th, 2011
Photo credit: Bill Records/NBC

Television is not just about traditional ratings any more. DVD sales, DVR usage, downloads, and even just the prestige that comes with having a critically acclaimed program with a loyal fan base can keep a show like “Friday Night Lights” on the air despite its minimal audience. It’s already had an impact as DirecTV has also rescued “Damages” from the cancellation guillotine and will air the next two seasons. What’s next?

Friday Night Lights: The Fifth and Final Season was released on DVD on April 5th, 2011
Photo credit: Universal

And the adoration for the show (except for perhaps the second season) has actually increased. Perhaps most notably, the show finally caught on with the Academy of Television, earning two Emmy nominations for its fourth season for its well-deserving stars Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. I expect at least Connie to be nominated again for this final season. Could the program finally earn an Outstanding Drama Series nomination? Don’t rule it out.

By the time the lights are finally turned off, “Friday Night Lights” will have produced over 70 episodes, far more than most of us expected based on the fact that it never placed above #90 in seasonal rankings. With the diversity of the market with new channels becoming players every month and new delivery systems like DVD, On Demand, and online downloading, traditional ratings don’t mean what they once did. What the show has done is redefined the word “hit” and in all the right ways.

Of course, you shouldn’t start your experience with the residents of Dillon, Texas with the final season. Watch from the beginning. Universal has packaged the thirteen episodes from season five on three discs and they’re all presented in anamorphic widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. It would be nice to see a show with production values this notable released on Blu-ray but Universal is still one of the best studios at standard transfers, so the program still looks good. Hopefully, we’ll receive a complete series Blu-ray set soon — hint, hint Universal. It would make a great holiday season addition to your schedule.

As for special features, it’s a pretty extensive collection, which once again hints at the recognition that while not everyone watches “Friday Night Lights,” those who do absolutely love it. It’s nice that Universal treats them with the respect they deserve.

Special Features:
o Deleted Scenes
o Yearbook - photo gallery
o “The Lights Go Out”
o Audio Commentaries

“Friday Night Lights: The Fifth Season” stars Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Aimee Teegarden, Matt Lauria, Jurnee Smollett, Madison Burge, Taylor Kitsch, and Derek Phillips. It was released on DVD on April 5th, 2011 and is not rated. It runs 562 minutes. The show airs on Friday nights at 7pm CST on NBC starting April 15th, 2011.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD Review: Critical Darling ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton

BrianTT — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:51:08 -0400

CHICAGO – The saga of “Friday Night Lights,” the fourth season of which is now available on DVD, is not unlike that of an underestimated football player who most people thought wouldn’t make the team despite his obvious talent but who proved everyone wrong by changing the rules of the game. “FNL” has never found the sizable audience that this quality program deserves but it has found an incredibly loyal one and, in doing so, has altered the landscape of television more than you might think.

DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0

Fifteen years ago, the ratings of the first season of “Friday Night Lights” would have led to cancellation and a decade of bemoaning the brilliant-but-canceled program that never got the chance it deserved. But the changing market and groundswell of critical acclaim for the adaptation of Buzz Bissinger’s great book and Peter Berg’s hit film changed this story. After looking at the DVD sales, downloads, and devoted fan base, a deal was struck between DirecTV and NBC and the third and fourth season of the show aired exclusively on the satellite network’s 101 channel in the fall before moving to the broadcast net in the spring. The deal will not only continue for the show’s upcoming fifth-and-final season but certainly helped save “Damages” from oblivion as that critical hit was recently saved by DirecTV after getting canceled by FX. Who knows what’s next?

Friday Night Lights: The Fourth Season was released on DVD on August 17th, 2010
Photo credit: Bill Records/NBC

While the show was struggling in the ratings and surviving much longer than anyone expected, “Friday Night Lights” continued to rack up critical acclaim and awards. The TV press has always loved the show. Look no further than the cover of the DVD with an amazing quote from the L.A. Times — “What may be the best dramatic series in the history of television. That’s right: history.” How could you NOT want to check that show out?

Friday Night Lights: The Fourth Season was released on DVD on August 17th, 2010
Photo credit: Universal

“Friday Night Lights” started to string together awards from in-the-know bodies like the Television Critics Association, Writers Guild, and the Peabody Award committee, but Emmy love stayed away from life in Dillon, Texas for the first three seasons. It picked up a few “below-the-radar” noms like casting and for Berg’s direction on the pilot but the fourth season finally broke through with Emmy nods for Outstanding Lead Actor (Kyle Chandler) and Outstanding Lead Actress (Connie Britton). Maybe the fifth season will land the Outstanding Drama Series nomination the show’s fans have long thought that the program deserved.

If you’re unfamiliar with “Friday Night Lights,” don’t start with the fourth season. It’s a rich character drama that requires you watch it from the very beginning. If you wanted to jump into the game in the fourth quarter, then you’d still enjoy it but you’d miss out on a lot of the game. Universal has packaged the thirteen episodes from season four on three discs and they’re all presented in anamorphic widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. It would be nice to see a show with production values this notable released on Blu-ray but Universal is still one of the best studios at standard transfers, so the program still looks good.

Special Features:
o Deleted Scenes
o Peter Berg Intros
o Audio Commentary on 4.1 — “East of Dillon”
o “Friday Night Lights…Camera, Action!”
o “New Faces, New Places”
o “Playbook”

“Friday Night Lights: The Fourth Season” stars Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch, Brad Leland, Aimee Teegarden, and Zach Gilford. It was released on DVD on August 17th, 2010 and is not rated. It runs 577 minutes.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: ‘Friday Night Lights’ Continues Stellar Storytelling

PatrickMcD — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:01:48 -0400

CHICAGO – Why has a seemingly ordinary tale of an oil patch town in Texas and their high school football obsession conquered books, film and television? Because the folks telling the story continue a tradition of beautiful, significant truth.

Television Rating: 5.0/5.0

The television version of “Friday Night Lights,” premiering its fourth season May 7th on NBC-TV, has followed the excellence of the 1990 non-fiction book and the essential 2004 film version of that book by establishing its own exceptional style. This ‘FNL’ is the fictionalized rendering of the same basic concepts in the book and film, but because of that fiction the producers are able to take the Texas way of football and life and apply it to the fading American Dream.

The centerpiece of the TV show is Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), who has carried the burden of trying to satisfy the football lust of the fictional Dillon, Texas. He began the series as the head caretaker of the Dillon Panthers, the high school team whose reputation as yearly contenders for the state championship feeds the town’s life and obsessions, from the players to the families to the booster club.

Coach Taylor’s family includes wife Tami (Connie Britton), who is moving up the ranks of the Dillon High School administration chain and daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden), who despite disliking both football and Texas, manages to connect with Matt (Zach Gilford), a shy athlete thrust into the spotlight as quarterback on the team. Buddy Garrity (Brad Leland) is the influential football booster in town, and represents the power role behind the image of Texas sports.

Friday Night Lights
Photo credit: Bill Records/NBC

Season four opens as Coach Taylor faces new challenges. At the end of last season, he was summarily dismissed as head coach of the popular Panthers, due to a wealthy booster creating a backlash against him. Due to redistricting, he is able to secure another head coaching job on the “other side of the tracks,” with the woeful East Dillon High School Lions.

The first episode deals with the transition, and portrays an honest challenge that won’t be easily met. Taylor’s wife Tami is also just been named principal of the Dillon Panther high school, and has to deal with the politics of divided loyalties between her husband and her career.

One of the reasons that producer/actor Peter Berg wanted to translate his film version to television was to explore the issues of the source non-fiction book – racial attitudes, grown adults concern for 16-year old players and football, football, football over everything else. The series has delivered on that translation and hints to most of that territory in the season opener.

Another brilliant methodology that Berg put into practice is a one-take, multi camera scene structure that creates an atmosphere of immediacy, as if they are shooting a documentary. Coupled with the authentic Texas landscape (it is filmed in and around Austin), the show has a character that bleeds directly from that earth and attitudes.

Don’t Mess With Texas: The cast of Friday Night Lights
Photo credit: Justin Stephens/NBC

One of the more intriguing elements of the new model of network television is the multiple “seasons” that have developed from simple experimentation. Although Friday Night Lights has been thrown around the dial and spectrum of the modern business of media (appearing on NBC’s sister cable station Bravo, appearing on the DirectTV Network) it has maintained its integrity and promise throughout its three season run. This fourth season will be its last.

This show deserves its accolades and attention because it simply delivers its promise – a television program that is a mirror of American society, a reflection of everything that seems to hold us in a firm grasp. Whether that grasp cradles us or strangles us is the answer to everything that the Friday Night Lights flash before us.

”Friday Night Lights” fourth season premiere airs on NBC-TV, May 7th, 8pm ET/7pm Central Time. Check local listings for channel locations. Featuring Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch, Brad Leland, Aimee Teegarden and Zach Gilford, Season four premiere directed by Peter Berg.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com