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Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
- Review Date: July 18, 2004
- PG
- Genre: Comedy
- 2004
Common Sense Media says
Enjoyable movie about the trials of being a teen.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie has a couple of PG-level bad words. Of greater concern is that Lola lies, steals, and takes risks with very mild consequences, though she learns some lessons. She wears very skimpy clothes more revealing than even a free-spirited mother who throws pots for a living would permit. A character has an alcohol abuse problem. We see him drunk, and later he says he is getting treatment. In a very odd moment, Lola's big triumph comes when he returns her necklace to her in front of her friends, seen merely as proof that she told the truth when she said she had been at his party. No one questions why she was taking her necklace off at his apartment or whether she was doing anything risky or improper there.
What's the story?
Lindsay Lohan plays a 15-year-old who has a lot to be dramatic about, or at least she thinks she does. First of all, her parents had the bad judgment to name her "Mary," when she was born to be a "Lola." No one seems to understand the importance of her dream of being an actress. In her family, she is "a flamingo in a flock of pigeons," fighting not just against gross injustice, but also against "ordinariness." But what is really devastating is that she has to move from New York City, which she thinks is the center of the planet, to New Jersey, which seems like the farthest end of the universe. At least, if you're a drama queen. And there's more stress to come. Her favorite rock band is breaking up. And she has to compete with a mean and snobbish alpha-girl for the part of Eliza in an updated version of "Pygmalion" called "Eliza Rocks!"
Is it any good?
Lola sometimes resorts to more than drama, including some real misbehavior that the movie does not take very seriously. She tells her best friend a terrible lie about her father "to seem more interesting." She gets another friend to help her steal a costume so she can wear it to a party. She lies to her mother and tries to sneak into a concert and a rock star's party. She almost lets down the "Eliza Rocks!" cast and audience by refusing to appear. She learns some lessons and faces some consequences, but parents will want to talk to kids who see this movie about how they see her choices.
The best part of CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN is Lohan. She is a delight. Kids will enjoy identifying with her as she tries to both fit in and be different, and as she tries to follow her dreams while coping with New Jersey and other obstacles. Parents may be more willing to put up with the movie's logical loopholes than its casual treatment of behavior they would not want their children to imitate.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Lola's comment that she lied to make herself seem more interesting. Why does Carla pretend that she got the part she really wanted? Are there girls like Carla in your school and how do people feel about them? Why was Ella so surprised that her parents would let her go to the concert? How does Lola feel about Stu after she meets him?
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AGE
Hated this movie from start to finish!
Ridiculous messages and no consequences made this movie unbearably annoying for me from start to finish. Lola doesn't learn anything and never seems to change, and yet is constantly accepted for "who she is" by friends and family. I don't mind the lying and stealing as long as it's a believable part of the character, but there was no story arc and it seemed to be played just for laughs. Like Mean Girls but not even funny. I wish I hadn't wasted my time.
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AGE
Another stupid chick flick
Are teenaged girls supposed to be stupid or something? 95% of all teen chick flicks are really dumb & revolve around some nobody trying to get a boy to like them or achieve stardom, & guess what, this movie fits into that spot perfectly. Make a teen movie with a real plot, PLEASE! She's panicking over her loser band breaking up, get a life. Plus in this she insults her name 'Mary Elizabeth', can you guess who also has that exact same name? Me!
Last, she's lies about her parent dying & acts like it's so cool & romantic, but guess who really did have a parent die! It is not fun & not romantic, & not something to joke about!
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AGE
Breasts and Lying
A friend said this movie was okay but it wasn't. The girls are dished up as sexy throughout, the girls are mean and all the lying isn't dealt with until the end when the main character still gets rewarded for her behavior. There's so much wrong with the concert/party storyline I can't write it all here. I spent most of this movie stopping the DVD and explaining to my child why she should NEVER do the things these girls were doing. The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted - there are so many good movies out there. Kick this one to the curb.
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Kid, 12 years old
August 9, 2010
AGE
HATED IY
WORST MOVIE EVER NOT RECOMMENDED FOR ANY AGES!!!
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AGE
An awesome girly teen movie!
Very enjoyable teen girly movie! Alot of teenages can relate to the movie because of lifes little dramas and issues with students and fake popularity in schools. A couple of bad words used, but genrally language isn't too much of an issue. In this movie Lola lies about herself to make her life seem more interesting but learns her lesson in the end. I think this displays messages to be yourself and people will love you for who you really are.
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AGE
Good message eventually
After months of avoiding this because of the CSM review, I gave in to my 6-year-old on a transatlantic flight and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the Lohan character does lie, but she learns that it doesn't pay, and the ultimate lesson is that you can be different (both Lohan and her best friend) and still be happy. And the alcohol message is a positive one - Lohan's character is disillusioned by the drunkenness of her former idol, and he stops drinking because she calls him on it.
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AGE
A mind-numbing waste of time...
This was one of the worst kids movies I've ever seen. It was pointless, stupid, and idiotic from beginning to end. Mary "Lola" is overdramatic (hense the movie title) and lies to make people think she is more interesting. Ella is the only character that seems to have a moral conscience.
Don't see this movie. It's boring, stupid, and has a bad message.
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Kid, 12 years old
October 10, 2011
AGE
confessions of a teenage dramatic review
A good movie with a crusty shell of roughened acting and soggy drama. Apparently the movie supports alcohol use, so there's another point of criticism. The cast is 83% star studded with starlets you'd already know, from Lohan to Fox. Catchy music soundtrack, but abominable experience in general watching the movie. A good pick for tweens. No, like seriously aged tweens. Not pre-tweens, maybe post-tweens, but tweens.
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AGE
Even though I'm a boy, and I like this movie, this is a movie that mostly only girls will like
Great movie. All I have to say is Lola wears a lot of clothes that reveal midriff, a rock star gets drunk, and teenage love, but nothing inappropriate.
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| Topics: | book characters |
| Studio: | Touchstone Pictures |
| Director: | Sara Sugarman |
| Cast: | Andy Garcia, Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 96 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 20, 2004 |
| DVD release date: | July 20, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | mild thematic elements and brief language |
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