Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

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.