Crossroads (PG-13, 2002)

In CROSSROADS, Britney Spears plays Lucy, who finds herself feeling empty as she prepares for her high school graduation. She has achieved all of her father's dreams for her, graduating as valedictorian and preparing to enroll in a rigorous pre-med program. And she is about to fulfill someone else's dream, too -- she has agreed to have sex with her lab partner so that they can go to college and not be ostracized as virgins. She can't go through with it, though, because it isn't special enough. When her estranged pregnant friend offers her a ride to Los Angeles, she impulsively accepts. So does a third estranged friend, the engaged prom queen, who wants to go to L.A. to see her boyfriend. Everyone learns some important lessons, and the three wishes made by the girls when they were eight and swore to be lifelong friends turn out to be not exactly what they had in mind. But they learn that the friendship was more than they had expected, and that not knowing exactly what their dreams are might make life more interesting.

Here is the good news: Britney Spears is a better actress than Mariah Carey. Here is the bad news: the movie is not very good. Here is the worse news: it is not appropriate for the girls who should have been its prime target, Britney fans ages 8-14. Instead, the movie has subject matter that is too mature for that age group, but treats those subjects without any of the originality, maturity, or genuine understanding that would hold the attention of older teens or adults. Its biggest fault is not having a clear idea of its audience.