 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Undiscovered
- Review Date: December 18, 2005
- PG-13
- Genre: Drama
- 2005
Common Sense Media says
Incoherent story of young artists.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the story is set in an L.A. music "scene," which means that characters drink, do drugs, and smoke. Characters seek fame, behave badly, cheat on each other, and fight briefly hand-to-hand; one girl is paid to seduce a young man. They use brief obnoxious language ("hard-on," "sucks", "screw"), argue, kiss, cuddle, and show romantic yearning, in handheld close-up (if you're averse to mobile framing, this film is not for you). One brief fight. The rock star phenom appears shirtless and sweaty on stage. Two agents discuss and then consume horse tranquilizers in a bar. Women wear revealing clothing, one young man appears in bed with two barely clad women.
What's the story?
It's love at first sight when musician Luke Falcon (Steven Strait) and aspiring model Brier (Pell James) meet briefly on the subway. But they go their separate ways -- she to pursue modeling and he to the West coast. When Brier turns her attention to acting and moves to LA, she ends up meeting Luke again. She and her best friend, Clea (Ashlee Simpson), decide to help Luke's music career.
Is it any good?
UNDISCOVERED is a small, often incoherent saga of aspiring young artists in L.A. While the camera cannot stay still (maybe recalling director Meiert Avis' music video roots, maybe just affecting "art"), the plot can't get going. The romance pokes along by way of deception, selfishness, revenge, and disappointment. Brier and Clea, with the help of Carrie and a faux-Brazilian model named Josie (Shannyn Sossamon), connive to make Luke seem popular.
Luke falls into the rock star mode pretty easily for someone who's supposed to be all into his independence and integrity. (Then again, he's hardly "about" the music; his mostly black band is reduced to background, one member speaking once: "One, two, three.") Brier despises the effects of celebrity, so her decision to send her true love forth on this path seems odd; as she watches him turn famous, she's partly drawn to him and partly repulsed. He's her very own Frankenstein monster, drinking and having sex with Josie because he feels rejected by Brier. In turn, she blames Luke for being weak.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the film's portrayals of manipulative show biz people. Even the heroine -- a model and wannabe actor -- seems unable to be honest with herself, her friends, and her boyfriend. Among the movie's quite unanswerable questions: why does Brier set up Luke to be a rock star when she so dislikes rock stars? Why does Clea go along with this scheme, when she knows Luke doesn't want that life? How does the movie set up the young characters as naïve and older characters as cynical and opportunistic?
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AGE
Undiscovered but not unknown...
Undiscovered is not a bad movie. In fact, it is about as tame as any other teenage movies right now. It covers more adult subjects than others, however, it is still entertaining, as well as funny. There are brief amounts of uncomfortable scenes. But, over all, any child over 14 should be able to see this movie. I enjoyed it, and my 15 year old daughter loved it as well.
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Director: | Meiert Avis |
| Cast: | Pell James, Shannyn Sossamon, Steven Strait |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 97 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 26, 2005 |
| DVD release date: | December 27, 2005 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual material including dialogue, partial nudity, language, and drug content |
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