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Parents' Guide to

The Lizzie McGuire Movie

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Tween tale has some bullying and mild romance.

Movie PG 2003 90 minutes
The Lizzie McGuire Movie Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • The Lizzie McGuire Movie: Scene One
  • The Lizzie McGuire Movie: Scene Two
  • The Lizzie McGuire Movie: Scene Three

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

caffinegirl85
caffinegirl85 Adult
November 14, 2011
age 8+

Nice!

nice movie great sweet espically Hilary Duff this is a great movie for the whole family to enjoy trust me!
DexterSmith
DexterSmith Adult
January 26, 2009
age 8+

Farfetch'd, cheesy, and has nothing to do with the show

Lizzie McGuire was a sitcom about a 7th grade girl and her wacky adventures with her friends and family, relying mostly on silly slapstick for its humor, but still being a fairly enjoyable show. The Lizzie McGuire Movie, however, is completely different. Lizzie (Hilary Duff) is graduating middle school and the entire eighth grade is going to Rome (aren't these kinds of things for seniors in high school?). She is quickly spotted out in Italy by singer Paalo (Yani Gellman) as a look-a-like for his singing partner Isabella (also played by Duff). Isabella has left the music world, so Paalo says. Paalo asks Lizzie to pose as her so that he can make a comeback. She agrees while friends Kate (Ashlie Brillault) and Gordo (Adam Lamberg) cover for her to avoid Lizzie getting in trouble with trip leader and soon-to-be-her-principal Ms. Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein) for skipping tours of the city. This is a PG movie and thus fairly predictable, so I think it's safe to say that Lizzie fulfills her dreams of being a singer - which strangely, were never mentioned on the show - without getting in too much trouble. Generally, this would be a pretty nice idea for a kids' movie. The problem is - this has little to do with the actual show. The show relied on wacky situations to advance its nearly nonexistent storyline. Because of this nonexistent storyline, anything was pretty much possible for the movie. But seriously, having a girl look exactly like you then posing to be her while on a class field trip in Rome so that you can be the world's next big celebrity? Wow, Disney. Just wow.
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What's the Story?

Hilary Duff stars as her TV series character Lizzie McGuire in this feature-length adventure. Lizzie's middle school graduation turns humiliating when she's called on as a last-minute substitute speaker and trips, causing the backdrop to fall on top of the entire graduating class. But she's looking forward to a trip to Rome with her friends, even though it's led by her new high school principal, Miss Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein), who seems more like a drill sergeant. Lizzie's spirits remain high even when she finds out that her nemesis, popular girl Kate (Ashlie Brillault), will be coming along. In Rome, Lizzie meets Paulo (Yani Gellman), a dreamy Italian teen pop idol who is mesmerized by her uncanny resemblance to his singing partner. She pretends to be sick so she can sneak out to tour Rome on the back of his Vespa, and he persuades her to pretend to be his partner on a live award broadcast. She feels like Cinderella. But she ends up learning some new things about old friends, and some old lessons about her new one.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (14 ):

Fans of Lizzie McGuire are certain to love this fizzy tween tale. Lizzie is admired by a handsome international pop star, gets a makeover and tries on a lot of wild clothes, triumphs over the snarky popular girl, and gets to be a superstar with all her friends and family in the audience. It's all a tween dream come true.

It's not really a movie. It's just a 90-minute episode of the popular Disney channel television show, partly filmed in Rome. But we can be grateful that it's a nice, wholesome story created for an age group usually neglected by Hollywood. Duff has a warm, sweet presence, and the use of a little animated Lizzie to comment on the action adds liveliness to her adventures.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether people really do make their own luck, and how wishes can help.

  • Do you think Lizzie McGuire is a good role model? Why or why not?

  • This movie was released in the days before social media and YouTube. How would the attempts by Lizzie's younger brother to post humiliating viral videos of her be seen today?

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