CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
US, 2004, 89 minutes, Colour.
Lindsay Lohan, Adam Garcia, Glenne Headley, Alison Pill, Carol Kane, Megan Fox, Sheila Mc Carthy.
Directed by Sara Sugarman.
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is a Disney family comedy. The focus is on the young Lindsay Lohan as a prima donna in her own family – wanting to change her name from Mary to Lola, dramatising everything, seeing the world revolving around herself, grieving at having to leave New York and go to live in New Jersey and go to school there. She also idolises a pop group with the leader played by Adam Garcia. Glenne Headley plays her mother. Alison Pill gives a good performance as her rather diffident friend, Ella, who finishes up being something of a moral conscience. Carol Kane does a comic turn as the drama teacher.
The film is a minor variation on such films as Mean Girls – which Lohan was to make immediately after this film. There are some mean girls at the school, rich, jealous about the pop idol. However, while the expected happenings occur, especially with the two girls trying to get into the pop concert and encountering the star, drunk, it all goes pleasantly and predictably. Adam Garcia is not a particularly convincing drunk – but is more charming when sober at the end of the film.
The film was directed by Sara Sugarman, Welsh-born, who directed Mad Cows and Very Annie Mary.
1.The target audience for this kind of film? Young girls? Mothers? Any others?
2.The New York settings, the contrast with New Jersey? Suburbia, homes and schools? The streets of New York? The arenas for pop concerts? The musical score – the range of songs, especially for the pop group?
3.The title, the focus on Mary’s attitude? Wanting to be called Lola? The initial dramatising with her mother of leaving New York and her staying? The reality? At home with her mother, with her sisters? Going to school, her dress, drawing attention to herself? Meeting Ella and their friendship, the visits to her parents – and the parents’ suspicion? The clashes with Carla and her friends at school? Mary and her idolising of Stu? The posters? The animated segments which dramatised the drama queen’s life? In class with the teacher, the audition, getting the part of Eliza? The discussions with Ella? The clashes with Carla and her friends? The rehearsals? The build-up to the concert, her mother being strict, her father and the phone call, his stalking the two girls to protect them? Losing the money, unable to buy the tickets from the touts? Trying to get in? Their on the outside, the encounter with Stu and his being drunk, taking him to the diner, the discussions? Friendliness? Her sulking, Ella laying down the law? Her performing in the play, great success? The party, at Carla’s place, Stu arriving, sober, seeking out Lola? The happy dance at the end? Her contented voice-over?
4.Stu, the pop group, drunk, his meeting the two girls, his attitudes at the diner, the arrest, the police station? Sober, coming to see the girls, happily dancing at the end?
5.Ella, quiet, timid, friendship with Mary, against Carla and her gang? Her diffidence, her parents? Going along with Lola? The difficulties, getting into the concert, the meeting with Stu? Laying down the law, the performance? Happy at the ending?
6.The parent generation, Mary’s mother, working hard, putting up with Mary’s behaviour? Finally calling her Lola? The odd father, Mary’s discussions with him, his protecting the girls? Ella’s parents and their wariness, supporting her going to the concert?
7.The others at school, Carla, haughty, wealthy, her lawyer father, connection with the group? Her girlfriends? Her comeuppance at the end and falling in the pool – and Lola helping her out? Sam as the nice hero?
8.The popularity of this kind of family story – with the focus on the arrogant schoolgirl?
