‘Prom’ Review

Disney had great success with their “High School Musical” movies. And some people may think that “Prom” is in some way connected to those. It is not. There’s no Troy and Gabriella. No Sharpay. And no musical numbers.

I wasn’t a fan of the “High School Musical” series and I wasn’t expecting to like “Prom. But it’s a pleasant surprise.

Nova is a senior at a high school in Michigan, and it’s prom time. A few weeks before the big night a fire destroys all the decorations for the dance. Nova’s in charge of organizing the event, but she doesn’t know what to do. Enter Jesse, a troubled student (who drives a motorcycle). These two are forced to work together to finish the preparations for the dance.

At first Nova and Jesse don’t get along, but once they get to know each other and their backgrounds they start to form a connection. There are several other storylines involving other students trying to find dates for the prom and starting and ending relationships.

The plot seems simple – and it is. But, in this case, that’s not a bad thing. Occassionally “Prom” is predictable, and some of the dialogue could have been a little more realistic, and there are some holes in the story that could have been taken care of with a little extra effort.

However, the performances are pretty solid – especially the two leads: Aimee Teegarden (from the “Friday Night Lights” TV series) and Thomas McDonell, who have nice chemistry together. And it’s good that the prom night itself isn’t the main focus of the film.

Unlike the “HSM” films, “Prom” isn’t goofy or over-the-top. In fact it’s a little more serious than I was expecting. “Prom” is rated “PG” but it’s not for the younger members of the “HSM” audience. There is some mild adult language, and most little kids won’t understand or care about all the things that surround a prom night. The movie is appropriate for kids 10 and up, but, again, without Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgins, Ashley Tisdale or any songs, middle school and high school girls will appreciate it most.

On “The Official Kid Critic Report Card”, “Prom” gets a B.

And one last thing I liked when I saw this in the theater: The closing credits. Each page was left-up on the screen for several seconds, long enough to actually read everyone’s name. I wish more films did that, as everyone who works on a movie deserves to have their name and title seen and read.