Running time: 93 minutes
Starring: Britney Spears, Anson Mount, Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Cattrall
Rating 5 out of 10
For fans just going along to see Britney, Crossroads won't disappoint as they will get to see nearly all of the pubescent pop tart, who parades around in a variety of skimpy outfits. However, those going along with expectations of seeing anything other than a predictably fluffy teen movie will be less fortunate. On this evidence there's little likelihood of Spears's acting career becoming anything other than a mild diversion. Cher she is not. But Spears's success has been built around her homespun appeal rather than any extraordinary talent, and to her credit she has chosen to make her debut in a relatively low-key affair unlike Mariah Carey's high profile humiliation, Glitter.
The gratuitous sexploitation of Spears is evident from the beginning when she is frolicking on her bed in just her underwear, singing along to Madonna. Cute she may be: painfully self-conscious she definitely is. The scene recalled some of Elvis's later movies when he found himself in corny scenes, trying not to laugh. Only in the scenes when she performs in front of a large crowd, does Spears look completely at ease.
Crossroads opens with three young girls burying a time capsule, vowing to remain best friends forever and to dig the box up the evening of their High School graduation. Cut to eight years later and the girls, straight A swat Lucy (Britney Spears), engaged prom queen Kit (Zoe Saldana) and pregnant wayward Mimi (Taryn Manning) are barely on speaking terms as they prepare for their graduation party. After an eventful night in which the puritanical Lucy baulks at the last moment when about to lose her virginity, the girls reunite to open the box.
The contents evoke memories of their past friendship, prompting Mimi to urge the others along on her road trip to California to enter a singing contest. For Kit the journey offers a chance to see her fiancé in Los Angeles while for Lucy it presents an opportunity to finally break the restrictive bonds imposed by her over protective and demanding father, Pete (Dan Akyroyd). Lucy has another reason to go: to see the mother who walked out on them when she was three. To get them there, Mimi has scored a ride with the hunky musician Ben (Anson Mount).
Three young girls and a guy heading across country in a convertible is a pretty foolproof premise and Crossroads manages its fair share of cute moments. For all involved, the journey proves to be more than geographical, becoming one of self-discovery. Despite the film's dalliance with the typical problems faced by every teenager, director Tamra Davis and screenwriter Shonda Rimes rarely allow things to get too serious. The film's low budget is matched by its modest ambitions, but any artistic shortcomings, particularly the abysmal cinematography, will be of little concern to Britney fans, who will love it.
The gratuitous sexploitation of Spears is evident from the beginning when she is frolicking on her bed in just her underwear, singing along to Madonna. Cute she may be: painfully self-conscious she definitely is. The scene recalled some of Elvis's later movies when he found himself in corny scenes, trying not to laugh. Only in the scenes when she performs in front of a large crowd, does Spears look completely at ease.
Crossroads opens with three young girls burying a time capsule, vowing to remain best friends forever and to dig the box up the evening of their High School graduation. Cut to eight years later and the girls, straight A swat Lucy (Britney Spears), engaged prom queen Kit (Zoe Saldana) and pregnant wayward Mimi (Taryn Manning) are barely on speaking terms as they prepare for their graduation party. After an eventful night in which the puritanical Lucy baulks at the last moment when about to lose her virginity, the girls reunite to open the box.
The contents evoke memories of their past friendship, prompting Mimi to urge the others along on her road trip to California to enter a singing contest. For Kit the journey offers a chance to see her fiancé in Los Angeles while for Lucy it presents an opportunity to finally break the restrictive bonds imposed by her over protective and demanding father, Pete (Dan Akyroyd). Lucy has another reason to go: to see the mother who walked out on them when she was three. To get them there, Mimi has scored a ride with the hunky musician Ben (Anson Mount).
Three young girls and a guy heading across country in a convertible is a pretty foolproof premise and Crossroads manages its fair share of cute moments. For all involved, the journey proves to be more than geographical, becoming one of self-discovery. Despite the film's dalliance with the typical problems faced by every teenager, director Tamra Davis and screenwriter Shonda Rimes rarely allow things to get too serious. The film's low budget is matched by its modest ambitions, but any artistic shortcomings, particularly the abysmal cinematography, will be of little concern to Britney fans, who will love it.
