This kid’s talented – no joke. Those who haven’t seen Miley Cyrus in action in Disney’s long running TV tween series of the same name will be pleasantly surprised by her gumption, talent and presence. Billy Ray Cyrus’s 14 year old daughter meets the challenge of a script that demands dramatic and comedic agility as well as knock ‘em dead stage appeal.
She plays the dual role of Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana, the stuff of girlish fantasies - high school student by day, world renowned rock star by night. She is a pop fairy tale princess, the latest in a long line of Disney girl singers that began with Annette and Hayley Mills and gave us Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. This is Miley Time.
Hannah Montana: the Movie exists in irony free family territory where old fashioned values vanquish the temptations of life in rock’s fast lane. Stewart somehow manages to live her dual life in secret, but a nosy British tabloid reporter threatens to bring her down. He caps a tough week for our heroine that tested her family life, friendships and career.
So dad whisks her off to her grandmother’s birthday party in Tennessee horse country, where he wants to her start over. Call it quits on Hannah. Horrors! Say goodbye to Hollywood. Cyrus has a parallel double life, living in Franklin, Tennessee and Los Angeles, albeit one assumes, more stable.
The plotline is predictable in the extreme, which won’t bother her young fans. She’s torn between two lives and must weight her loyalties and opportunities against what her heart tells her. The situations are outlandish but fun and we willingly suspend our disbelief. Cyrus’ tweenage fans completely buy it, judging by their screams and cheers at the screening I attended.
Miley finds herself in comically awkward situations that showcase her gift for slapstick. She’s self deprecatingly goofy at times and unabashedly serious and romantic with the farm manager, played by her former real life beau Lucas Till.
Bill Ray (Robby Ray here) Cyrus plays the concerned parent and even gets to sing a bit, but is otherwise also overshadowed by his little girl.
Big shout outs to Vanessa Williams and Margo Martindale, two veteran actors who bring colour and layers to the party. Also of note, the musicians who jam around the Stewart household are real life performers Rascal Flats and the girl onstage at the local hangout is Cyrus’ friend singer songwriter Taylor Swift.
The film features an environmental subplot about a developer planning to build condos in Stewart’s farm Tennessee community. And that would be a shame. The cinematography is superb, making the most of sylvan hill country that inspires Stewart / Montana to let her hair down, write songs and learn life lessons.
Hannah Montana: The Movie
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