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Title: Crossroads (2002)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Britney Spears | ... | Lucy | |
| Anson Mount | ... | Ben | |
| Zoe Saldana | ... | Kit (as Zoë Saldana) | |
| Taryn Manning | ... | Mimi | |
| Dan Aykroyd | ... | Pete | |
| Kim Cattrall | ... | Caroline | |
| Justin Long | ... | Henry | |
| Beverly Johnson | ... | Kit's Mom | |
| Bahni Turpin | ... | Ms. Jenson | |
 |
Kool Moe Dee | ... | Bar Owner (as Kool Mo Dee) |
|
|
Richard Voll | ... | Dylan |
| Katherine Boecher | ... | Dylan's Other Girl (as Pippi B.) | |
| Dave Allen | ... | Bar Patron (as David 'Gruber' Allen) | |
| Kyle Davis | ... | High School Burnout | |
| Branden Williams | ... | Kurt | |
Three best friends get together and bury a box, making a pact to open it at midnight at their high school graduation. In the small town in Georgia that they live in, things soon change. One is little miss perfect, one is an engaged prom queen, and the other is a pregnant outcast. On the night of their graduation, they open the box and they strike up a conversation. Suddenly, one brings up the topic of her going to Los Angeles for a record contract audition. They all decide to go together and they leave. With a little money, they set out on the road with a guy named Ben. When one of them tells the other a rumor that he might be a homicidal maniac, they are all scared of him. When they reach Los Angeles, Lucy (Britney Spears) falls in love with Ben and against her father's wishes, she stays and she goes to the audition. Written by Kara
I read all the reviews and comments before seeing "Crossroads." Since I got it free from the public library, and "time" was my only investment, I'm not sorry at all. Roughly 50% of IMDb votes are "1" which is totally absurd. A more accurate rating is probably in the 4 to 6 range, compared to all similar films. "Center Stage", where the central characters are dancers training to make it big in ballet, is a similar film.
Other commentors say "Britney Spears can't sing." Those comments are equally absurd. While I'm not particularly a fan of hers, she indeed can sing, very well. As a singer she is as good as most of the rest of the young singers who cater to the teeniebopper audience. She certainly is a better singer than Madonna who achieved her fame on image alone.
Can Britney act? Compared to good young actresses, Britney is fairly amateurish. But she didn't have to stretch very far for the role of a proper, studious high school valedictorian who decided to look for her mother who abandoned her as a baby to be raised by her single father (Ackroyd). And, along the way write poetry which was then put to music by a young man who drove the three girls west to Los Angeles.
Most of the situations and dialog are silly, and there are many close-range shots of a pretty, smiling Britney. However I suspect they would appeal to the under-15 crowd of Britney fans. I enjoyed the film from the point of view that it gave me some glimpse of the real Britney, one that is not revealed in her concerts and music videos. I believe, as she grows up and out of her former image, she will develop a more mature singing and acting style and will continue her popularity for a long time. (Year 2005 update: I was wrong, she's become very strange! Year 2007 update: She has gotten even more strange! Year 2008 update: Even her little sister has become strange, and a new mother!!))
Critic Ebert gives an accurate review of the facts in the case, I will not repeat them here. While I probably would not recommend this film to anyone, I personally enjoyed watching it. Not a very good film, still it also is not a bad film. Just juvenile.