PROM (PG-13 for mild profanity & a brief fight): The Disney studios aimed this by-the-numbers high school flick directly at the teens for whom the senior prom is the highlight of their educational experience, the nadir of one segment in their lives, and a tragedy to miss.
So that's what the movie's all about: 103-minutes of finding the appropriate date, clearing away all obstacles that might prevent it, and, finally, the Big Night when - no surprises here - everything works out just fine and, as our teen narrator says at the beginning, it becomes a last call for teens, the "one night that has a way of bringing us together." It's charming & colorful, with even the split-screen effects mirroring those in the Doris Day fluff, "Pillow Talk."
So that's what the movie's all about: 103-minutes of finding the appropriate date, clearing away all obstacles that might prevent it, and, finally, the Big Night when - no surprises here - everything works out just fine and, as our teen narrator says at the beginning, it becomes a last call for teens, the "one night that has a way of bringing us together." It's charming & colorful, with even the split-screen effects mirroring those in the Doris Day fluff, "Pillow Talk."
Until that final, blissful hour, we meet a passel of all the characters ever found in a high school movie - the misfits, the stars, the odd balls, the delinquent recluse, etc. etc. - among which are Nova (Aimee Teegarden), the blond beauty who should be the first to get a date, but for whom working on the décor seems to be far more important, and Jesse (Thomas McDonell), a black leather jacket biker with long hair and short temper, who is thrust into Nova's life when he's sentenced to help work on the prom design with her. Of course, it's hate at first sight, but gradually hate turns to - surprise! - cozy acceptance and, finally, well, the transformation into the ideal Couple-of-the-Night.
There's even the nice shy guy (Nicholas Braun) who just can't flag a date, but tries with one unsuccessful ploy after another until the last moment when he becomes paired off with a perfectly suited femme. His antics form the ubiquitous humorous role among the other clones.
The rest of the cast has the appearance of a modern-day Mickey Mouse club - ethnically diverse, mostly radiantly beautiful; in traditional Disneyland talk there is no plethora of unnecessary profanity, no overt signs of drug use, no exceptionally shoddy or sloppy dress - mostly sweetness and light. Caveat to diabetics: the sugar-rush could trigger a fatal response.
Director Joe Nussbaum recognized the white-washed look of the rose-colored Disney flicks of the past and handles first-time writer Katie Wech's script appropriately. The oddly desensitized colors are possibly there to suggest a look into the past - totally unnecessary - but it does not hamper the glow and charm of the atmosphere created, right down to Nova's voice over, which repeats her introductory salutation, adding, "For us, it's just the beginning." Sure is. A sequel coming, maybe? (Grade: C+)