Hollywood Stargirl

Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal) is headed to L. A. with her mother (Judy Greer). She continues her Hollywood music dream. Mr. Mitchell (Judd Hirsch) is the landlord. Stargirl befriends a couple of guys and they go to a bar for her to sing. She spots Roxanne Martel (Uma Thurman) drinking in a corner. She has hero worship for the former singer.

This is the sequel to Stargirl (2020). While I accepted the sweet sincerity of the first movie, this is becoming too much. A lot more can be excused with a child actor. Her genuine wholesomeness comes off sometimes as one dimensional acting. It leaves the movie without depth. I don't want to be too mean. That would be like kicking a puppy. Maybe she should have a good foil acting against her.

Movie Review: Hollywood Stargirl

IN A NUTSHELL:

Disney's "Hollywood Stargirl" is a sequel to the 2020 Disney+ film about free spirit Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal), a silver-voiced teenager whose simple acts of kindness work magic in the lives of others. The upcoming film follows Stargirl's journey out of Mica, Arizona, and into a bigger world of music, dreams, and possibilities. When her mother Ana (Judy Greer) is hired as the costume designer for a movie, they relocate to L. A., where Stargirl quickly becomes involved with an eclectic assortment of characters. They include aspiring filmmaking brothers Evan (Elijah Richardson) and Terrell (Tyrel Jackson Williams); Mr. Mitchell (Judd Hirsch), one of Stargirl's neighbors; and Roxanne Martel (Uma Thurman), a musician Stargirl admires and encounters on her journey.

The film is directed by Julia Hart.

THINGS I LIKED: Grace VanderWaal offers a quirky, innocently sweet performance. In case you didn't know, she won America's Got Talent a few years ago! She charmed the pants off of the judges and...America. She's a bit more mature in this one but still has that irresistible charisma.

Other cast members include Judy Greer, Judd Hirsch, Tyrel Jackson Williams, Elijah Richardson, Sarayu Blue, and Uma Thurman, who sings in the movie!

Did you know you can watch movies outdoors at the Hollywood Forever cemetery? Is that still a thing there? I've never been there but I love the magic of watching films outdoors.

If you haven't seen the first Stargirl movie, you might wonder if you'll be able to enjoy this one. The good news is that this is a stand-alone movie that can be appreciated. Some viewers are saying this one is better than the original. Others say the reverse. What do YOU think? Have you seen either one of these movies? The 2020 original film by Disney+ was based on a book of the same name by Jerry Spinelli.

A big element of the movie is watching 3 teens trying to make a movie. I love movies within movies.

The film is family-friendly and sweet.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The audience is somewhat limited: teenage girls, their moms, and their grandmas The line Grace VanderWaal says MANY times in the movie is "What?" It's pretty predictable.

It doesn't seem that realistic, but hey, dreams DO come true all the time!

TIPS FOR PARENTS: No profanity Two teens kiss and hug.

A single mom raises a girl.

Stargirl has no sense of "stranger danger."

THEMES: Dreams Fear Friendship and loneliness Home Making movies The Creative process Kindness Family

YouTube channel.

That movie is way more different vibe from first movie. They trying to connect first movie story with that one, but they choice very poor way to do.

In the first movie she was the colors of mood. She give her colors in old city, and love. And kinda run away. But here they trying to explain the whole situation but nah.

I love her voice and act, but it is totally different mood is that movie. It is not bad, or maybe that is the way of growing.

One thing I have to say, watch it! And enjoy it, dont let other people change your mind, just go and watch it!

Ps: because the movie I start to listing her music ;)

This is really a cute, sweet, engaging show! Nothing wrong with this at all - it's a fun movie. We enjoyed it across the board. It's a little slow, but it's a easy cute family movie. And that's all I have to say about that!

This movie has a much different feel than the original Stargirl, and I am still getting over the initial shock here despite enjoying the movie overall and its artful take on an age old theme. Indeed, there is a lot of beauty here - in the SCal scenery, characters, music and story. Stargirl as a character though is a bit on the innocent, wholesome side compared to those around her, and while this is important to the story, it somehow makes how her adventure in LA unfolds a bit improbable to say the least. Is she thinking things through as she makes her way out into her new world or just acting impulsively? As our talented lead, Grace VanderWaal imbues Stargirl with a unique blend of innocence and quirk, but while it is charming, she also projects a naivete that might shock even the original Stargirl. Maybe it doesn't matter and her mom who is wrapped up in her own problems doesn't care. In any case, I doubt most viewers will care either, while others may need to just be reminded that this is a Disney movie after all, and one refreshingly devoted to portraying a more sanitized version of the LA "follow your dream" experience. For the terminally jaded, it should prove a breath of fresh air, and under Julia Harts fine direction, the experience is really not so much "sanitized" as it is "artfully rendered". With lots of well chosen outdoor scenes throughout, this is partly why Hollywood Stargirl is in so many ways a very beautiful and moving film. And there is a lot of other stuff to like too. Various characters (Judd Hirsch, Uma Thurman) who cross Stargirl's path are turned into believers. Meanwhile Stargirl's mom can't balance her own needs with her motherly instincts. Two budding filmmakers also add fun and companionship as they have their own dream to fulfill. And then there is a really nice song writing sequence, followed by the realization you get that this song (Figure it Out) is propelling you deeper into the fantasy by virtue of the fact that it is such a great song. Suddenly, there is a lot more meaning to the film. I also enjoyed Stargirl discussing her past relationship with Leo, while bonding more deeply with her love interest here. It really shows you how Stargirl has matured, and how she now can put more of a historical perspective on her life. Her relationship with Evan is a deeper relationship as it should be, and adroitly handled with genuine emotion and tenderness.

Upon repeated viewing, all the little subplots and how they relate to the movie as a whole have fallen into place for me. The overall style which consists almost of a series of vignettes, typically alternating between muted and more manic ones, is extremely effective. That way we see the whole Stargirl throughout the entire movie, not, as in the original, a happy Stargirl for the first 45 minutes followed by an unhappy or wounded one. But my biggest question throughout gets back to Stargirl's true ambition in life. She didn't journey to LA to make it as I first assumed that she had. Her mom dragged her there. Once there, she is discovered more or less by accident, then only coaxed into performing more. And so her talent is unmistakable, but just as in the original movie, by NOT making it all about herself as someone with a bigger ego might've, she simply makes everyone around her a better person. Its as if her talent is used more to help others pursue their own dreams than it is to advance her own, but all the while not exactly turning down opportunities when they do come her way. This is IMHO the essence of Stargirl: devoted to entertaining while equally devoted to inspiring others to do the same. It worked in both movies but in wonderfully and totally different ways.