For those fully willing to embrace star
power over narrative logic and serious intent, there are few better things going
right now than the series of Mandy Moore vehicles coming out of Hollywood. After
a surprisingly somber turn in the teen melodrama A
Walk to Remember and a somewhat more mature role in the lighter romance How
to Deal, Moore returns to the screen in her most cheerful starring role yet,
playing the President’s daughter in the first of this year’s two first
daughter films, Chasing Liberty. Less savvy filmgoers might find that the plot of
the film, for all intents and purposes, mirrors last year’s nearly mirthless The
Lizzie McGuire Movie, but it would be more aptly described as a modern mix
of Roman Holiday and It
Happened One Night. In it, perpetual screen virgin Moore finally does have
sex, embraces rave culture, and skinny dips, all while somehow maintaining the
decency and sweetness that have come to define her onscreen persona. Much like a
slippery politician, Mandy Moore has an ability to make her transgressions slip
away as soon as she turns up the charm. She’s the sort of celebrity this
country needs right now, goddamnit!
When compared to her contemporaries,
Moore conscientiously continues to tread a moral high ground through her
Hollywood career, and although her character this time out is wilder than those
she’s played in the past, there’s no mistaking her for one of the overly
sexualized nymphets that usually lands a role like this. She has so much screen
presence and obvious talent that it’s a bit unfortunate that she hasn’t yet
found material that asks more of her. Still, Chasing
Liberty is an opportunity to bask in its star’s uniquely modest radiance,
and for that I’m glad it exists. Moore not only brings a bubbly sense of
enthusiasm to the movie, but also fully grasps the emotional journey her
character undergoes and gives it weight. More than any teen diva I’ve seen,
Moore has the ability to make the audience believe that the dilemmas that she
faces are a true test of her good character. Her heart’s calculations always
play out on her face, and as a result, she remains endearing, even in her bad
judgments. Moore seems forever balanced between solemnity and effervescence,
giving tension to what’s, on paper, a routine script. Her everygirl appeal
powers the endeavor, allowing it to appeal without much in the way of profanity
or gross-out humor. Once again, Moore elevates middling material, pushing it to
near-greatness through her wiles alone. In Chasing
Liberty, one is reminded that teen exuberance need not intersect with
cloying sentiment, that this brand of romantic comedy mostly depends on the
appeal of its stars, and that Mandy Moore is an uncommonly gifted young talent.
When compared to her contemporaries,
Moore conscientiously continues to tread a moral high ground through her
Hollywood career, and although her character this time out is wilder than those
she’s played in the past, there’s no mistaking her for one of the overly
sexualized nymphets that usually lands a role like this. She has so much screen
presence and obvious talent that it’s a bit unfortunate that she hasn’t yet
found material that asks more of her. Still, Chasing
Liberty is an opportunity to bask in its star’s uniquely modest radiance,
and for that I’m glad it exists. Moore not only brings a bubbly sense of
enthusiasm to the movie, but also fully grasps the emotional journey her
character undergoes and gives it weight. More than any teen diva I’ve seen,
Moore has the ability to make the audience believe that the dilemmas that she
faces are a true test of her good character. Her heart’s calculations always
play out on her face, and as a result, she remains endearing, even in her bad
judgments. Moore seems forever balanced between solemnity and effervescence,
giving tension to what’s, on paper, a routine script. Her everygirl appeal
powers the endeavor, allowing it to appeal without much in the way of profanity
or gross-out humor. Once again, Moore elevates middling material, pushing it to
near-greatness through her wiles alone. In Chasing
Liberty, one is reminded that teen exuberance need not intersect with
cloying sentiment, that this brand of romantic comedy mostly depends on the
appeal of its stars, and that Mandy Moore is an uncommonly gifted young talent.