Maybe the worst film since 'Kangaroo Jack'

I know how much everybody on campus has been waiting for Hilary Duff's new movie, "Raise Your Voice." Many have been counting the days, the hours, even the minutes. Well, the wait is over. You can now go to Showplace 11 and see the movie with the satisfaction that your money will be appreciated by the folks at New Line Cinema.\nEven if you aren't a die-hard Duff fan, you can go to the film to enjoy its money-making potential. The producers don't use any secrets; they wisely stick to the standard. Take a famous name -- Duff -- and make her look like an angel in every scene. Add in an overprotective father, a free-spirited aunt, a dead brother for inspiration, a goofy comic character, a cute love interest (equipped with British accent), a hip understanding and encouraging teacher and even a minority best friend. Now give Duff plenty of chances to sing. Give the other characters plenty of musical scenes. Throw in a cheesy score, emotional scenes with eye drops and make sure nobody acts too well. Bang, you've got a relatively cheap movie with a built-in audience. The profits should come rolling in.\nI'm not telling you in a cynical way not to see "Raise Your Voice." Some of you might have 8-year-old sisters or cousins. They would probably love the film. It's upbeat and inspirational as long as you still have the mind of a child. Duff plays a talented young girl who dreams of being a singer. Her father, though, doesn't want her to go to music school. After she and her brother are in a car wreck resulting in her brother's death, she feels depressed. Then she is accepted to music school but her father won't let her go. So her outside-the-box aunt helps her fool her father and attend the school anyway. At the school we meet the cliché characters. Terri Fletcher (Hilary's character) must try and fit in while being the best singer she can and keep her dad from finding out.\nSo this movie will probably be plenty of fun for pre-teens. After all, if corporate America can't make money off our kids, then maybe the country is lost. On the other hand, as far as cinematic quality is concerned, I wouldn't piss on this movie if it was on fire.