Review of From Justin to Kelly (2003) by Spencer S — 29 Aug 2011

Anyone who can make it through this movie, in its entirety, without fast forwarding or crying violently for long periods of time are in fact saints, and their miracles should be recognized by the church.

This giant commercial for the series American Idol stars season one winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini as two star crossed lovers. The scene is set during spring break, on a beachfront somewhere Floridian, calling upon the Avalon and Funicello beach musicals of the sixties.

Instead of the fun froth of those classics, we're given a series of songs and dance sequences that are reliant on the time period they are set: 2003. Let's remember that year in pop music and flinch at the fact we were all singing Clay Aiken's This is the Night, and move on.

Besides the fact that the music isn't enjoyable (even in a guilty pleasure sort of way) and the acting is stale, the actual actors are annoying. Kelly's friends are air headed and uninvolved while Justin's are either pure sleaze without admonishment or cookie cutter dorky, the same sludge we've all seen a million times before.

The only reason these two characters aren't together (though they spend a mili-second in each other's presence before falling in love, but I digress) is because of a plotting blonde friend, described as a "party girl" who isn't trying to change.

There is no point to this, and because it's so lame brained and uninteresting, the surrounding sub-plots don't lend anything to the film except pith. The only redeeming value is Anika Noni Rose's singing voice, which would later be featured in the Oscar nominated Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog.

Oh, and the title? I am clueless to its supposed charm. Not worth a curious glance, nor a runthrough.