Boredom Abounds: DVD Review

This DVD was provided to me for review by the kind folks at Haystac Marketing.

The Movie: Prom
The Players: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonnell, Danielle Campbell
The Makers: Joe Nussbaum (director), Justin Springer, Ted Griffin (producers), Katie Wech (writer)
Run time: 99 minutes

Genre: Drama - Comedy

Classification: PG

The final days of high school are upon Nova Prescott and her friends Mei, Jordan, Lloyd and Rolo, but there's one more major event they've spent the past four years of their lives eagerly awaiting: Prom!

Nova is a popular, gorgeous over-achiever and she's head of the prom committee. She's spent months coordinating and creating the backdrop for what she hopes is the best prom ever, and just as the preparations are finalised, disaster strikes three weeks before the big event. A fire burns down the storage unit containing all the decorations the committee has carefully built and no one has time to recreate their efforts.

Meanwhile, Nova's friends are struggling with their own secrets and insecurities. Mei is avoiding telling her boyfriend she'll be going to college in New York and leaving him in Michigan, Jordan has realised her perfect jock boyfriend is two-timing her and clumsy Lloyd has left his prom plans too late and can't find a date for love nor money, despite his creative but clueless efforts. Sophmore Lucas is harboring a crush on fellow classmate Simone but is too chicken to ask her out, while Simone is hiding a secret that could ruin everything.

With so much tension going on in her friends' lives, it falls to Nova to begin prom preparations again, and the principal orders bad boy Jesse to help her. A rebel and a loner, Jesse has a reputation that precedes him, and tensions flair between he and Nova as his blase attitude towards prom become apparent. Nova's determination to give her classmates the perfect night, despite having no date of her own, drives her to work tirelessly to recreate the magic. As she and Jesse spend their nights building backdrops they're able to change their perspectives and they become friends....and more.

Disney's Prom is light-hearted look at the tumultuous final days of high school, where the atmosphere and emotion is heightened as everyone focuses on that one special night. The film focuses on this group of students, seamlessly knitting their stories together as the film comes to a close. Friday Night Lights fans will recognise Aimee Teegarden as the likeable Nova, and the ensemble cast works nicely together as a group of bright and bubbly high schoolers on the brink of adulthood.

This film is something the whole family can enjoy together, and will particularly appeal to kids (probably girls) around eleven to fifteen years old - I mean, what teenage girl doesn't love a movie about prom? It probably doesn't hurt that the actor playing bad boy Jesse has a very convincing young Johnny Depp thing going on! With a snappy soundtrack and a likeable cast, Prom is sure to be popular with all ages.

Disney's Prom is available to buy on a 2-disc blu-ray ($49.95) and a 1 disc DVD ($39.95) from November 2. The DVD features a making of featurette and a cute bloopers reel, as does the blu-ray. The blu-ray also features a short film about Lloyd's efforts to find a prom date, four deleted scenes and seven music videos.

In a word: good

But wait, there's more - check out this trailer of the film!