Into the Spotlight movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Into the Spotlight movie review

This musical teen flick by Entertainment Squad releases on September 1, 2023. It’ll be available on all major on-demand and digital platforms.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 52 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

The sweet story is about a gifted, young songwriter who finds fame but loses herself along the way. With the help of her parents and friends, will she find her way back to what truly matters?

The cute comedy was directed by Lisa Arnold and written by Kate Larson. Let me rephrase that: this rom-com was actually written by a teenager! It has already been nominated for 5 awards around the world and won 15 other ones! That’s amazing! She has quite a bright future ahead of her if she has already accomplished all of this at such a young age!

Kate Larson has the titles actress, director, and writer next to her name on IMDB. What an accomplishment for such a young woman! About this movie, she said, “At 15, I saw the world shutting down and my friends losing hope so, I wrote Into the Spotlight. It has changed my life and I know girls everywhere need this story about overcoming insecurity, friendship, love, empowerment, and staying true to who you were meant to be.”

THINGS I LIKED:

The young cast is talented and includes Kate Larson, Raphael Ruggero, Alena Pitts, Justin Sterner, Marisa Lynae Hampton, Charlie Warren, Isabelle Almoyan, London Everett Dendy, Amber Sweet Sterner, and Ian Tucker.
We get to hear some lovely musical numbers.
It was great to see Victoria Jackson in something again. It has been a while. We also get to see Kevin Sizemore and Anthony Evans.
What a pleasant surprise to see Jeff Allen in this. I first saw him do his stand-up routine on YouTube’s Dry Bar Comedy. He’s funny and clean in his act, which is a rarity these days. If you want to watch a family-friendly stand-up comedy show, definitely check out the Dry Bar Comedy channel on YouTube!
The movie was shot in the Franklin, Tennessee area.
The film features nine original songs! You can hear and buy them all on Apple Music, iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify.
If you enjoy this movie, you’ll be happy to know there is a short clip at the end that alludes to a sequel.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s full of cliches like the classic clothing change scene as a musical montage…not once but twice.
Rather than being supportive, the mom’s reactions to her family’s talent seemed odd and even selfish. Two out of the three people in the family had musical talents and ambitions, yet she whined and complained and didn’t support either one of them. Some of the other characters also get mad at the young starlet for getting a break and going for it, rather than showing support and being happy for her.
There’s a magical microphone that supposedly grants one of the characters a special talent, yet she already had talent before, so…?
The film’s simple message seems to say don’t wish for fame if you have talents but instead, be content to stay in your hometown without growing and testing your limits. The film preaches a simple lesson of being clear on your priorities, but can’t someone hit it big and still have friends and family? Can’t a star still be true to herself/himself? Why is it all or nothing?