Raise Your Voice
Encyclopedia
Raise Your Voice is a 2004 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teen musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Sean McNamara
Sean McNamara (director)
Sean Patrick Michael McNamara is an American film director, film producer, actor, and screenwriter.McNamara was born in Burbank, California. He is best known for his feature film Soul Surfer and in the preteen film market, having worked with Jessica Alba, Hilary Duff, Shia LaBeouf, Christy...
Plot
Terri Fletcher (Hilary DuffHilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
), a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul (Jason Ritter
Jason Ritter
Jason Morgan Ritter is an American actor, son of the late actor John Ritter and actress Nancy Morgan. Ritter is probably best known for his role as Kevin Girardi in the television series Joan of Arcadia and as Sean Walker in the NBC series The Event.-Early life:Ritter was born in Los Angeles,...
)'s tragic death in a car crash. However, her father Simon (David Keith
David Keith
David Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
), a second-generation restaurateur, disapproves of Terri's plans, stating that being a singer may not be a worthwhile life choice. In reality, his opposition stems from resentment; Simon turned down a similar scholarship to run his parents' restaurant when they became ill; he is intimidated by the thought of his daughter flourishing where he couldn't bring himself to try. However, Terri's mother, Frances (Rita Wilson
Rita Wilson
-Early life:Wilson was born Margarita Ibrahimoff in Los Angeles, California.Her father, a Bulgarian who worked at a racetrack, was born in Greece. Before immigrating to the US, he had lived in Bulgaria and Turkey....
), has a different opinion, knowing that Paul would have wanted Terri to attend the program. Frances tells Simon that Terri plans to live with her aunt in Palm Desert for the summer and allows her daughter to travel to LA.
Terri arrives in Los Angeles and weathers some difficult ordeals: her jacket is stolen, her cab driver is crabby, and when she arrives at the music school, the door is locked; fellow student Jay (Oliver James
Oliver James (entertainer)
Oliver James is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his roles in the American films What a Girl Wants and Raise Your Voice.-Acting career:...
) lets her in and Terri arrives safely. While at the program, Terri makes new friends and learns a great deal about music, but problems arise when she is plagued by memories of the car crash which took Paul's life and finds it increasingly difficult to keep her participation in the program a secret from her father.
Throughout the film, Terri develops a mutual fondness for Jay, but she faces competition from Robin Childers (Lauren C. Mayhew
Lauren C. Mayhew
thumb|150px|right|Mayhew at the June 2009 premiere for [[The Proposal |The Proposal]]Lauren Courtney Mayhew is an American singer and actress.-Biography:...
), who was involved with Jay the previous summer. Although Robin still harbors feelings for Jay, it is obvious that he does not reciprocate these feelings. Jay tries to get Robin to cease her efforts to keep him and Terri apart. On one occasion, she kisses him just as Terri walks in. Jay pushes Robin away, but Terri runs off in tears, ignoring Jay's insistence that the kiss meant nothing. Later, finding him drunk, Terri and her roommate Denise (Dana Davis
Dana Davis
Dana Davis is an American actress, most notable for playing Carmen Phillips on the TNT television series Franklin & Bash and Chastity Church on the ABC Family television series 10 Things I Hate About You.-Biography:...
) take Jay elsewhere to sober up. When he does, Terri tells Jay the truth about her brother's death; he was killed by a drunk driver. Jay apologizes, and Terri agrees to finish the song they've been working on for the scholarship contest.
At home, Simon learns of Terri's ruse and becomes furious. On the final day, Simon comes to the school and Terri finds him packing up her belongings; he reams his daughter for disobeying and deceiving him, and for turning his own sister and wife against him. She begs him to let her finish what she started here and not let the summer go to waste. Ultimately, her father concedes and Terri gets to perform the song she rehearsed with Jay. The scholarship prize is won by Denise, and Simon is proud of his daughter and her talents. Terri's teachers hope to see her next year; Simon replies that they just might. Over the end credits, Terri performs for her parents and Nina, with Jay cheering her on.
Cast
- Hilary DuffHilary DuffHilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
as Theresa "Terri" Fletcher - Oliver JamesOliver James (entertainer)Oliver James is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his roles in the American films What a Girl Wants and Raise Your Voice.-Acting career:...
as Jay Corgan - Jason RitterJason RitterJason Morgan Ritter is an American actor, son of the late actor John Ritter and actress Nancy Morgan. Ritter is probably best known for his role as Kevin Girardi in the television series Joan of Arcadia and as Sean Walker in the NBC series The Event.-Early life:Ritter was born in Los Angeles,...
as Paul Fletcher - Dana DavisDana DavisDana Davis is an American actress, most notable for playing Carmen Phillips on the TNT television series Franklin & Bash and Chastity Church on the ABC Family television series 10 Things I Hate About You.-Biography:...
as Denise Gilmore - David KeithDavid KeithDavid Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
as Simon Fletcher - Johnny LewisJohnny LewisJonathan Kendrick "Johnny" Lewis , also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, is an American actor.-Life and career:Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens with guest starring roles in American Dreams , Boston Public , and The Guardian , among others...
as Englebert "Kiwi" Wilson - Rita WilsonRita Wilson-Early life:Wilson was born Margarita Ibrahimoff in Los Angeles, California.Her father, a Bulgarian who worked at a racetrack, was born in Greece. Before immigrating to the US, he had lived in Bulgaria and Turkey....
as Frances Fletcher - Lauren C. MayhewLauren C. Mayhewthumb|150px|right|Mayhew at the June 2009 premiere for [[The Proposal |The Proposal]]Lauren Courtney Mayhew is an American singer and actress.-Biography:...
as Robin Childers - Kat DenningsKat DenningsKatherine Litwack , better known by the stage name Kat Dennings, is an American actress. Emerging with a role in an episode of the HBO dramedy series Sex and the City, Dennings has since appeared in the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Big Momma's House 2, Charlie Bartlett, Raise Your Voice, The House...
as Sloane - Rebecca De MornayRebecca De MornayRebecca De Mornay is an American film and television actress. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she played Lana in Risky Business opposite Tom Cruise...
as Aunt Nina Fletcher - John Corbett as Mr. Torvald
- Three Days GraceThree Days GraceThree Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
(Adam GontierAdam GontierAdam Wade Gontier is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter of the rock band Three Days Grace...
, Barry StockBarry StockBarry Stock is the lead guitarist of the Canadian rock band Three Days Grace.-Biography:Barry James Stock is a Canadian guitarist, born in Belgium on April 24, 1974. He joined Three Days Grace in 2003, shortly after their first studio album. Barry uses Schecter,Ibanez and PRS guitars, but prefers...
, Brad Walst and Neil SandersonNeil SandersonNeil Christopher Sanderson is the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the Canadian band Three Days Grace. He cites his influences as John Bonham, Danny Carey and Stewart Copeland.-Early years:...
) as Themselves
Critical reception
The film received mostly negative reviews, receiving 33 out of 100 by MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and achieving a 16% (rotten) rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Box office
The film opened on October 8, 2004 and grossed $4,022,693 in its opening weekend at #6, behind Shark TaleShark Tale
Shark Tale is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. In the story, a young fish named Oscar falsely claims to have killed the son of a shark mob boss to win favour with the mob boss' enemies and advance his own community standing...
s second weekend, Friday Night Lights, Ladder 49
Ladder 49
Ladder 49 is a 2004 film about the heroics of a Baltimore fireman Jack Morrison, who is trapped inside a warehouse fire and his recollection of the events that got him to that point. The movie is a celebration of the firefighting profession and the life that comes with it...
s second weekend, Taxi
Taxi (2004 film)
Taxi is a 2004 American remake of the 1998 Luc Besson-penned, Gérard Pirès-directed French film of the same name, starring Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon and Gisele Bündchen, and directed by Tim Story.-Plot:...
, and The Forgottens third weekend.
By the end of its run, Raise Your Voice grossed $10,411,980 domestically and $4,455,534 internationally, totaling $14,867,514 worldwide.
Home media
The film was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
February 12, 2005.
Raise Your Voice was the first live-action film to air on The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
, having aired on Thanksgiving Day 2007.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Raise Your Voice was never released. Three songs sung by Hilary DuffHilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
were included in the movie: "Fly
Fly (Hilary Duff song)
"Fly" is a song by American recording artist Hilary Duff. The song was written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks, and produced by Shanks for Duff's self-titled third studio album, Hilary Duff . The song received mixed reviews from music critics, comparing the song to her previous single, "Come...
", "Someone's Watching over Me
Someone's Watching over Me
"Someone's Watching Over Me" is a song by American recording artist Hilary Duff. It was written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks, and produced by Shanks for Duff's self-titled third studio album Hilary Duff .-Background and composition:...
", and "Jericho"; all were released on her eponymous second album
Hilary Duff (album)
Hilary Duff is the eponymous third studio album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. The album was released on September 28, 2004 by Hollywood Records as a follow up to the internationally successful, Metamorphosis . Duff cited the album as being more mature than her previous, stating...
. Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
also contributed the songs "Are You Ready" and "Home
Home (Three Days Grace song)
"Home" is the third single by Canadian Hard Rock/alternative metal band, Three Days Grace, from their self-titled album.-Background:"Home" was the third single released by Three Days Grace and, despite its radio success, it did not reach as high as its two predecessors on the music charts, peaking...
" to the movie, both on their self-titled debut album
Three Days Grace (album)
Three Days Grace is the self-titled debut album by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace, released on July 22, 2003.-Band name and background:...
.