Chasing Liberty
PG-13
Starting at area theaters tomorrow
Two reels out of four
In the opening scene of Chasing Liberty, a teenage girl is getting ready for a hot date by comparing dresses in the mirror and rehearsing for the big goodnight kiss. It’s a typical scenario, at least until the camera pans out from her bedroom to a wider shot of her home — the White House.
Too bad the rest of the movie can’t continue the momentum of the clever introduction.
Mandy Moore plays the teen daughter of the President of the United States (no, not George Bush — Mark Harmon). When she finally does go on her date, things go nicely until a local boy wants to take a picture. The Secret Service wrestles him to the ground, thinking his camera is a gun. Apparently this happens a lot, with the end result usually being the same.
Prince Charming likes the girl, but can’t deal with the craziness. When the President takes his daughter to a summit in Prague, she rebels and eludes the Secret Service. She meets a hot young guy who travels with her to Venice and ultimately to a big peace rally in Berlin.
As far as female singers making the transition to the silver screen go, Moore is a few notches above Madonna and many notches below Diana Ross. And despite that Moore could use a few acting lessons, she does have a certain on-camera charm.
Movies for young folks usually clock in at about 90 minutes, which would have been ample time for this film to make its point. As it stands, it’s at least 20 minutes too long.
Certain elements of the story are nicely portrayed, like the relationship between father and daughter — even though Harmon comes off more like a modern-day Ozzie Nelson than the nation’s commander-in-chief. The movie takes a leisurely pace with the train travel of the teen character and her beau through Europe, from Prague to Venice and ultimately to Berlin, where she meets up with a friend at The Love Parade.
Like in most road movies, there’s the motley crew of loveable, quirky characters along the way. Among these are an accountant turned gondolier who lives with his mother and a lovesick Aussie with sticky fingers. Chasing Liberty refreshingly manages to escape contrivances, and also features a cute story arc: two Secret Service members who fall in love (Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra).
But the film falls short in the most important area of its genre: romance. The chemistry between Moore and Terence Maynard, who plays her love interest, is practically nonexistent. Moore’s lack of acting chops doesn’t help; she does an awful lot of pouting.
If you expect anything more with Chasing Liberty than the average teen fluff, you’ll be pouting, too.
Recommended rental
Strut
H (Rating: Must be watched while eating a hoagie)
Available on DVD only (www.strutthemovie.com)
Are you one of those people for whom the Mummers’ return to Broad Street wasn’t enough? Do you have an urge to turn on your TV any time, day or night, just to see your Mummers strut one more time? Well, you’re in luck. Directed by Philly guys Max Raab and Seymour Mednick, Strut will have even the most uptight among us humming Oh, Dem Golden Slippers. This enjoyable documentary combines fascinating live parade footage with interesting behind-the-scenes interviews and still photos that would look at home in National Geographic. Just make sure you have space in your living room, in case you should feel like strutting.
