Raise Your Voice

Color, PG (mature themes), 107 min., DVD $27.95, VHS rental

DVD: deleted scenes, outtakes, music videos, orchestra sequence, DVD-ROM elements, interactive music feature

Street: Feb. 15, Prebook: Jan. 18

First Run: W, Oct. 2004, $10.5 mil.

Cast: Hilary Duff (Cheaper By the Dozen), David Keith (Deep Shock), Rita Wilson (Auto Focus), Oliver James (What a Girl Wants), Jason Ritter (TV's Joan of Arcadia)

NEW LINE/WARNER

Talented young Terri (Duff) wants to go to music school in the big city, but her dad (Keith), still heartbroken by the death of his son (Ritter), won't allow it. Mom (Wilson) sneaks Terri off to school, prompting dad to come and get her at the big concert. Raise Your Voice's story takes a tragic turn in the first third with the accidental death of Ritter's character, and it takes a good amount of time before the film gets a little lighter and delivers the happy vibe Duff's fans have to come to expect. But once the ship is righted, it's smooth sailing 'till the end, and Duff's natural charms (coupled with a pleasant score by Machine Head) overcome the predictable narrative. Make no mistake, this is a showcase for tweener star Duff, whose fans want to see her smile, dance and sing--which she does whenever she gets a chance--no matter how hokey the situation. Our test 9-year-old girl, who has a wall full of Duff posters in her bedroom, was riveted from the start and even sang along at the end. That's clearly a thumbs up review, and there's no reason to expect others who missed it in theaters won't be similarly affected. The DVD boasts an Interactive Menu Jam, which lets viewers pretend to be music students who can compose their own song for judging by a "professor."

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