Hollywood Stargirl

Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal) is headed to L. A. with her mother (Judy Greer). She continues her Hollywood music dream. Mr. Mitchell (Judd Hirsch) is the landlord. Stargirl befriends a couple of guys and they go to a bar for her to sing. She spots Roxanne Martel (Uma Thurman) drinking in a corner. She has hero worship for the former singer.

This is the sequel to Stargirl (2020). While I accepted the sweet sincerity of the first movie, this is becoming too much. A lot more can be excused with a child actor. Her genuine wholesomeness comes off sometimes as one dimensional acting. It leaves the movie without depth. I don't want to be too mean. That would be like kicking a puppy. Maybe she should have a good foil acting against her.

I don't know where to even begin. This movie is so cute and amazing. I loved it. I will definitely be watching this again. I recommend for all ages. From beginning to end it's really hands down the absolute best.

Movie Review: Hollywood Stargirl

IN A NUTSHELL:

Disney's "Hollywood Stargirl" is a sequel to the 2020 Disney+ film about free spirit Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal), a silver-voiced teenager whose simple acts of kindness work magic in the lives of others. The upcoming film follows Stargirl's journey out of Mica, Arizona, and into a bigger world of music, dreams, and possibilities. When her mother Ana (Judy Greer) is hired as the costume designer for a movie, they relocate to L. A., where Stargirl quickly becomes involved with an eclectic assortment of characters. They include aspiring filmmaking brothers Evan (Elijah Richardson) and Terrell (Tyrel Jackson Williams); Mr. Mitchell (Judd Hirsch), one of Stargirl's neighbors; and Roxanne Martel (Uma Thurman), a musician Stargirl admires and encounters on her journey.

The film is directed by Julia Hart.

THINGS I LIKED: Grace VanderWaal offers a quirky, innocently sweet performance. In case you didn't know, she won America's Got Talent a few years ago! She charmed the pants off of the judges and...America. She's a bit more mature in this one but still has that irresistible charisma.

Other cast members include Judy Greer, Judd Hirsch, Tyrel Jackson Williams, Elijah Richardson, Sarayu Blue, and Uma Thurman, who sings in the movie!

Did you know you can watch movies outdoors at the Hollywood Forever cemetery? Is that still a thing there? I've never been there but I love the magic of watching films outdoors.

If you haven't seen the first Stargirl movie, you might wonder if you'll be able to enjoy this one. The good news is that this is a stand-alone movie that can be appreciated. Some viewers are saying this one is better than the original. Others say the reverse. What do YOU think? Have you seen either one of these movies? The 2020 original film by Disney+ was based on a book of the same name by Jerry Spinelli.

A big element of the movie is watching 3 teens trying to make a movie. I love movies within movies.

The film is family-friendly and sweet.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The audience is somewhat limited: teenage girls, their moms, and their grandmas The line Grace VanderWaal says MANY times in the movie is "What?" It's pretty predictable.

It doesn't seem that realistic, but hey, dreams DO come true all the time!

TIPS FOR PARENTS: No profanity Two teens kiss and hug.

A single mom raises a girl.

Stargirl has no sense of "stranger danger."

THEMES: Dreams Fear Friendship and loneliness Home Making movies The Creative process Kindness Family

YouTube channel.

LOVED THIS! Such a sweet story, so uplifting, and fills you with hope.

Watched it with my 9 & 12 year old girls and we all fell in love with the story.

Great music, great movie! Highly UNDERRATED!

The external critics (as IMDb likes to call them) make it sound like Disney has reinvented the wheel with this one. Which would perhaps be true only if you consider "the wheel" to be your basic Judy Garland movie from the 1940s. And this time around they seem to have remembered that GVDW is actually a singer, correcting a major oversight from the original. No matter. The screen is always commanded by GVDW, one of the most self-possessed 30 year olds (sorry, 18 year olds, a VERY easy mistake to make!) in the entertainment business. There is a reason that, even years later, her appearances on AGT were the highest rated in that show's history. That reason rhymes with "charisma." Enjoy.