Disney has put out more than its fair share of teen movies. This is a company that knows a good formula for movies. And “Prom” sticks to that basic formula. I’m not saying that it is a bad thing; in fact, I enjoyed the movie. A bit predictable, but then I wasn’t expecting a mind twister of a thriller.
Nova (Aimee Teegarden) is the class president. Popular and likable, she is the hard-worker-to-get-where-she-is type of girl. Jesse (Thomas McDonell) is a biker — a troubled youth who seems to have a chip on his shoulder.
There are other couples, including: the popular couple who are destined to be prom king and queen; the spaz boy who says he has a date but you don’t see her (maybe at the prom …); and the couple who were going to college together but then one is going to a different college. And, of course, there are a variety of other misfits.
It’s about three weeks before the prom and an accident burns down the shed in which all the prom decorations were stored. Nova needs help, but one by one, all the prom committee helpers have to bail on her and the principal appoints Jesse to assist her. He only shows up because if he doesn’t help, he won’t graduate.
They get to know each other and start to develop a bond. On prom night, all the stories take twists and turns. I won’t spoil the ending, but this is, after all, a Disney film.
I did like the characters, though, and found myself rooting for a couple of the underdogs in a way that only Disney movies can seemingly make me do. On the downside, I did have a hard time believing that more than a handful of these “kids” were in their late teens. That aside, the movie does a good job of showing how important one dance can be to so many, for so many different reasons.
“Prom” is playing at theatres now.
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