Raise Your Voice is a 2004 American teenmusicaldrama film directed by Sean McNamara and starring Hilary Duff. Canadian rock band Three Days Grace made a cameo appearance in the film, performing the songs "Are You Ready" and "Home". Upon release, the film received negative reviews and was a box-office flop, grossing only $14.8 million on a $15 million budget.
Plot
Terri Fletcher is a Flagstaff, Arizona teenager who dreams of becoming a professional singer. She wants to participate in a music program that could give her a $10,000 scholarship. Her overprotective father Simon, a second-generation restaurateur, disapproves of Terri's plans, wanting her to run the family business.
Terri is very close to her elder brother Paul, who supports her dream. At Paul's graduation-day barbecue, he has a fight with Simon and is grounded. That night, Terri sneaks Paul out of the house to attend a Three Days Grace concert. On their way home, they are hit by a drunk driver. Terri awakens in the hospital and learns that Paul was killed.
Terri blames herself for Paul's death and decides to quit singing, but her mother Frances says that Paul's death is not her fault, and that Paul would have wanted Terri to attend the program. She eventually convinces Terri to go, telling Simon that Terri plans to stay with her aunt Nina in Palm Desert, California[1] for the summer while she actually goes to Los Angeles.
Terri arrives in Los Angeles and has a few difficulties: her jacket is stolen, her cab driver is crabby, and initially can't get into the music school. While in the program, Terri makes new friends, including fun-loving DJ Kiwi, quiet pianist Sloane, and talented violinist Denise. Terri learns a great deal about music but has flashbacks of the car crash.
Terri also develops a mutual fondness for British songwriter Jay, but she faces competition from Robin Childers, who was with Jay the previous summer. Robin still harbors feelings for Jay, but he does not reciprocate. Jay tries to get Robin to leave him and Terri alone. On one occasion, Robin kisses Jay 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 Denise take Jay to the roof to sober up. When he does, Jay apologizes, and Terri agrees to finish the song they have been working on for the scholarship contest.
In the meantime, Simon learns of Terri's ruse, and drives to Los Angeles to bring her home. On the final day, Simon comes to the school and chastises Terri for deceiving him, as well as accuses her of turning his sister and wife against him, but Terri begs her father not to make same mistake he did with Paul and make her run, and not ruin the summer. Ultimately, realizing how selfish he had been, Simon changes his mind.
Terri and Jay perform the song they wrote, dedicating it to Paul. Even though Denise wins the scholarship prize, Simon is proud of his daughter and her talents, and is also glad that her last memory of Paul is one worth having (the concert), as opposed to Simon's own (their argument). Terri's teachers hope to see her next year; Simon replies that they just might. Over the end credits, the students perform together.
Principal photography began in Los Angeles, California on January 24, 2004,[2] and ended the following April.
Reception
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, Raise Your Voice has an approval rating of 16% based on 83 reviews, with an average rating of 3.80/10. The consensus calls the film a "bland, formulaic tween version of Fame".[3] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 33 out of 100 based on reviews from 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[4]
Box office
The film opened on October 8, 2004 and grossed $4,022,693 in its opening weekend at #6, behind Shark Tale's second weekend, Friday Night Lights, Ladder 49's second weekend, Taxi, and The Forgotten's third weekend.[5] The film was also a flop at the box office.
By the end of its run, Raise Your Voice grossed $10,411,980 domestically and $4,455,534 internationally, totaling $14,867,514 worldwide.[6]
Accolades
Raise Your Voice was nominated for an Artios Award for Outstanding Casting in Children's Programming Casting[7] and a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in a Feature Film - Music/Musical.[8]
Home media
The film was released on VHS and DVD on February 15, 2005.
