Disney's 'Prom' not all that memorable

From Joe Nussbaum, the director who gave us the clever cult film short “George Lucas in Love,” comes one of the least clever, culty motion pictures to come out of the Walt Disney Studios.

But give it credit. It has miles of cute.

As a student named Lloyd puts it, “Prom! That soul-crushing mistress!”

The succinctly titled “Prom” brings together a dizzying ensemble of 14 young actors (among them Hinsdale student Danielle Campbell) in what should be advertised as an ultimate parents' fantasy high school movie.

At Brookside High School, the perfectly diversified student body has yet to become acquainted with sex, drugs, abuse or alcohol.

The scary, anti-authority rebel (you can tell he's a rebel because he wears a leather jacket and drives a motorcycle) turns out to be a misunderstood sweetie.

The students apparently don't need — at least they don't get — any serious face-time or useful guidance from Dad and Mom. (One dad gives it a poor stab.)

And Brookside High has no class or social divides. Students live for the prom, or, as one student puts it, “All of us together in this one perfect moment!”

“Prom” begins with voice-over narration (usually a lazy screenwriter's narrative crutch) in which a super achiever named Nova (Aimee Teegarden) clues us in to how important the title event is.

As class president, she's in charge of the prom decor. But a fire destroys the decorations with the event three weeks away.

So, the principal decides to punish Jesse, the class' misbehaving rebel (apparently, schools are allowed to have only one academic miscreant at a time) by requiring him to help Nova restore the decorations.

Two characters down. Twelve to go.

Lovable Lucas (Nolan Sotillo) and Corey (Cameron Monaghan) are the rock critics of Brookside. They love music.

Then Lucas becomes enamored with ultra-cute Simone (Campbell), but she still carries the baton for two-timing star athlete Tyler (DeVaughn Nixon) who's hot for Jordan (Kylie Bunbury).

Justin (Jared Kusnitz) has been dating Mei (Yin Chang) for, like, forever. Then, the humorously desperate Lloyd (Nicholas Braun) makes finding a prom date his whole life's purpose.

That's 10. There are four more quasi-main characters in “Prom,” written by Katie Welch possibly for a contest to see how many movie clichés and generic characters can be stuffed into a single script.

What the exchanges between Lucas and Simone lack in realism they make up for in sheer, unadulterated charm. Not the case with Nova and Jesse.

McDonell channels as much Judd Nelson as he can take. The weak link in this ensemble proves to be Teegarden, whose eye-rolling expressions and arch delivery suggest she's stuck in a sitcom mode and can't get out.

At least she gets to deliver one of the screenplay's most memorable lines:

“You need a hamster to love, don't you?”

<b>“Prom”</b>

★ ★

<b>Starring: </b>Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Danielle Campbell, Kylie Bunbury

<b>Directed by: </b>Joe Nussbaum

<b>Other: </b>A Walt Disney Pictures release. Rated PG. 103 minutes.