I only got this movie to watch Luke Perry. I went on a 90210 binge last year and ever since then I've been watching anything he's in, just trying to recreate the lost 90210 feeling, I guess. Perry has this way of acting that is similar in everything he's in so every time I watch one of his performances it is always like going back to Dylan, as much has he is trying to broaden his types of roles.
Anyway, about the movie, depressing. I wouldn't recommend this for a child because the themes are way too rough, I almost cried. Dude, harsh. Girl loses everything and embarrasses herself in the process, that's basically the tag of this flick. I wouldn't want my 10 year old to watch it and then wonder who she's going to lose, God forbid. And then on the other side, I wouldn't recommend this to an adult either because the acting, music, and story plays out for a children's audience. So, it make sense that this went straight to DVD. There's no audience left.
The acting itself, if you look past the mandatory made-for-children silliness part of everyone's role-playing, was pretty decent. These people are all pros so they took whatever they had to work with and did it well. The main character of Alice is pretty likable, as are the rest of the cast, but their acting and story lines were sill pretty typical.
Luke Perry was Luke Perry and that justified me sitting through the film. His acting was exactly what it was supposed to be and I loved every second of it. Such a contrast to the gunfighter character he played in the movie that came out a week before this one was released, but at the same time he has his trademark nuances that will never leave him in anything he is in and that's what I came to see. And being that I'm always just really only trying to find Dylan McKay in every role he plays, I melted in 90210-nostalgia the second Ben McKinlay met his love interest in this movie, Kelly. Hearing him say her name each time was incredible, except for the fact that he didn't once call her "Kell," that would have made this whole experience perfect! The rest of the cast were just there doing their thing, the music was also just there doing its thing, nothing too terrible, but not something the Grammy committee will be looking at anytime soon. It was a nice touch that the actors all sang their respective songs, though. They all have pretty good voices. Perry's musical talent was also a pleasant surprise.
So, all in all, if you're a huge fan of any of these actors, you won't be disappointed, as they do their thing as they should. However, if you are strictly looking for a good movie, look elsewhere. It's less feel-good than heartwarming, but even the attempts to warm the heart turn into more of a wrench in the gut.
PS -- (cough coug) *Zack Morris Wannabe* (cough cough)
