Review: Prom (U) ***

This chaste attempt at communicating the angst of the peculiarly American phenomenon that is the high school prom hits all the cute buttons and emerges as a hopelessly unrealistic portrait of small-town America.

At Brookside High School lovely teenage dynamo Nova Prescott is coming to the end of a lengthy period of preparation that has involved her press-ganging her pals into building the various props for the looming prom night.

But despite her all-round wholesome looks and character, Nova can’t seem to get Brandon, the boy of her dreams, to ask her out. Meanwhile, various friends and school acquaintances are looking to land their own dates for the big night.

In the midst of prom fever a nocturnal picnic and a lit candle cause a fire that turns all Nova’s hard work into ashes.

To help fix it she is paired with local bad boy Jesse. Together this decidedly odd couple have three weeks to get prom night back on schedule.

You can work the rest out for yourself.

Prom is a painting-by-numbers effort from Disney that ladles on the clichés while managing to present a 21st century California high school as a hotbed of well-scrubbed, charming and go-getting kids. No sex, no drugs and only the weensiest bit of rock ‘n’ roll.

Prom is a throwback to the days when teens and pre-teens believed what they saw at the cinema. Sadly, times have changed and this candy-coated flick merely represents a fantasy world. Nothing wrong with that; just don’t expect youngsters on either side of the pond to actually believe it...

Director Joe Nussbaum opts for a backdrop straight out of the ’80s Brat Pack movies.

Think The Breakfast Club or Pretty in Pink and you won’t go far wrong.

Nova is Little Miss Sunshine, a perfect gal looking for Mr Right. Jesse is the moody rebel. Tyler is the arrogant football jock. Lucas is the tongue-tied nerd. Simone is the class stunner who couldn’t see true love if she tried.

There are several more. The cast list of Prom is packed with soon-to-be stars. Aimee Teagarden (Nova) is delightful in a California blonde kind of way. Thomas McDonell as Jesse is a cut-price Johnny Depp, which will serve him well when he plays the younger Depp in Tim Burton’s forthcoming Dark Shadows. Danielle Campbell (Simone) is beauty personified and just waiting for a big break.

The best thing about this movie is that you saw them here first.