How should I lose my virginity? Hmm, let me see ... Oh, wait, I've got it! I'll just ask Britney Spears, our resident expert. I'm sure that she has plenty of wisdom and experience to guide me through this difficult decision. The sad part, however, is that "Crossroads" is trying to teach viewers these rather pathetic lessons.
Britney Spears has entertained America with her music for several years, and seemingly was ready to make her first movie. "Crossroads," which produced by MTV Films (which is owned by Viacom), tries to teach us, not entertain us. This should not be much of a surprise.
Having grown up with MTV, all of us should by now be accustomed to the way in which certain television channels try to control their viewers. This may sound like an extreme point of view, but wait until you hear the details of this film. For now, just know that I entered the theater expecting to be entertained, and instead discovered that I would be writing an article about social engineering.
"Crossroads" is the story of three Georgia girls who were friends in fourth grade and drifted apart, only to rediscover each other in 12th grade when they renew their promise to open a time capsule they had buried years ago. They become close again when Mimi (Taryn Manning) decides to participate in a talent search in Los Angeles, and asks Ben (Anson Mount) to give them a ride, since he happened to be going that way.
Lucy (Britney Spears) decides to ride along, fleeing from her bookish past and controlling father to find her mother in Tucson, Ariz. Kit (Zoe Saldina) happens to have a boyfriend out in Los Angeles, so she comes along to give him a surprise visit.
I could discuss how hollow the plot is. The screenplay was written by Shonda Rimes and Spears herself, who came up with most of the ideas. But, then again, it's not as though we actually would go see this film for the story.
The real crime "Crossroads" commits is in making the characters unconvincing. I never had high hopes for Spears or her colleagues, though I do believe she has more acting potential than I had originally thought. But the characters were written poorly, especially for the many teenagers who will see the film.
The biggest disappointment is Ben, the gentleman who was "just filling in" for the guitarist of the band that played at the senior prom after the girls' graduation. This guy reminds me so much of the guys we see on "The Real World," who conveniently have so many complexities and issues that make him completely inaccessible to real live viewers.
Of course, given the context of this film, Ben comes across not really as a character, but a symbol of female lust and independence. He is handsome and suave enough to make women watching interested, but clumsy enough to provide a good laugh. Ladies, if you want a relationship with a man who you don't want to feel an emotional connection to, this guy is for you.
Lucy's father (Dan Akroyd) has a similar cartoonish front. We don't learn anything about him other than his desire to manipulate people in his family. When we see him demand that Lucy come home after she runs away, we have learned all he has to teach us. Apparently, however, Akroyd couldn't even handle this simple lesson - his acting fell far short of being convincing.
On the course of their journey, the three girls manage to have a lot of fun bonding and get into some trouble on the way. Yes, their friendships grow strong, but there is no meaningful climax to the film. These bonding moments, and Ben (for the ladies, of course), are the only things viewers have to keep them entertained.
If we are empty souls who need to be driven in a specific direction, however, this film is glad to oblige. It might not be fair to say the movie actually encourages teenage rebellion and premarital sex, but we should know better when we consider the movie's origin. In this movie, rebellion is fun, brings us closer to friends, gives us sex with a gorgeous person, ties up loose ends in our lives and begins a wonderful music career for us! For all that our characters go through, they become so much wiser and happier in the end. How convenient.
"Crossroads" is deceptive. It had the opportunity to keep its shallow plot and its poor acting and still entertain its target audience. But "Crossroads" tries to lecture us ... and we are just too smart for that. Whether or not Americans have already learned enough lessons about sex and teenage rebellion, I don't think Spears' latest film is the place to look for answers.
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