Crossroads (2023)

That was an excellent one.

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

I remember in 2002 when I went to go see this movie just to laugh at it. It's honestly not funny. I mean yeah the first half is FUN, but then stuff gets deep and messed up. Of course hindsight is 20/20 and it's now 2018 and we know this was written by Shonda rhimes, so it HAD to be messed up, right? It's been 16 years. Can we get over the fact it's a Britney movie and finally admit it's not half bad, and honestly kind of sad towards the end? No? Just me? Ok.

Made way before Brittany Spears, lose her mind in 2007. She made one of her first biggest mistake in 2002 by trying to act in a 'coming of age' movie. Her role as Lucy Wagner, a young doe-eyed high school graduate who begins an essential journey of self-discovery with her off and on again, friends, Kit (Zoe Saldana) & Mimi (Taryn Manning) on a road trip received mostly negative. However, I don't believe, all the hate by the critics, is deserved. The movie isn't bad. It's just a run-of-the-mill female driven road movie, audiences have seem, before, and done, better, in similar films like 1995's 'Boys on the Side' & the master hit, 1991's 'Thelma and Louise'. It just doesn't stand out, much. It's surprising, because the film, deals with some really emotional heavy themes, like teen pregnancy, rape, and abandoned issues. If anything, these things, should had made this movie, a lot more interesting than it was! So, what went wrong!? Well, one is bad-marketing. While, the film was still targeted toward pre-teens that make up, Britney's audience at the time. None of the trailers, really focus much, on the emotional depth of the story. Instead, it play up, the comedy and music of the film, which in truth, the film has little of. No wonder, why audience felt like, they got their money, stolen. The viewers really thought, they were going to see, a light-hearted comedy film, similar to 1997's film, 'Spice World'. Instead, they got a seriously downer drama like they were watching 1988's film, 'Beaches'! Even, if the audience got their light-hearted musical comedy, like they ask for. None of the jokes in the film was funny. If anything, the short sequences of humor, really took me out, of the film. About the music, the way, the writer, Shonda Rhimes, introduced it, was also pretty jarring. A good example is the unrealistic karaoke bar scene. Honestly, what was the chances of a karaoke bar in the middle of nowhere, tipping singers so well during one night, that the three of them, has enough to fix a yellow 1973 Buick Skylark convertible and find parts!? It doesn't even seem real. It's a huge stretch. I'm sorry, I can't suspense my disbelief, here! If the movie had female 'balls'. They would had, the characters, steal the money from somebody, or have one of the character sell herself or something more mature-driven like that. It's seem like the characters are dodging all the worst possibilities, unrealistic because the film is PG-13. The most infamous of this, is the convenient blue bottle and miscarriage scene. Without spoiling it, too much. OMG! It's really lazy screen writing! The idea that one of the rational character, can tell, that another character rape her, by him, holding a blue bottle is one of the weakest point of the film. It's not like, Bud-Light is popular. Another thing, I think the film would had been stronger, if the character went through, with having a real-life abortion or keeping the baby for the sake of the child. Instead, of having her, lose the child, as a write out, as luck. It's a bad example. I also hate, that don't even, moan the death of the baby, for that long, before they end up, going to the audition. It's really, really horrible. Anyways, like I said before, it's nothing, too bad, to get, work up, about. The story was just, not well-written. The acting, on other hand, isn't that bad. Taryn Manning is by far, the strongest actress of the three, in this film, while, Zoe Saldana isn't given much to stand out, besides, being a bitch, in the beginning. Her character, kinda dies out, as the film goes along. As for Britany Spears. She isn't the worst pop singer turn actress in the world. She did impressed, some critics, with her stints on guest spots on televisions shows like 'Saturday Night Live', 'Will & Grace' and others. However, without spoiling the film, too much, her role in this film, was a bit disappointing. The movie spend so much time on her delivering fan service, that it's hard to take her character's seriously. Honestly, if the movie cut scenes of her singing in her underwear and short-shorts, then maybe; people would rethink, her performance. As, for now. It's below standards, because she basically playing herself. As, for the other supporting cast like Anson Mount, Dan Aykroyd, Justin Long and Kim Cattrall. They were alright. Once again, I have, saw them, in worst off films than this. Overall: I have to say, this movie from director, Tamra Davis could had been better. However, the badly written story, combine with shameful product placement, made this film, hard to watch. In the end, this road is better off, being closed off, until it can be, once again, repaired.

After watching Crossroads for possibly the 7th time, I can now conclude that it is quite possibly the best film I've ever seen. For starters, the cast is star studded and may have been selected by God. To see Dan Akroyd cry as Brittany Spears destroys that audition is a gift I was not sure I'd be graced with in my lifetime. The story is so eloquently pieced together with humor, drama, and romance. Not only am I watching Crossroads, but I am experiencing Crossroads. When the girls laugh, I laugh, when Ben gets angry, I get angry, and when they cry, boy do I cry. The intertwined stories of these girls is beyond genius, and even after watching am I haunted by their stories. Watching their friendship re-blossom as Ben and Lucy fall in love is so rewarding as a mere viewer. On top of all this, the movie has a great soundtrack! Filled with 90's pop hits and a few Brittany songs, it really is the heartbeat that this film deserved. You may notice I've referred to Crossroads only as a film, not a movie, because in my opinion, it is too esteemed to be called just a "movie". Crossroads is a cinematic experience for the ages!

For a while there, I thought that I was going to be in genuine danger of having to admit that I liked this movie. For the first forty minutes it was a warm, if slightly generic, road movie about the positives of friendship and following your dreams... Then, after that point, I started to feel it turn into a Steel Magnolias clone. It was now apparently the type of film where the girls all sit around in a sewing circle, and discuss their problems. I suppose this is fine if you feel like these are real issues and you can relate to them, but when they feel as though they've been cribbed from the pages of 'Dear Abby... ', you stop suspending your disbelief that these are real people, and start seeing them for what they are: Stock Movie Characters.Going along with the well-worn movie tradition, the guy our heroine gets with has to be 'hot', and not the slightly awkward, geeky schoolfriend that she actually shares a little bit of a rapport with. That's Movie Law - don't lose your virginity to someone you have a little bit of history with, lose it instead to the hunk you've only just met who has a heartbreaking backstory and abs chiseled from stone, but lacks the facility of meaningful conversation. Hey, why talk much when you can just beat up sleazy jerks in bars and win the girl's affection that way, right?!The first half of the film actually has a path that seems like it might be leading somewhere... until suddenly, that trail goes cold, and the rest of the movie is essentially just a visually 'inspirational' pep talk for Spears' status as a teen role model. It's a shame too, because Spears' performance as a whole suggests she would be capable of handling more diverse requirements. Sadly, these don't appear to be in the play- by-play manual followed by the makers. Eventually, the clichés win out, as we all must have suspected they would do, in the first place.