Taglines: The only risk in taking an adventure is not taking it at al.
Teen queen Lizzie McGuire grows up a bit and hits the big screen in this comedy drama, based on the popular Disney Network series. Lizzie McGuire and her best friends Kate, Gordo, and Ethan have just graduated from middle school, and to celebrate, they’re taking part in a class trip to Rome, Italy. Eager to celebrate their new maturity as high school students, Lizzie and her pals hope to live it up in one of Europe’s most fabled cities, but fate has something more spectacular in store for Lizzie.
Lizzie discovers that she bears a striking resemblance to Isabella, an Italian teen-pop idol famous for her duets with heart-throb Paolo — so much so that when Paolo and Isabella have a falling out, he asks Lizzie to take Isabella’s place for an upcoming concert. Lizzie, however, isn’t sure she feels comfortable stepping into the spotlight, and is even less sure about the way she feels about Paolo, who makes no secret of his infatuation with her.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie is an American teen comedy film which was released by Walt Disney Pictures on May 2, 2003. The film serves as the finale of the television series Lizzie McGuire. It was the first theatrical film based on a Disney Channel original series. The film stars Hilary Duff, Adam Lamberg, Robert Carradine, Hallie Todd and Jake Thomas, and narrates Lizzie’s graduation trip to Rome. At its release the film peaked at number two in the domestic box office, behind X2: X-Men United.
The film begins as Lizzie McGuire (Hilary Duff) prepares for her junior-high graduation with her best friend, David “Gordo” Gordon (Adam Lamberg). During the ceremony, Lizzie trips onstage and accidentally brings the curtain down on her fellow graduates; this causes her to be teased by her ex-best friend, Kate Sanders (Ashlie Brillault), and her younger brother Matt (Jake Thomas). After graduation, Lizzie and her class embark on a trip to Rome chaperoned by their strict no nonsense high school principal, Angela Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein). To their dismay, Lizzie and Kate are assigned to the same hotel room.
Their class visits the Trevi Fountain, where Lizzie is approached by an Italian pop star named Paolo (Yani Gellman) who mistakes her for his singing partner, Isabella (also played by Duff). Paolo asks Lizzie to meet him at the fountain the next day, and she feigns illness to sneak away. He explains that he and Isabella are booked for the Italian Music Awards, but she left Italy after their breakup. Paolo tells Lizzie that Isabella lip syncs, and begs her to pose as Isabella for the concert. Although she reluctantly agrees, she begins to enjoy the life of an Italian pop star: designer clothes, dance rehearsals, and adoration from fans.
Lizzie continues to fake being ill to prepare for the concert, but Kate quickly figures out her secret. To Lizzie’s surprise, Kate agrees to help her and the two become friends again. Lizzie begins to fall in love with Paolo, to Gordo’s dismay. Kate and Ethan encourage Gordo to tell Lizzie he loves her, but he refuses. Meanwhile, Ms. Ungermeyer interrogates the students to learn who has been sneaking out. Gordo takes the blame, and is sent back home as punishment; Lizzie is shocked to hear that Gordo sacrificed himself to protect her. Kate then tells her that Gordo is in love with her.
At the airport Gordo meets Isabella, who has returned for the concert and is upset to hear that Lizzie is impersonating her. She and Gordo realize that Paolo is planning to cut Lizzie’s mike at the concert, demonstrating to the crowd that Isabella is a fake. Paolo is planning on ruining Isabella’s career and embarrassing Lizzie again. Gordo and Isabella rush to the concert to stop him. Back home, Matt browses the Internet and finds Italian gossip sites with pictures of Lizzie as Isabella.
When he tells his parents, the family flies to Rome. Ms. Ungermeyer realizes that Lizzie is missing again, and Ethan accidentally reveals that she is at the Italian Music Awards. The class rushes to the concert to find Lizzie; Gordo and Isabella find her backstage preparing for the show, and warn her about Paolo’s scheme. Lizzie refuses to believe them at first, but Isabella insists that Gordo can be trusted and Paolo is using her.
Directed by: Jim Fall
Starring: Hilary Duff, Adam Lamberg, Robert Carradine, Hallie Todd, Jake Thomas, Ashlie Brillault, Yani Gellman, Carly Schroeder, Jody Racicot
Screenplay by: Susan Estelle Jansen, Ed Decter, John J. Strauss
Production Design by: Douglas Higgins
Cinematography by: Jerzy Zielinski
Film Editing by: Margaret Goodspeed
Costume Design by: Monique Prudhomme, David C. Robinson
Set Decoration by: Sam Higgins
Art Direction by: Patrick Banister
Music by: Cliff Eidelman
MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements.
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures
Release Date: May 2, 2003
