I didn't exactly choose to see this movie, it runs on a 24 hour movie channel on free to air.
However, despite my cynical expectations I was pleasantly surprised.
This film manages (just) to rise above the usual high school coming of age, misfit boy meets unlikely popular girl cliches not by directly avoiding them, but by both embracing them with sardonic humour, and unexpected twists.
There is just the right mix of expected themes and tropes, yet the performances of the leads ( especially Hudgens) certainly make this a better than average coming of age teen angst drama.
There are plenty of eye-rolling and cringe-worthy moments, but these are rarely lengthy.
I invite the viewer to suspend cynicism ( at least a little ) and allow the diverse soundtrack to take one through the story, the closing sequence is remarkable.
This is certainly not a lollipops and rainbows Disney trite offering- it has some very authentic dark moments which are not simply swept away by inane Pollyanna platitudes.
Go on, give it a go.
