Hillary Duff was a big deal when I was growing up, through her singing and various teen films. She hasn't really made that transition to adult film actor, but films like this will go some way to that happening.
It's not a great film you understand, but it at least shows that Duff can play some serious moments, and this film is refreshingly different in terms of content and tone.
It's not widely known, but is well worth watching.
According to Greta
2009
Action / Drama / Romance
According to Greta
2009
Action / Drama / Romance
6.1Keywords: woman directorlovesuicideromancesummer
Plot summary
After her mother, Karen (Melissa Leo) gets married for the third time, 17-year-old Greta (Hillary Duff),who had witnessed her father kill himself, withdraws within herself, and turns rebellious. In lieu of boot camp she is sent to live with her maternal grandparents, Katherine (Ellen Burstyn) and Joseph (Michael Murphy) where she makes it known that she is determined to kill herself. She then falls for a cook, Julie (Evan Ross) at the local restaurant, much to the chagrin of her grandparents - especially when they find out he had been interned in a juvenile correctional facility. Faced with all-round opposition and unhappy with her life Greta plans her suicide during a boating trip - a plan that will not only expose closeted skeletons, but also shatter and change everyone's lives forever.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
Easy enough viewing
Reviewed by
Hilary as You've Never Seen Her Before!
First, this film is not for very young children. Hilary Duff does both producing and starring in this dark comedy about a 17 year old teenager, Greta, from New York City whose sent to exile for the summer with her grandparents played by Ellen Burstyn and Michael Murphy who are divine in their roles. Melissa Leo plays Greta's mother but she's not on long enough and it's a shame because Duff, Leo, and Burstyn have some of their finest scenes together. Anyway, Greta is sent to live in Ocean Grove, New Jersey which is a seaside community and not far from the infamous Asbury Park which was crime ridden and left in ashes. Anyway, Greta gets a job at a restaurant. She is determined to end her life by 18 but things might change her point of view and it might be the best summer she ever had.
Reviewed by
Not quite good enough
Greta (Hilary Duff) is banished by her hated mother to her grandparents (Michael Murphy, Ellen Burstyn) in the New Jersey seaside retirement town for the summer in an effort to save her 3rd marriage. She lost her father. She's 17 and vows to kill herself before her 18th birthday. She gets a waitress job at the local boardwalk restaurant to pay for cable TV and is adorably rude at it. She tries to shock her grandparents with the juvenile delinquent cook Julie (Evan Ross) but it backfires on her. They kinda like him and she likes him too. However she is still pulled to her darker side.
Hilary Duff is trying to do a little something with a slight edge to it. She does a good enough job although she still needs work accessing the darker tones in her performance. There is a little something promising going on here but it doesn't get beyond that. Evan Ross is not nearly charismatic enough. It's good that Hilary tried to go darker but she's not really successful at it.