Introducing Our Watch of the Week: Prom!

It's with pride, joy and butter popcorn-covered fingers that we introduce our latest feature: Watch of the Week. This Friday, we're reviewing Walt Disney's latest, Prom, and rating its fun versus social good factor. Although the movie is a very G-rated version of the biggest school dance of the year (no booze nor random hookups here), the movie doesn’t hold back when it comes to teenage angst, antics and awesome attire.

The plot is relatively simple: A bunch of teenagers in an unnamed Michigan town are prepping for the biggest night of their lives so far, dealing with the stress that comes from the anticipation and culmination of prom. The main storyline revolves around the slow courtship between Nova (Aimee Teegarden) and Jesse (Thomas McDonnell). Class president and head of the prom committee Nova is overwhelmed with creating the perfect event, while also worrying about not having a date (even though, let's be real, it doesn't make any sense that she doesn't have a date). In comes misunderstood bad boy Jesse, who wants nothing to do with prom because he’d rather ride around on his motorcycle than shave off his scruff and wear a stuffy suit.

But there’s more to Prom than just the dance itself, including some important issues scattered in amidst the fun:

• Girl Power: Upon discovering that her lacrosse star boyfriend Tyler (DeVaughn Nixon) is two-timing her with sophomore cutie Simone (Danielle Campbell), prom queen Jordan (Kylie Bunbury) refuses to dance with prom king Tyler. When Simone figures out that she was the “other woman,” she also ditches Tyler, leaving him to fend for himself.
• Teen Stress: The seniors have a lot on their plates. Jesse has to help support his struggling, single-parent family; George (Jonathan Keltz) has AP tests piling up and has to miss prom for a scholarship interview (priorities trump over fun); Mei (Yin Chang) has to choose between staying in Michigan to stay with her boyfriend or going to New York to attend Parsons; and Lloyd (Nicholas Braun) simply can’t get a date and refuses to take his baby sister to prom.
• Fire Safety: Tyler uses the shed housing the prom decorations to ask Jordan to prom. Unfortunately, he neglected to blow out all the romantic candles when they left, and the decorations are destoyed when they catch on fire. Lesson of the day: If you can't be responsible for blowing out your candles, then you're not old enough for uber-romantic gestures...or two girlfriends!