Disney’s Prom is fluff. Certainly not the worst kind of fluff. Yet, still fluff.

I guess the title says it all, huh? Prom is all things prom: dates, dresses, decorations, royalty and so much teen angst, anyone old enough to do so will be tempted to spike the punch bowl just to get through it.

But even though the target audience for this comedy is a relatively small one –– those about to enjoy their own prom, or the tweens who are bubbling like an Aero bar in anticipation –– Prom serves it well. It’s pretty harmless and, for how sugary this thing could’ve been (we’re not that far removed from High School Musical, y’know), it’s pleasant.

Directed by Joe Nussbaum (Sydney White), Prom throws about half a dozen subplots on the dance floor and lets ‘em shake.

Nova (Aimee Teegarden of Scream 4) is an honours student bound for Georgetown, whose year-long aspirations of creating the best prom night ever go up in flames. Literally.

Enter bad-boy Jesse (Thomas McDonell) who creates a few sparks with her, only non-destructive ones.

Then there’s Jordan (Kylie Bunbury) and Tyler (De’Vaughn Nixon), a lock for prom queen and king. That is until… (oooh, the suspense).

And there’s more: Lloyd (Nicholas Braun), the shy kid, trying to find a date for the big night; Mei (Yin Chang), who can’t bring herself to tell her sweetheart (Jared Kusnitz) that she’s been accepted to another college… and on, and on, and on, and…

They’re walking clichés, all of ‘em.

Needless to say, Prom doesn’t exactly have an original whiff to it. What it does have, though, is a surprisingly darn fine script by first-time scribe, Katie Wech.

There’s a very playful edge lurking behind this material. If Wech was to, at some point, lose those squeaky clean mouse ears, well that will likely be one funny film! As for now, she helps make Prom a more enjoyable event than it probably should be.

The feature is currently playing at Galaxy Cinemas in Vernon.

 

Vernon Morning Star