Hannah Montana: The Movie

G

reviewed by Christopher Lyon

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The Story

If you’re unfamiliar with the long-running Disney Channel show, you’ll need to know that Miley Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, a “regular girl” who moves with her family from Tennessee to Malibu, California. However, Miley is also the international pop star Hannah Montana, a secret carefully guarded from all her civilian friends at a school. Her dad/manager Bobby Ray Stewart is played by Miley’s real-life dad Billy Ray Cyrus.

This movie follows the hugely popular 2007 concert tour and hugely successful 2008 concert film. It’s features Miley/Hannah singing several old and new songs, as well as celebrity guest cameos, including Rascal Flatts, Tyra Banks, and Taylor Swift. At times, the constant slapstick comedy and down-home country music sing-alongs give the film a bit of a teen “Hee Haw” flavor.

Anyway, when dad Bobby Ray decides Hannah’s fame is going to Miley’s head, he drags her back to their tiny country hometown in Tennessee for two weeks of “Hannah detox.” At first unwilling, Miley warms up and starts to enjoy life on her Grandma Ruby’s (Margo Martindale) farm. It helps that she’s crushing on good-looking hired hand/cowboy Travis (Lucas Till) and sleeping in her late mom’s childhood room.

But when she agrees to have Hannah come to town for a big charity concert to raise enough money to save the town from a greedy land developer, Miley’s old identity crisis and all the secrets that come with it threaten to ruin her budding relationship with Travis, as well as her dad’s new connection with a local woman. And a determined tabloid reporter is in town to uncover Hannah’s big secret.

Content Issues

The G rating means things stay squeaky clean. A few parents might care about a little cleavage and some short skirts. Hannah goes swimming down at the creek with a boy and later kisses him.

Worldview Talking Points

None of the information above will be any news to you if the global sensation that is Hannah Montana has swept up your daughter. Her 2007 concert dates sold out with in minutes of the tickets going on sale as parents spotted an opportunity to give their kids a huge and wholesome treat. And this film just broke the opening weekend box office record for a G-rated live action movie.

If your daughter is not interested in Ms. Montana, you’ll likely know that, as well. There’s a bit of a backlash against the franchise even among some of the tweens who formerly loved it. And older girls may have left it behind as a “childish thing.”

For fans, though, the movie may provide parents with some real teachable moments. Worldview issues include escapist fantasies of talent, fame, and fortune. Should we steer our daughters away from the stardust or encourage them to “follow their dreams”?

Other questions arise from Hannah’s multiple identities. We hope a few of the talking points below will lead to some good conversation about these big ideas with your own daughters/pop stars.

• Was the movie as good as you’d hoped it would be? Could anything have made it better?
• Do you ever wish you had a secret identity as someone famous and rich and talented? Or would that just be way too much trouble?
• If you could be famous for anything, what would it be? Do you hope to try to succeed doing that someday? Why or why not?
• Do you think it’s a good goal to be famous? How about to be rich? How do those desires—that everyone seems to feel sometimes—fit with being a Christian and follower of Jesus? [Parent: See Philippians 2:3-11, where Christians are told to “make ourselves nothing” and serve others, as well as 1 Timothy 6:9.]
• Do you think it’s a good goal to be really good at what you do and to have people recognize that and enjoy it? [Sure, it is.] Can you use talent and fame and money to serve God? [Sure, you can.]
• Miley and her dad have to tell a lot of lies—or, at least, deceive a lot of people—to keep the secret that Miley is Hannah (and visa versa). Why do you think it’s so important to them to keep that secret?
• Is there ever a good reason to lie about anything, according to the Bible?
• Do you ever feel like you have to keep part of your true self hidden from your school friends or church friends or even from your parents? Why is it sometimes hard for all of us to be honest about who we really are?
• Why is it so important that we learn to be honest with everyone in our lives? Can we be honest and still keep some thoughts and feelings private? [Sure we can.] Do you think being an open person is a harder or easier way to live?
• Even though Miley/Hannah is a huge pop star, incredibly rich and famous, and will probably be out on her own in just a few years, she still has to obey her dad. Do you think that’s hard for her to do?
• It won’t be long before you graduate and move into your own life. Is it hard for you to keep obeying and honoring your parents while becoming more and more independent? [Parent: Be ready to be honest if it’s hard for you to let your son or daughter have more independence. Talk a little about why that’s a hard transition for all parents and teens.]
• This movie is rated G, but Miley Cyrus is 16 now. Are you worried that she’s going to start to do things and get a wild reputation like some of the other Disney stars did when they got older? How can someone avoid making unwise choices as a teenager? Do you think it is harder for pop stars than “regular kids” to avoid being foolish?

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