What girls want

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
July 13, 2004

Let’s hear it for the girls. After decades of taking secondary roles in films aimed at teenage boys, a new generation of actresses has slowly descended upon Hollywood. And guess what? Their movies are doing well at the box office.

So this summer, forget about Uzis, car crashes and topless babes at the local cineplex. Instead, think more along the lines of fairy tales, sleepovers and designer dresses. “Sleepover” opened this past weekend. “A Cinderella Story” hits multiplexes Friday. And “Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” will hit theaters Aug. 11.

“The teen female audience has always been there,” says Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co. “They’ve just been waiting for someone to make a movie that doesn’t talk down to them. Finally, filmmakers have really hit the nail on the head on what it is girls want — not just mean-spirited stuff, but smart, funny movies they can relate to. Are their lives necessarily like those depicted in ‘Freaky Friday’ and ‘Princess Diaries’? Probably not. But they’re a lot closer than a ‘Terminator’ movie.”

At just 16, Hilary Duff — the star of “A Cinderella Story” — already has had a No. 1 album, a hit TV series and a verbal catfight with 18-year-old Lindsay Lohan over Aaron Carter — the 16-year-old Lothario who two-timed them both. She’ll headline a concert July 30 at the Allstate Arena. And thanks to her “Lizzie McGuire” empire, Duff has a built-in fan base that, yes, includes boys.

“All the guys at school like Hilary,” says Danielle Morris, 14, of north suburban Winthrop Harbor, who was waiting to see “Sleepover” at a Northbrook theater. “They think she’s hot, so they’ll go see her movie. I’ll go to whatever looks good, whether it’s starring a boy or a girl. But it is kind of nice that there are so many movies out now for girls.”

Hilary and Lohan are well-liked by girls, adds Morris’ 11-year-old sister, Gabby. The Olsen twins are not.

“They’re not cool anymore,” Gabby says of the Olsens, who just turned 18. “They’re too old.”

Experts point out it’s actually girls as young as Gabby who’re driving all the grrrl-power movies these days. Unlike their older sisters, who can get into PG-13 movies, they have little choice in what they can go see.

“People are finally realizing that little girls go to movies and the ones who are too little to go by themselves can make their parents take them,” says Leah Rozen, film critic for People magazine. “It’s actually the tweener audience where you find the most passionate fans. Teenage girls are conflicted — a lot of them want to see more grown-up movies.”

Mark Rosman, the director of “A Cinderella Story,” adds, “The advent of the tween market three or four years ago really made Hollywood aware that young girls wanted to see movies made for them. Although movies for girls and families have been a staple for many, many years, we’re experiencing a miniexplosion at this point.”

Some films like “Mean Girls” transcend the teen girl market and cross over to become a hit with adults of both sexes. But the majority most likely will hit home with the young audience for which they were made.

“Sleepover” tells the tale of a 14-year-old girl nervous about where she’ll fit in when she enters high school that fall. A good chunk of the plot was taken from screenwriter Elisa Bell’s own childhood. Bell says while she’s hopeful the movie will find a mass audience, she knows its biggest appeal will be with females.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think boys are the main audience for a lot of these films, including my own,” she says. “I’m married and have a 3-year-old son, and I don’t think either of them will ever appreciate these kinds of movies fully — not even after my son grows up.”

For now, it’s the girls Hollywood is concerned with. And until they become too expensive to hire, or moviegoers tire of them, we’ll likely be seeing more of Duff and company in the next couple years.

“Everything is cyclical,” Rozen says. “You make gross-out comedies until they’re too gross and don’t make any more money. They’ll keep making movies with little girls until there are too many of them and no one pays to see them anymore.”

The producers of “A Cinderella Story” better keep their fingers crossed that Duff’s picture fares better than “Sleepover,” which pulled in just $4.2 million at the box office this weekend.

“It’s all a question of economics,” Rozen says. “If you can make a tween film for $30 million that does well, they’re going to keep making more of them.”

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THE TEEN DRAMA QUEENS

HILARY DUFF

Age: 16 
Breakthrough role: The lead role on the TV series “Lizzie McGuire” (2001). 
Her films: “Agent Cody Banks” (2003), “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (2003), “Cheaper by the Dozen” (2003), “A Cinderella Story” (2004). 
Upcoming projects: “Raise Your Voice” (2004), “The Perfect Man” (2004) and “Outward Blonde” (2005). 
Arch nemesis: Though she claims they’re cool now, insiders say she and Lindsay Lohan have no love lost for each other. They both shared the same man, er, boy — Aaron Carter, 16. 
Boyfriend: Now that she’s kicked two-timing Carter to the curb, Duff’s a free agent. Last spotted making out with Good Charlotte lead singer Joel Madden, 25, who apparently doesn’t know the meaning of the term “jailbait.” 
Aspirations: To be a famous singer. Her 2003 album “Metamorphosis” debuted at No. 2. She and older sister Haylie duet on a remake of the Go-Gos’ “Our Lips Are Sealed.” 

LINDSAY LOHAN

Age: 18 
Breakthrough role: Playing twins in the remake of “The Parent Trap” (1998). 
Her films: “Freaky Friday” (2003), “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” (2004) and “Mean Girls” (2004). 
Upcoming projects: Lohan has four films scheduled for 2005: “Fashionistas,” “Gossip Girl,” “Dramarama” and “Herbie: Fully Loaded.” 
Arch nemesis: Though she claims they’re cool now, insiders say she and Duff have no love lost for each other. They both shared the same man, er, boy — Aaron Carter, 16. 
Boyfriend: Wilmer Valderrama, 24. 
Aspirations: To be a singer. She just landed a recording contract. 

MANDY MOORE 

Age: 20 
Breakthrough role: Playing a dying teen in “A Walk to Remember” (2002). 
Her films: “The Princess Diaries” (2001), “Chasing Liberty” (2004) and “Saved!” (2004). 
Upcoming projects: “Romance & Cigarettes” (2004), “Safety Glass” (2004) and “Racing Stripes” (2005). 
Arch nemesis: Doesn’t have any. She’s even friends with Kelly Osbourne. 
Boyfriend: Let’s hope rumors aren’t true she’s dating Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, 39. Lohan’s boyfriend Valderrama also dated Moore when she was a teenager. 
Aspirations: To perform on Broadway. 

ANNE HATHAWAY 

Age: 21 
Breakthrough role: Playing Meghan Green on the 1999 TV series “Get Real.” 
Her films: “Princess Diaries” (2001), “The Other Side of Heaven” (2001), “Nicholas Nickleby” (2002), “Ella Enchanted” (2004) and “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” (2004). 
Upcoming projects: “Havoc” (2004) and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). 
Arch nemesis: None. 
Boyfriend: You tell us! 
Aspirations: To have a long career as more than just another teen queen.