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When I was younger, I REALLY wanted to be a pop star. I had no musical talent whatsoever, but I couldn’t help but think about how awesome it would be to go on a singing competition show like American Idol or America’s Got Talent. As I got older, I learned about some of the things contestants on these kinds of shows will endure – from shady contracts, to having their image completely manipulated. Everyone pays a different price for fame… the price just happens to be an afterthought to most.
In Teen Spirit, Elle Fanning plays Violet Valenski, a Polish teenager who lives on the Isle of Wight and dreams of making it big as a singer. Violet lives a pretty uneventful life, going to school and working at a restaurant. She lives with her single mother (played by Agnieszka Grochowska). When she can, she sneaks out to sing at a pub.
One night, Violet catches the attention of Vlad (played by Zlatko Burić). Vlad encourages her to sign up for the “Teen Spirit” singing competition, which is set to be televised globally.
Being a former Opera singer, Vlad sees potential in Violet. He signs Violet into the competition as her guardian, and vows to serve as her manager if she wins. He coaches her throughout the competition and tries to steer her away from negative influences that could tarnish her success.
Teen Spirit is filled with tons of today’s biggest bops, a few being sung by Elle herself. She auditions for the competition by singing “Lights” by Ellie Goulding (and that had me like “yes, get it kweeeeeen”).
Let’s face it, the story is quite predictable. The underdog gets their big break, and gets a taste of fame. The desire to seize any opportunity that could help launch or advance in your career path is real. It takes courage to start the journey, and even more to continue. Violet is mocked by some of her peers, and faces pressure from her mother who is somewhat doubtful about whether things will work out for her daughter.
But no matter how many times I’ve heard similar stories, they just don’t get old. This one just happens to feature an amazing soundtrack.
Check out the trailer for Teen Spirit below!
Teen Spirit is now open in theaters everywhere, and is rated PG-13.
