The flick, ‘Material Girls’ has generally met with criticism shall we say not intended to bolster the spirit of the filmmaker and cast. This movie is far from something that will appear during award season or be scholastically considered in film schools by budding auteurs but it does achieve one of the primary purposes for motion pictures; it provides an enjoyable diversion from the tedium of the day. It is also geared towards a younger, predominantly female audience which is a demographic without a lot of overlap with film cinematic critical community. Aside from being lighthearted fun for tween girls the movie actually manifests several well defined archetypes and situations commonly found in literature and film. ‘Material Girls’ is not great by any means but it also is undeserving of the level of criticism generally received. It is difficult for an adult mind to attempt to view something so as to appreciate it for qualities foreign to one’s personal mindset but in cases such as this an attempt should be made in order to properly justify the consideration of the movie in question. With that said this flick is, from the grown up perspective, pleasant and watchable but a young girl might see it in far better light. When my daughter was around seven I took her to a live show of the then popular ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. She immediately joined with the crowd chanting the theme song. She was having the time of her life but I felt like I stumbled into some grade school cult. I got through that experience the same way I got through this film; determining whether it met its goals as entertainment for the target analytical criteria and the point is the flick did work on that level. Of course after my screening I was compelled to watch several films by Christopher Nolan just to revive the adult level mental processes since my daughter has long outgrown the age group sought after by this piece.

Our society is obsessed with celebrity to the point that television is glutted with programs featuring regular people striving for that proverbial fifteen minutes of fame or other outlets providing the public with minute details of the lives of those for some reason or another are deemed celebrities. Unlike the olden days talent is no longer required to reach such a status in the public eye, addition, salacious behavior or the combination of wealth and narcissistic personality is now sufficient to warrant intense public scrutiny. The latter condition fits the profile of the titular sisters depicted in this film, the Marchetta sisters, Tanzie (Hilary Duff) and Ava (Haylie Duff). They are fabulously wealthy and generally devoid of concern for anyone not blessed to be them. They have always gotten their own way completely and immediately never having to earn anything on their own. They relish in their roles as celebutantes bathing in the adoration of millions and the ease in obtaining their slightest whim. They did nothing to earn a penny of the money they so readily spend, on themselves. The funds are derived from the source of the family fortune, a prestigious cosmetics house. This business has always been the limitless source of funding for their extravagant lifestyles until one day the well of plenty suddenly went dry.

The underlying plot device is a very familiar one; the humbling of the mighty. While the public in general enjoys living vicariously through the voyeuristic gluttony that drives the tabloids there is also a component of resentment over how such privilege is wasted on the undeserving and unappreciative. Many stories embrace this all so human dichotomy; the love-hate relationship the average person has with these of the silver spoon contingent. Such stories are founded in the perennial class distinction that is quiet alive and well even in these modern, enlightened times. If you believe that statement is wrong try to set next to the CEO in the company dining hall. You know why you can’t; he’s upstairs in the executive dining hall, a place you could never enter. The two factors exploited here is the tendency to enjoying seeing the privileged toppled off their exalted perch and the success of the underdog. This requires the Marchetta sisters duly humbled. This is accomplished with a two prong attack. First, there is a major scandal casting a shadow over the integrity of their cosmetics. This threatens to tank the stocks ruining the company. This has the immediate effect of freezing the family assets. The second hit is a fire in the family home destroying a lot of their material goods. The girls manage to rescue some of their precious clothing although Tanzie saves her father’s TiVo. The main competitor to the business, Fabiella (Anjelica Huston), offers a buyout that would bring the girls $60 million each but loss the company their late father built. Inspired by a movie they decide to reclaim the family honor and business by uncovering the source of the ruinous rumors.

The film depends a lot on the adorable index of Hillary Duff and her real life sister Haylie. The pair did record a couple of music videos to promote this flick and their image is a refreshing change from the typical child star grown up. It is nice to see a former child star with publicity still instead of a head shot and the Duff girls have managed to keep their noses clean and legs crossed. This bubbly personality and innate talents keep the film afloat at least if you are a tween girl.

Posted04/07/11