As teen star and Hilary Duff rival, Lindsay Lohan continues to amass her own sizable fan base. But ``Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen'' serves as a reminder of the limitations of star-vehicle movies.
``Confessions,'' adapted from the book by Dyan Sheldon, is all about Lindsay -- to the point that the DVD cover sports only her face in nine different poses. She's the spark plug in a story about the new girl in a suburban New Jersey high school who renames herself Lola because it's more exciting than Mary and who will do whatever it takes to remain a star in her own mind. Ooh, look at those outlandish clothes! Ooh, I can't believe she lied about having tickets for that concert! Ooh, is she really going to steal that dress from the drama department to go to that concert she doesn't even have tickets for?
``Mean Girls,'' which was far more successful, showed how much more affecting Lindsay can be with a script in which other characters challenge her with their own strong feelings and points of view. In ``Confessions,'' she plays off one thinly-drawn schoolmate, Ella (Alison Pill), a risk-averse, self-confessed square who needs Lola's instinct for trouble to push her to take chances. Think of a teen version of ``Night Shift,'' with Lindsay playing Michael Keaton to Alison's wallflowerish Henry Winkler.
``Confessions'' has its moments -- thanks to Lindsay's appeal and to memorable, if mini-, star turns by Carol Kane as a drama teacher barely holding it together and Adam Garcia as the rock star of Lindsay's dreams, who is not what he seems.
Extras include the music video, ``That Girl,'' that helped Lindsay land her own recording contract. There's also ``Confessions from the Set'' for those who want more Lindsay. But not to worry. With this star, more is surely on the way.
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CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
Starring Lindsay Lohan, Glenne Headley and Carol Kane. Directed by Sara Sugarman. PG. DVD, $29.99; VHS, $24.99. 90 min
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