Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Hollywood Stargirl’ on Disney+, A Movie That Celebrates Youthfulness And Hope

Jerry Spinelli’s 2000 novel about a carefree girl got the film treatment early in the pandemic, which was well received by critics and fans alike. The film spawned a sequel — out on Disney+ now, and not an adaptation of Spinelli’s follow-up Love, Stargirl — with the same team behind the first installment. Does it capture the same nostalgic magic?

HOLLYWOOD STARGIRL: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Picking up after the events of 2020 film Stargirl, Hollywood Stargirl chronicles Stargirl (Grace VanderWaal) and her mom Anna (Judy Greer) finding and creating a new home for themselves in Los Angeles. After her mother gets a new job as a costume designer on an LA-based film set, their family relocates and Stargirl immediately clicks with aspiring writer and director brothers Evan (Elijah Richardson) and Terrell (Tyrel Jackson Williams), and agrees to star in their movie. Along the way Stargirl befriends a retired singer Roxanne Martel and shows her how to love music again before bad news about her mom’s job threatens to rock their foundation once again.

What Will It Remind You Of?: With all of its song and dance, LA romanticism, and story about dreamers, it feels somewhat like a YA version of La La Land (without the tragic ending, of course).

Performance Worth Watching: VanderWaal is extremely charismatic at the center of the film, and her chemistry with Richardson is heartwarming.

Memorable Dialogue: The film is a celebration of youthfulness and hope, and Stargirl is a free spirit who always follows her heart. One of the most striking quotes comes near the end when Stargirl asks her curmudgeonly neighbor for advice and he warns her of the pitfalls of adulthood. “Make mistakes, but learn from them,” he says. “Don’t regret them. Because regrets are the hardest things to carry when you’re older.”

Sex and Skin: There is a very sweet romance in the film but there is nothing shown beyond a few innocent kisses.

Our Take: Watching this movie feels like a warm hug. It’s so lovely. For a premise that could easily veer into manic pixie dream girl territory with Stargirl’s eclectic vibes, writer/director Julia Hart and co-writer Jordan Horowitz manage to steer this movie away from falling into that trap. VanderWaal’s Stargirl isn’t played as odd or embarrassing, and her chemistry with Richardson really makes the film sing (pun intended). Judy Greer and Uma Thurman also show up and play ball as comforting and inspiring adult characters who aren’t above learning a thing or two about life from a teenager.

It helps that the film’s universe is filled with good, benevolent characters — even a producer taking a chance on a student film providing a $1 million budget for them to chase their dreams. The result is a film that isn’t cynical or wary about the world, but chooses to highlight the good things that can happen with a little bit of hope and belief. Even if that sentiment doesn’t feel realistic in the world we live in today, it’s nice to spend a little time being charmed by the idea. Further, it’s refreshing that the dramatic tension in the film doesn’t feel manufactured but rather appears somewhat naturally from what we know about these characters and the circumstances of their lives. It only makes the stakes higher.

As a jukebox musical, the songs also have to be catchy and emotional, and the film succeeds. Whether it’s a cover of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson or a song composed for the movie, each musical moment captures the emotional energy needed. A number at the end with VanderWaal and Thurman singing Blondie’s “Dreaming” is a standout.

Even if you have no context of the burgeoning Stargirl franchise, the movie is inviting enough to work without any prior context.

Our Call: STREAM IT. It’s bubbly and hopeful, which is exactly what we all need right now.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.