The Lizzie McGuire Movie

The Lizzie McGuire Movie is a comedy film based on the Disney television show Lizzie McGuire which was released on May 2, 2003, by Walt Disney Pictures. The movie follows main character Lizzie (played by Hilary Duff) as she graduates from junior high school and goes on a class trip to Rome.

The movie opened to mixed reviews from critics, but reached number two in the United States box office on release in early May 2003. Filming of this film was finished by late 2002.

Plot
After graduating from junior high, Lizzie flies off on a class trip to Rome.

The movie opens to Lizzie getting ready for junior high school graduation while her younger brother (Matt) mischievously spies on her with a radio controlled toy truck fitted with a video camera. This is during the credits, during which viewers are expected to overlook Lizzie's failure to notice the truck following her around while she prepares. We are also introduced to Lizzie's pink-garbed animated alter ego who expresses everything Lizzie can't say aloud. This episode sets the tone for a series of embarrassments that are to follow.

Before the 15-minute mark, she is photographed falling into the tub (clothed); her former best friend, Kate, who has been an enemy is infuriated with Lizzie for wearing the same dress (under her graduation gown). She is forced to make a speech in place of the valedictorian (even though she "only handled the money" in the Student Council) with no notice by a demeaning teacher. Then Lizzie trips on the backdrop, which topples over everyone on stage, the footage was secretly sent in to Good Morning America by her younger brother, although made more popular internationally by CNN.

When Lizzie arrives at the airport with her family, her new high school prinicipal appears driving in a cart, blowing a whistle. She insults parents and students alike using a communications headset connected to a portable P.A. system. She plainly listens to nobody and even calls Lizzie's "best guy friend" (Gordo) "a sneaky brownnoser with a hidden agenda", and it goes downhill from there. In a nod to the contemporary The Lord of the Rings, the principal calls her students Halflings (i.e. hobbits) during the trip, emphasizing the power imbalance she's able to maintain.

In the hotel, in Rome, Kate Sanders is assigned as Lizzie's roommate. She then seems to offer to understand Lizzie's desire to avoid embarrassment and realize her dreams, only to irritate Lizzie the moment she lured her in by saying, "You can't do it alone. In fact, I don't think you can do it at all."

After the principal takes them to the famous Trevi Fountain, she calls anyone who makes a wish there a sucker. Lizzie throws a coin over her head into the fountain. Her wish is seemingly answered immediately when a handsome Italian 17-year-old greets her. He turns out to be a famous European pop star named Paolo (played by Yani Gellman), and Lizzie looks just like his also famous girlfriend, Isabella (also played by Hilary Duff), except their hair is a different color (Lizzie is a blonde and Isabella is a brunette). They meet again while touring the city, and fans rush up, calling Lizzie "Isabella" and posing for pictures. Paolo asks her to meet him again and then kisses her hand (the picture makes the front page of a tabloid later on). Lizzie sees a billboard showing Paolo embracing fellow singing sensation Isabella, but Paolo tells Lizzie that he and Isabella have broken up.

Gordo suggests that they "seek adventure together" and that Lizzie goes first (as he had sacrificed wishing at the fountain). He suggests that she play sick the next day, to sneak away from the group. Lizzie gives Gordo a little kiss, after which Ethan Craft (Gordo's roommate) pops into the room and suggests Gordo likes Lizzie more than a friend and that he move the relationship along; Gordo demurs, saying he just likes Lizzie as a friend. The next day, Lizzie and Paolo dash off for a musical interlude on a motorbike, while Paolo's bodyguard follows in a Mercedes convertible. Paolo convinces Lizzie to pretend to be Isabella at "The International Music Video Awards" that will be televised worldwide.

Lizzie continues to pretend to be sick the next day, and drives off with Paolo (this time not tracked by his bodyguard) to an expensive dress shop. Gordo, meanwhile, sees Lizzie's picture on an Italian magazine and trades an introduction to his roommate to two Italian girls for it (and a promised translation). Lizzie then gets a makeover, orchestrated by a the owner of the dress shop with a scary little dog.

Just when her scheme is about to be discovered, Gordo sacrifices himself, telling the chaperone that Lizzie has been covering for him. Gordo is kicked off the trip. But, just as he's about to board the plane home, he sees the real Isabella at the airport and discovers the truth about Paolo. Gordo and Isabella race to the music event to stop Paolo from making a fool of Lizzie on stage. Paolo's plan was to show the world that Isabella couldn't sing, when in truth it was Paolo that was the bad singer and lip-synched while performing. Isabella and Gordo pull the plug on Paolo's mike, exposing him, and Lizzie ends up singing "What Dreams Are Made Of" (the "theme song" of the film) in front of the huge audience inside the Colosseum with her parents and classmates cheering her on in the crowd while Gordo stands backstage and watches Lizzie perform.

Later at the hotel, the characters celebrate. Matt tries to sell his video footage to an Italian reporter, but the reporter replies "When in Rome...We do not blackmail our older sisters," and he tosses the video into a fountain. Meanwhile, Paolo's now ex-bodyguard Sergei has formed a new relationship with the high school prinicipal. Lizzie and Gordo sneak away from the after party and go up to the roof to talk. First he took the fall for her, and then he saved her from embarrassing herself in front of the whole world. Now Lizzie kisses Gordo, something that many fans had been hoping to see. The film ends with the both of them returning to the after party because they can't afford getting into more trouble.

Box office
The movie was a welcome surprise hit for the studio. Opening weekend, TLMM ranked in a solid $17.3 million playing in 2,825 theaters before leaving theaters with a 42.7 million total. Because the show was less known outside of the U.S., the international box office was mediocre at best and the film ended up with $55,534,455 worldwide.

Trivia

 * At the beginning of the movie, Lizzie is lip-synching to "The Tide Is High", sung by British girl group Atomic Kitten (originally recorded by The Paragons).
 * Characters missing from the movie who were regularly seen in the TV series: Miranda, Claire, and Lanny.
 * Lalaine Vergara (Miranda Sanchez) did not appear in the film for reasons that have never been fully explained and have been the subject of much fan speculation. (She was also absent from the last few episodes of the TV series to be filmed. This could have however been due to the fact that they wanted to build up the relationship of Lizzie and Gordo) Her character's absence was explained by saying that she was in Mexico City on vacation.
 * The original title of the movie was "Ciao, Lizzie!".
 * The movie marked the end of the television series.
 * The film was shot on location in Rome.
 * This movie was originally planned for release in March 2003.
 * Lizzie's full name is Elizabeth, and Isabella, the name of her lookalike, is an Italian form of Elizabeth.
 * Diane Sawyer is mentioned at the airport by Lizzie's father. The quote reads: "Who would want to send Diane Sawyer a videotape to embarrass you like that?"
 * When Lizzie and Paolo are in the vespa, it is a reference to Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn.
 * The airport featured in the film is actually Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located near Vancouver, British Columbia.
 * The scene of the fictional concert at the Colosseum was filmed at the Stadio Olimpico.
 * There was originally going to be a sequel to this movie but Hilary Duff and her mother/manager were making too many demands and eventually the whole project was dropped.
 * On "The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack", it says that Haylie Duff's song "Girl In The Band" and Vitamin C's song "Volare" aren't in the film, but at the end when everyone is looking for Lizzie and Ethan has his headphones on, he's listening to Duff's song, and when Paolo takes Lizzie on the vespa, Vitamin C's song is playing in the background.
 * When the Disney Channel premiered the movie, they cut out the word "God" when anyone said it.
 * During Disney Channel's So Hot Summer! 2006, this movie won the first "Click It to Pick It" movie showdown. It beat the film The Princess Diaries.
 * In the episode "Co-Dependent's Day" of The Simpsons, Homer and Marge watch The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
 * In an episode of Will and Grace, Will makes a reference to Grace having wanted to see The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
 * The music credits includes "Edgar Elgar", which is a misspelling of Edward Elgar.
 * The film debuted on The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC on Friday, January 19, 2007.
 * This was Disney's first feature-length live-action/traditionally-animated film since 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Cultural References
In the The Simpsons episode "Co-Dependent's Day", Marge and Homer go on a booze-filled  trip to many movies, and feel fine when they watch Barfly and The Days of Wine and Roses, but feel sick after watching this movie.

Crew

 * Director: Jim Fall
 * Writers: Susan Estelle Jansen, Ed Decter, & John J. Stauss
 * Producer: Stan Rogow
 * Co-producer: Susan Estelle Jansen
 * Executive Producers: David Roessell & Terri Minsky