Though not exactly something to shout about, Hilary Duff's Raise Your Voice is a tuneful, soulful youth melodrama.

Essentially a sanitized version of Fame, it sets its story during a summer session at a performing arts school in Los Angeles.

Duff is Terri Fletcher, a wholseome small-town girl who sings in the school and church choirs and composes her own music at home.

Terri's dream is to attend a performing arts school the summer before her graduation, hoping to win a coveted scholarship to the school's regular semesters.

Terri's dad Simon (David Keith), however, is adamant she's not rushing off to that big sinful city -- she's to stay and work in the family's restaurant. Terri's mom (Rita Wilson) is too mousey to intervene, but her brother Paul (Jason Ritter) and eccentric aunt Nina (Rebecca De Mornay) conspire to get her there.

Terri's voice and spirit are temporarily silenced after a series of unfortunate events, but she gets accepted to the school where her only real ally is Jay (Oliver James), the sexiest kid at school who forsakes the class vixen for Terri.

Raise Your Voice gives Duff another chance to play a contemporary Cinderella, but she still isn't able to find real character depth. Then again, the script doesn't demand much of her.

The supporting cast works overtime and John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) is especially hilarious as the rakish voice teacher.

Raise Your Voice knows its audience and plays up the positivity with the melodrama.

(This film is rated PG)

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