Review: Spears' 'Crossroads' A Dead-End Street

Laughter Comes At Unusual Moments

'Crossroads' (PG-13) (out of four)

If Britney Spears thinks her career is truly at a crossroads, she better considering turning around and going back to her day job.

For the lack of better words, her new dramedy "Crossroads" is a dead-end street. It's a monumentally stupid coming-of-age tale that goes nowhere but from bad to worse. Spears' acting, for the most part, is laugh-out-loud funny, but the problem is, it comes at moments in the film that aren't meant to be comedic.

You know it's especially bad when the preview audience I screened the film with laughed at and mocked Spears' musical performances in the film (she sings along with tunes by Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, and more, but those moments are meant to be lighthearted) . And while I really don't follow her career with great interest, isn't singing supposed to be her strongest asset? If so, this film is signaling the beginning of the end of her career.

"Crossroads" tells the story of Lucy (Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana), and Mimi (Tamryn Manning), three childhood friends who have grown up and grown apart. But thanks to a pact they made as kids, the three friends gather to dig up a hope chest the eve of their graduation from high school.

And while they don't embrace in sorrow of days of their youth gone by, they make a strong enough reconnection to make a cross-country trek with a "bad boy" musician (Anson Mount) to an audition in Los Angeles. But the friends don't realize they are also on a road to self-discovery and might learn new things about each other, too.

Apart from her singing, Spears not surprisingly takes ample opportunity to show off her well-toned body in "Crossroads." The problem is, because she's sold through the pop music world as a singer with huge sex appeal, it makes her her own worst enemy when trying to portray a different image.

In "Crossroads," she plays sweet and innocent, and again, while I'm not a fan, I've certainly seen enough of her cola commercials and music videos to say I'm not buying it. Of course, any great actor can make you suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours, but for Spears and her counterparts in "Crossroads," well, it just seems like they are reading lines. There's no real emotion involved, with the exception of one brief crying scene by Spears.

Apart from an admirable turn by relative newcomer Mount ("Urban Legends: Final Cut"), it's obvious that director Tamra Davis ("Billy Madison") tried to build a solid foundation for her less experienced actors to fall back on by casting veterans Dan Aykroyd and Kim Cattrall ("Sex and the City"), as Lucy's estranged parents. But even that didn't work.

Aykroyd is likable, but just far too forgiving (thus unbelievable) for a parent whose daughter just ups and leaves on a cross-country trip without telling him; as for Cattrall -- well, the reason she got any cast billing in the first place is a mystery. She's in the film for one brief scene, and barely utters any lines.

Now I know I'm setting myself up for some huge flack from Spears' fans for giving my honest opinion about "Crossroads," but the truth is, the shortcomings probably won't matter to those 14 and under (although parents should be advised of mature sexual themes). Above that, though, get ready for something that is so bad that it's good. You'll likely come out of "Crossroads" with a smile on your face, but certainly not for the reasons Spears intended.

See Britney Spears on Oprah Show

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