Synopsis

After the death of her older brother, small-town singer Terri Fletcher secretly leaves Arizona for a summer program at a Los Angeles performing arts academy. There, she faces demanding instructors, talented classmates, a new romance, and the pressure of hiding her enrollment from her disapproving father. As Terri develops her confidence, music becomes a way to confront her grief and honor her brother's memory.

Factoids & Trivia

• The project originally had Evan Rachel Wood and Jonathan Jackson attached to play the central young characters. Production changes led to their departures, along with Annie Potts and the original director, and the story's setting was changed from New York City to Los Angeles.

• Principal photography took place from January through April 2004. Locations included Flagstaff, Arizona, Santa Clarita, the Los Angeles County Music Center, and the Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home in Los Angeles.

• The theatrical version runs approximately 103 minutes, while the DVD version runs 107 minutes and includes deleted and extended scenes, outtakes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and an interactive music game.

• Hilary Duff performs "Someone's Watching Over Me," "Jericho," and "Fly" in connection with the film. The songs also helped link the movie to her 2004 self-titled album.

• The film earned about $14.9 million worldwide against an estimated $15 million budget. It later received nominations for a Golden Reel Award for music-related sound editing and an Artios Award for casting.