[.ca] Superstar (ISBN 6305776369)

From Amazon.com:
Molly Shannon, the latest Saturday Night Live comic to have a movie built around her, isn't exactly funny--in fact, she's a little unsettling. Her creation, the neurotic Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher, invites laughter because she's a little too close to the bone for anyone who grew up feeling ugly and unloved, which is a lot of people. Mary lives with her grandmother (Glynis Johns), who insists that Mary study business. Mary herself yearns to be famous and admired, though for what isn't exactly clear; she envisions some vague combination of singing, dancing, and acting that will make her a superstar. A talent show promises to be her ticket to stardom (the winning prize is a role in "a movie with positive moral values"), and she won't let her loser status or any hostile cheerleaders stand in her way. Meanwhile, Mary acts out dating fantasies with trees and signposts, envisions the school lunch room bursting into a Fame-like dance number, and longs for the biggest jock in school. What makes Superstar more than just a collection of bad high school memories is that, though the formulaic plot redeems Mary, the movie as a whole isn't so sure. Mary completely loses herself in her obsessive fantasies--many inspired by cheesy made-for-TV movies--but there's always someone watching, aghast, as Mary acts out her inner thoughts. Is she misunderstood or freakish? Superstar never commits to one side or the other, which makes it both comic and uncomfortable. --Bret Fetzer

Unwatchable. Disgusting.:
This movie had EXTREMELY bad humor, EXTREMELY bad acting, and was seriously insulting. It insulted my religin and kids with mental disabilities. My sister is autistic. This movie is unwatchable- I could hardly bear watching. They tried too hard to be funny, and turned out STUPID. Never watch this. Bad words, bad humor, bad- everything! The sexual jokes were really bad and disgusting. How could this have actully made it to the big screen? And if you think I sound old-ladyish, then I'll just let you know: I'm 13.

This movie was truly funny and uplifting:
Like several other reviewers, I found this movie funny and entertaining. It was very light with lots of humor. This is a great movie to watch on a rainy day or when you are feeling down and out needing a picker upper. Many high school girls dream of one day being superstars and/or fantasizing about that first true romantic kiss. These are some of the things portrayed in the movie with lots of humor.

Luv it:
I'll admit, this movie is kinda bad. But it's one of those movies, that's really bad and stupid and just so ridiculous...that you love it (Like "A Night at the Roxbury"). I first saw this with my best friend at a sleepover when we were totally high on sugar, soda and ice-cream (the best time to watch this movie, by the way...), and it became an instant sleepover classic. I suggest this movie for the slightly insane (I'm nuts and I'm proud)

How can you not love Mary Katherine Gallagher?:
The real Superstar is Molly Shannon, who never gets enough credit for her comedic and bona fide acting skills. It's great to have the always-funny Will Ferrell (as well as Harland Williams, one of my favorite comics) alongside her for the ride, but her portrayal of Mary Katherine Gallagher is all you really need to laugh it up for the 80 or so minutes of this SNL skit - turned full-fledged movie. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be one of the lucky people who were always cool and made great sport of putting the Mary Katherine Gallaghers of the world down. I'll never know because Mary Katherine is definitely "my people," a unique character who suffers the insults and humiliations of life among her cooler, prettier peers even as she dreams of having just a taste of the kind of life they take for granted. In the context of this movie, what Mary Katherine yearns for is a real slobber-knocker of a kiss -- and, like all of us losers, she falls for the most popular guy/girl in school. In other words, she does not have an easy row to hoe. She is realistic enough to realize that the likes of Sky Corrigan (Ferrell) isn't going to drop the head cheerleader and come smooching her way any time soon (even after he tells her she has some nice moves). No, she thinks the only way she can get the hunky guy is to emulate her Hollywood heroines and become a -- wait for it -- Superstar! And just when she thinks she's exhausted all of her options, along comes a school talent show (with the winner getting the part of an extra in a morally positive film in Hollywood) that just might be the answer to her prayers. Winning the talent show would definitely impress Sky, she tells herself. To make her dreams come true, she's going to have to talk her grandmother into letting her audition, scratch and claw her way through a catfight or two with the head cheerleader (who also happens to be Sky's girlfriend), and overcome several other less than surprising obstacles in her way. She does have some help, though -- from her fellow Special Education students, her new best friend, and even her own personal image of Jesus (also played by Will Ferrell). Yes, it's oftentimes low-brow humor, especially in terms of the whole armpit thing, but somehow Mary Katherine's story always manages to remain above the fray of tastelessness and vapidity. There's a little (or maybe even a lot) of Mary Katherine Gallagher in many of us, and there is actually a good story in here beyond all of the jokes. The filmmakers even manage to pull off a really good ending without insulting our intelligence. This is just a fine, really funny movie.

Funny, stupid and totally escapist:
If you're a movie snob then this is NOT a movie for you. Don't even try. If, however, you are a kid at heart and want some escapism for a short while and aren't afraid of laughing at really stupid stuff then this is for YOU! I enjoy this movie and drag it out now and again and find myself laughing at the same things over and over (like when she practices kissing on a tree)and gets cuaght by a nun. Maybe you have to be a bit wacky to enjoy this movie but I have an off the wall sense of humour so it appeals to me! Pure entetainment that doesn't stretch your brain but hopefully will stretch your sides due to laughter.