This is a lovely little story with lots of comedy and drama in equal measure. Ashley Rickards is wonderful as Bethany Pruitt, the sheltered, home-schooled protagonist of this film. Her character is the most fully-realized and best-acted in the cast. The rest are more like archetypes of characters, achieved with varying degrees of success. The mother is definitely over-protective but over-acted,the father is a barely-there character, and the father's boyfriend, played by poor Haley Joel Osment, is more a mocking caricature of a young, gay man that an actual live person. What gets you though are the small moments: the first time Bethany says hello to the hot Mexican boy across the street; Bethany's firing from Michael Paul's store because "some people are afraid of change"; Behtany's unadulterated excitement at getting accepted into fashion school. You are with her every step of the way. I just wish the supporting roles were a little stronger, more developed as individuals instead of types. The movie would have been a true sleeper hit.
Review of Sassy Pants
