I had heard so many horror stories about this flick, that I was almost prepared to hate it. I was pleasantly suprised when I actually sat down and watched it. Christian Bale is fantastic, even if his singing needs a bit of work. The story is a bit predictable, and the songs kinda lame, but the charming cast really makes up for it. "Doogie Howser's" Max Casella is always enjoyable, but cannot match the charisma of Bale.