Lemonade Mouth

Another cannily constructed Disney Channel franchise in the making, Lemonade Mouth is based on the same-titled 2007 novel by Mark Peter Hughes and combines elements from High School Musical, Glee, Camp Rock, and The Breakfast Club. From the ragtag group of misfit teens who find empowerment through their music to the stereotypical portrayals of buffoonish faculty, there isn't a note here that hasn't been played before. The setting is yet another high school where the jocks rule and a villainous principal (Christopher McDonald) relegates all culture-related clubs to the basement. Five students meet in detention, discover a musical bond, and are encouraged by the music teacher (Tisha Campbell-Martin) to form a band, which they name Lemonade Mouth. In addition to facing the derision of the jocks (who have a competing musical group), each kid grapples with personal issues—Stella (Hayley Kiyoko) is new to the school, Wen (Adam Hicks) is upset that his recently divorced dad is dating a younger woman, Mohini's (Naomi Scott) traditional parents frown on extracurricular activities, Charlie (Blake Michael) has a much-admired older brother who's a soccer star, and Olivia (Bridgit Mendler) is living with her grandmother after her mother's death and is hiding a family secret. Trite though it may be, filmmaker Patricia Riggen's Lemonade Mouth was the most-watched cable TV movie of the year to date. A strong optional purchase. (D. Liebenson)