Cadet Kelly
Presented by the producers of Private Benjamin, Cadet Kelly is the story of a young teenage girl's dilemma when her life of free-spirited creativity and unmasked familial love collides with a world of extreme military discipline and reserve. Kelly Collins, played by Hilary Duff, is a happy student at New York Middle School of the Arts whose whole world changes dramatically when her mother marries an army captain who's just been promoted to Commandant at George Washington Military Academy. Thrust into a rigid world of obedience that frowns upon creativity and individuality, Kelly manages to make one close friend, but clashes with Cadet Captain Stone (Christy Carlson Romano) and is eventually court-martialled. Sentenced to maintain the equipment for the drill team, Kelly's disdain for the team suddenly evaporates when she glimpses the beauty and creativity involved in their precise maneuvers. Eventually, Kelly experiences significant personal growth, finds an outlet for her creativity, and begins to forge an important connection with her new stepfather. --Tami Horiuchi

Life Size
Unhappy and lonely after her mother's death, Casey (Lindsay Lohan) attempts to resurrect her mother, but a minor mishap changes the results of her spell and brings an unwanted doll named Eve (Tyra Banks) to life instead. Eve is elated when she first encounters the smells and flavours of real life, but is shocked to realize that she's not the perfect role model she's always considered herself to be. Casey initially despises Eve--she never wanted this doll in the first place and now she's ruined her chances of bringing her mother back to life. But as Eve grows, she brings out the best in Casey, encouraging her to renew old friendships and spurring personal growth and healing. Even Casey's father (Jere Burns) rises above his grief and builds a better relationship with his daughter as a result of his interaction with Eve. This is an entertaining, 89-minute video that juxtaposes the stresses and disappointments of the real world, with their accompanying potential for pers! onal growth, against what initially appears to be a stereotypically idyllic world. What makes the movie powerful is its suggestion that that ideal world is inherently flawed. Performances by Lindsay Lohan (The Parent Trap), supermodel Tyra Banks (Higher Learning), and Jere Burns (US television's Something So Right) are very good. The story, while based on a fairly unreal premise, successfully explores some very real issues facing kids today. --Tami Horiuchi