Director:
Andy Cadiff

Category: Comedy

Cast:
Mandy Moore
Matthew Goode
Mark Harmon
Annabella Sciorra

Official URL:

http://www.chasingliberty.com

Country: USA
Rating: PG-13
Studio Name: Warner Bros.
Running Time: 1 hr 42 mins
Release Date: January 9, 2004

Critics's Rating:
(2 Reels) 

January 9, 2004

By Veronica Mixon

You have to applaud pop singer turned actress Mandy Moore for her wholesomeness especially since other pop divas have tossed away their innocence in exchange for black mascara and leather kinkiness. She's also a good actress and it looks like she'll continue to play nice girls for a while longer. In Chasing Liberty , Moore stars as Anna Foster, an 18-year-old spoiled teenager who has the usual problems with over-protective parents who ignore her desire for privacy. The big difference is that Anna is the daughter of the President of the United States (Mark Harmon) and she's tired of being shadowed by the Secret Service. So, when she accompanies her parents to Europe, she decides to ditch the Secret Service agents, Weiss (Jeremy Piven) and Morales (Annabella Sciorra). She hitches a ride with a backpacking Brit, Ben Calder (Matthew Goode), who unbeknownst to her, is an undercover agent working for her dad. In a burst of inspiration, the President decides to let Anna go backpacking with Ben because he'll know exactly what she's up to.

"Chasing Liberty" is a light, fluffy romantic comedy that wears thin quickly as the spoiled Anna whines throughout the movie. The only edge to the film is Anna's blossoming randy aspirations toward Ben and her partying with a friend who has a pierced tongue. This isn't "Thirteen!" Of course, Mandy Moore's fans will be pleased. The dark-haired big bone beauty is fetching.

Anyway, the best thing about the film is tall, dark and handsome Matthew Goode! Wow! I haven't been this blown away since my first sighting of Mel Gibson. And, his husky voice will give the ladies jelly legs too. I'm definitely looking forward to his future work! Otherwise, the cutesy romance between Weiss and Morales, the bungee jumping, the lusty Italian momma - all routine stuff in a Disney-style romance. "Chasing Liberty" also is much too long but I'm sure the teenage girls who flock to this film won't notice.

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