TORONTO – There have been a number of unexpected news reports about “The Deb,” the feature directorial debut of Rebel Wilson, over the past few months. Wilson has been in a war of words with the producers of the indie production since July. The comedy star posted to her 11 million followers on Instagram to denounce the producers for attempting to stop the movie from being selected as the closing night film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Despite a seemingly still ongoing defamation case against Wilson from said producers, “The Deb” made it to Toronto. And, in a surprise, especially for a TIFF closer, the movie ain’t bad.
Adapted from Hannah Reilly’s Australian Theatre for Young People 2022 stage production, “The Deb” is a familiar flip on the teenage fish out of water story. Maeve (Charlotte Macinnes) is one of the most popular girls at her Sydney Secondary School (that’s High School for North Americans). Obsessed with her social media following, she crosses a line attempting to make a political point at a school rally. Not only is she effectively canceled by her fellow students, but her mother, also the head of the school, expels her and sends her to live with her cousin in the boondocks of Australia. A town so small the bus drops her off in the middle of nowhere.
Maeve’s cousin, Taylah (Natalie Abbott), is the sweetest thing who dreams of attending The Deb, short for an old-school Debutante Ball, but also the ire of the local mean girls clique led by Annabelle (Stevie Jean). Morally offended by the town’s obsession with The Deb, Maeve decides to interview different members of the town for a future podcast about the event. Meanwhile, Taylah’s widower dad, Rick (Shane Jacobson), can barely pay his bills while juggling being mayor of a community desperate for irrigation funds from the Government. Oh, and there is the spinster-y seamstress Shell (Tara Morice), whose existence seems dedicated to putting on The Deb for an increasingly ungrateful pack of teenage girls (not to mention their parents).
It’s easy to see where this is all going, especially when the too-cool-for-school Dusty (Costa D’Angelo) arrives on the scene to break down Maeve’s big city emotional guardrails. And, to be fair, the movie never tries to hide any of its comforting predictability. Wilson is attempting to make a homage to ’90s Aussie comedies such as “Murial’s Wedding” or “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” Those classics, however, were decidedly sophisticated despite their broad appeal. Wilson does an admirable job, but the material is too formulaic and overstuffed with tangential storylines to reach those lofty heights. Luckily, Wilson has the cast and the music at her disposal.
The numbers kick off with “FML,” a fun banger that immediately informs the audience this is a movie musical and it won’t be hiding it. The rest of Meg Washington and Hannah Reilly‘s songs are simply stellar. “In The Spotlight” and “Ugly” evoke pop-musical sensibilities (think “Six: The Musical”) and “Pretty Strong” is a euphoric closer that almost makes you forgive the over-stuffed narrative you’ve endured to get there.
The movie’s other secret weapons are Abbott and Macinnes who exude big-screen charisma. Not only can they sing – Abbott, in particular, has a voice that utterly captivates- but the newcomers are talented enough to almost carry the film when it needs it the most (emphasis on “almost”). And, when the cast is singing or dancing, they are shining front and center.
Wilson, who also plays Annabelle’s mother slash music manager slash the town’s hairdresser has a rare “additional writing” credit at the beginning of the film. There may have been simply too much added to the original screenplay and her character for comfort. Wilson’s schtick is sometimes laughable but often wears out its welcome. “The Deb” is absolutely an example of where the less is more mantra could have uplifted the entire endeavor.
Despite a few too many storylines and Wilson’s comedic indulgence, the musical numbers are often inspired and pack a punch. Wilson proves she can direct the musical aspect of the movie, at least. And, boy, these Aussie kids, er, legal age twentysomething adults can sing. [C]
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