Grace Unplugged

An Alabama teenager (AJ Michalka) rebels against her ex-rocker, born-again father (James Denton) and runs away to Los Angeles to break into the music business, where she finds her commitment to “the God thing” put to the test. Written and directed by Brad J. Silverman, this earnest little Sunday-school movie has sincerity going for it, plus decent performances, especially from old pro Kevin Pollak as Michalka's producer. On the other hand, the songs (both spiritual and secular) are nothing special, the movie tilts into awkward preachiness, and Silverman's flat direction renders both background and characters as untextured as Stash Slionski's flat photography. Michalka, as singer and actress, is pleasant enough, but it's hard to believe, even in today's Hollywood, that she'd be hailed as the wonder of the age.