[6]

Molly Shannon is one of the funnier women to come out of Saturday Night Live the last few decades. If you agree, you’ll probably find Superstar moderately entertaining. If not, this formulaic comedy could be a rough slog for you. Shannon is reprising her SNL role of Mary Katherine Gallagher, a socially awkward Catholic school girl in search of superstardom and a wet face plant with the boy of her dreams. Will Ferrell plays the dream boy, as well as God in a handful of scenes, while Harland Williams plays the more attainable romantic conquest. No surprises in the script, really — there’s a talent show that must be won, a blonde bitch competitor (Elaine Hendrix), a grumpy grandma with a change of heart (Glynis Johns), and Gallagher of course comes to realize that seeking fame for fame’s sake is a bad thing… sort of. The movie is best during moments that break from the routine. Highlights include Gallagher’s make-out sessions with a tree, a spontaneous ‘robot’ dance number in the school cafeteria, and a conversation Gallagher has with herself in the mirror about what to do with her imaginary giant breasts. Directed by Bruce McCulloch (Kids in the Hall).