Break away

I can understand why Kelly Clarkson would disavow ("Two words: contractually obligated") From Justin to Kelly, the movie musical she made with fellow "American Idol" alum Justin Guarini. 2001 it ain't.

But I was in the infinitesimal minority of critics who liked From Justin to Kelly. Here's what I wrote about it in the June 27, 2003 Isthmus:

"American Idol" dreamboats Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini star in an old-fashioned beach-blanket musical about the curse of being young, beautiful and at the top of the class system. Unlike recent anti-musicals like Chicago and Dancer in the Dark, there's nothing metatexual going on here, just unmitigated singing and dancing; however, unlike Chicago stars Renee Zellwiger and Richard Gere, Clarkson and Guarini can actually sing and dance.