Fantastic!

Excellent but underrated film

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The main plot of the film really has two strands. The first concerns one-time Degrassi student Paige Michalchuk, played by Lauren Collins, being cast in the lead role of Trixie in Jason Mewes' autobiographical film "Mewesical High" and becoming a complete diva, though she did not have too far to go. The second concerns her fellow former Degrassi student Manny Santos, played by Cassie Steele, trying to make her way to Hollywood to audition for the same role after Kevin Smith convinces her not to give up on her dream of film stardom. It's lighter than the typical "Degrassi" fare which includes school shootings, STDs, teen pregnancies, abortions, drug abuse, mental illness, cancer diagnoses and self-harming and, as such, is a welcome change of pace. It could hardly be called deep or realistic but it's great, frothy fun. "Degrassi" introduced me to Kevin Smith and I really must check out his films.However, the film's real strength lies in the excellent and more serious subplot concerning Ellie Nash, played by Stacey Farber, and Craig Manning, played by Jake Epstein, both of whom make their final appearances here. Ellie is a very sweet ex-Goth girl who is madly in love with Craig, a musician who has always been very fond of her in a platonic sense. Craig has never been Mr. Sensitivity when it comes to girls and the two of them do not have the best track record, the all time low being the time that he tried to manipulate her by saying that he loved her so she would not tell his stepfather that he was a drug addict. Due to the stress caused by her formerly alcoholic mother, Ellie used to cut herself and is still occasionally prone to depression. As such, she travels to LA with her best friend Marco to avoid dealing with the fact that her father has returned from Afghanistan with PTSD. While there, she runs into Craig and they reconnect. She hopes that she will start a relationship but is crushed when she finds out that he has a girlfriend whom he never previously mentioned to her. She later gets very drunk and, misunderstanding Craig's attempt to tell her that he had feelings for her, tried to commit suicide. With Marco's help, Craig is able to save her and he takes care of her until she returns home to see her father. At the airport, they share a passionate kiss and it is hinted that they would eventually start a relationship.Now, I admit that it is not entirely original but it's well written and very well acted by Jake Epstein and in particular Stacey Farber. They're easily the best actors on the series. Perhaps because they went to school together in real life and had known each other for about ten years at this point, the two of them have excellent chemistry. Craig and Ellie are definitely my two favourite characters on the series and they were a major part of the reason that I fell in love with it in the first place so I'm very sad to see them go. I'm a hopeless romantic who loves happy endings and, while it is left ambiguous, I like to imagine that Craig and Ellie got together and lived happily ever after as they're perfect for each other. It's a shame that Ellie is fictional as she is basically my dream girl! Unlike Craig, I'd have had the good sense to return her feelings years earlier.Overall, this is hugely enjoyable and everything that I could have hoped for from a "Degrassi" film.

I loved this movie. Hey, it's not Gone With The Wind, but it's good old fashion entertainment with lots of music and romance. I just love a good soap opera, and trust me, Degrassi is the best soap around. Must admit with some others here that Cassie Steele and Mike Lobel steal the film. These two are raising new stars and I'm sure Hollywood will be seeing a lot of them in the future. There are sparks between the two and they sure do fly. Lots of the shows favorites pop up for this one: Marco (excellent as usual), Paige, Emma, Spinner, Holly-J, Mia, Elie, and Craig just to name a few. Flimsy storyline, but lots of great one-liners, great singing (Cassie can really sing!), and enjoyable characters; even some surprise guest stars. I rate Cassie Steele and this film a 10!

after all the hype and build up to this movie, i must say i was a little disappointed. i thought the plot of this movie was far-fetched but not bad. i liked how they brought back a lot of the old characters like Craig (Jake Epstein), Paige (Lauren Collins), Ellie (Stacy Farber), and Marco (Adamo Ruggiero). I actually watched this movie twice, the first time i only watched Manny (Cassie Steele) and Jay (Mike Lobel) scenes because in my opinion they were the best part of this film i think they are both great actors and have amazing chemistry and i loved their storyline and everything. Cassie Steele is amazing in this movie especially with the storyline about her professor at Smithdale always cutting her down and emotionally abusing her. As for the rest of the film, it could have been a lot better. I thought Stacy Farber (Ellie) was good. But i didn't like the way her and Craig ended things it kinda left us in the dark same with Paige and Marco we never find out if they made up. There was just was too much Paige in this movie for me but others may feel differently. I was also very confused why Mia (Nina Dobrev) was even in the movie cause i felt like she didn't have any part at all. Overall i thought it was pretty good i loved the way it ended with Manny and Jay. I hope they have at least some part of season 9 of Degrassi. I give it a 7/10.