Movies

A PG-13 dramedy set in L.A. about some attractive, way-too-earnest aspiring stars has the potential to be a delectable good-bad favorite, but Undiscovered is nowhere near the guilty pleasure it could have been. One, Ashlee Simpson is no Britney. Two, she's not even the star in her own star vehicle. Instead, the spotlight is on a love affair between a bland version of Kelly from 90210 (Pell James) and an unfortunately ponytailed musician (Steven Strait), facing the ups and downs of burgeoning fame. These guys give us nothing to work with—no priceless cheesy lines, no shocking scandals, not even a steamy sex scene—just two tortured artists passing up a chance to get laid. Their friend, Simpson's vaguely cute Clea, while not quite pulling off the hipster-cool chick she's supposed to be (who did choose those outfits?), is a relief from the couple's Dawson's Creek banter. Above all, Undiscovered makes poor Ash the latest example of a fascinating paradox: jack-of-all-trades celebrities who are famous for no good reason.