The Lizzie McGuire Movie: Encyclopedia II - The Lizzie McGuire Movie - Plot

The Lizzie McGuire Movie - Plot

After graduating from junior high, Lizzie flies off on a class trip to Rome.

The movie opens to Lizzie getting ready for junior high school graduation while her younger brother (Matt) mischievously spies on her with a radio controlled toy truck fitted with a video camera. This is during the credits, during which viewers are expected to overlook Lizzie's failure to notice the truck following her around while she prepares. We are also introduced to Lizzie's pink-garbed cartoon alter ego who expresses everything Lizzie can't say aloud. This episode sets the tone for a series of embarrassments that are to follow.

Before the 15-minute mark, she is photographed falling into the tub (clothed); her former best friend, Kate, who has been an enemy is infuriated with Lizzie for wearing the same dress (under her graduation gown). She is forced to make a speech in place of the valedictorian with no notice by a demeaning teacher. Then Lizzie trips on the backdrop, which topples over everyone on stage, the footage was secretly sent in to Good Morning America by her younger brother, although made more popular internationally by CNN.

When Lizzie arrives at the airport with her family, her new high school prinicipal appears driving in a cart, blowing a whistle. She insults parents and students alike using a communications headset connected to a portable P.A. system. She plainly listens to nobody. and even calls Lizzie's "best guy friend" (Gordo) a sneaky brown-noser, and it goes downhill from there. In a nod to the contemporary Lord of the Rings, the principal calls her students Halflings (i.e. hobbits) during the trip, emphasizing the power imbalance she's able to maintain.

In the hotel, in Rome, Kate Sanders is assigned as Lizzie's roommate. She then seems to offer to understand Lizzie's desire to avoid embarassment and realize her dreams, only to irritate Lizzie the moment she lured her in by saying, "You can't do it alone. In fact, I don't think you can do it at all".

After the principal introduces a famous fountain in a plaza to the class, she calls anyone who makes a wish there a sucker. Lizzie throws a coin over her head into the fountain. Her wish is seemingly answered immediately when a handsome Italian 17-year-old greets her. He turns out to be a famous European pop star named Paolo, and Lizzie looks just like his also-famous girlfriend, Isabella (also played by Hilary Duff), except their hair is a different color. Lizzie is a blonde and Isabella is a brunette. They meet again while touring the city, and fans rush up, calling Lizzie "Isabella" and posing for pictures. Paolo asks her to meet him again and then kisses her hand (the picture makes the front page of a tabloid later on). Lizzie sees a billboard showing Paolo embracing fellow singing sensation Isabella, but Paolo tells Lizzie that he and Isabella have broken up.

Gordo suggests that they "seek adventure together" by Lizzie going first (as he had sacrificed wishing at the fountain). He suggests she play sick the next day, to sneak away from the group. Lizzie gives Gordo a little kiss, after which Ethan Craft (Gordo's roomate) pops into the room and suggests Gordo likes Lizzie more than a friend and that he move the relationship along; Gordo demurs, saying he just likes Lizzie as a friend. The next day, Lizzie and Paolo dash off for a musical interlude on a motorbike, while Paolo's bodyguard follows in a Mercedes convertible. Paolo convinces Lizzie to pretend to be Isabella at "The International Music Video Awards" that will be televised worldwide.

Lizzie continues to pretend to be sick the next day, and drives off with Paolo (this time not tracked by his bodyguard) to an expensive dress shop. Gordo, meanwhile, sees Lizzie's picture on an Italian magazine and trades an introduction to his roommate to two Italian girls for it (and a promised translation). Lizzie then gets a makeover, orchestrated by a dominatrix with a scary little dog.

Just when her scheme is about to be discovered, Gordo sacrifices himself, telling the chaperone that Lizzie has been covering for him. Gordo is kicked off the trip. But, just as he's about to board the plane home, he sees the real Isabella at the airport and discovers the truth about Paolo. Gordo and Isabella race to the music event to stop Paolo from making a fool of Lizzie on stage. Paolo's plan was to show the world that Isabella couldn't sing, when in truth it was Paolo that was the bad singer and lip-synched while performing. Lizzie sings for herself and sounds wonderful, while Gordo and Isabella have pulled the plug on Paolo's recording, exposing him.

Later at the hotel, Lizzie and Gordo sneak away from the after party and go up to the roof to talk. First he took the fall for her, and then he saved her from embarrassing herself in front of the whole world. Now Lizzie kisses Gordo, something that many fans had been hoping to see. The film ends with the both of them returning to the after party because they can't afford getting into more trouble.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Plot", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki