The Hour

Miley Ray Cyrus seems to be having something of an identity crisis.  Hannah Montana: The Movie sees the teenage singer and, more recently, actress wrestling with some fundamental existentialist questions and challenging prescribed modern notions of celebrity, social acceptance and personal worth.

Or more likely the film is a breezy lope through the Miley Cyrus/Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana mythology, building on the scope of the widely popular television series whilst expanding on the central relationship between Miley and her career and Miley and her father, Robby Stewart; played by country singer and actual father Billy Ray Cyrus.

Interviewing the young entrepreneur for the five thirty show’s Film Club, Grant Lauchlan, given only four minutes in which to conduct the conversation and flanked by Disney’s muscle, chose to pose some question’s sent in by the public.

The answers she gave were pleasant but gave little away and in particular it was difficult to gleam anything substantial about her relationship with her father; despite a flurry of questions enquiring about that.

“My dad is a cool dad, I think that musician dads are the best” explained Miley.  “My dad did play a part in inspiring me but he never got me jobs or anything like that.”

Along with the Jonas Brothers and the High School Musical franchise Hannah Montana is another successful brand to emerge from the Disney dynasty.  Rewind a music-chart generation ago when pop’s big three Britney, Christina and Justin were holding court across the world. 

All three had graduated from the Mickey Mouse Club with honours before being seized by large labels such as Sony who propelled them into stratosphere.

Fast forward to today and Disney is no longer letting these opportunities slip through its white mitts.

Now the company holds on tight to its latest assets; musicians are given television shows and those shows subsequently spawn cinema tie-ins.  Cameos are common as are joint tours, press events and cross-over merchandise; all bow-wrapped in Disney’s family friendly, middle American ideal.

It is clear that Hannah Montana: The Movie will be enjoyed by young and old alike, reaffirming fans and introducing a global audience to the franchise. 

What remains unclear is who exactly Miley Cyrus is.