Finding that pop of inspiration

The idea for musical drama Teen Spirit came from screenwriter's obsession with the dance hit Dancing On My Own

Actor-turned-director Max Minghella, a pop-music fanatic, wrote several scenes in Teen Spirit around specific songs. Actress Elle Fanning plays Violet, an English girl who sees winning a televised singing contest as a ticket out of poverty.
Actress Elle Fanning plays Violet, an English girl who sees winning a televised singing contest as a ticket out of poverty. PHOTO: SHAW ORGANSIATION
Actor-turned-director Max Minghella, a pop-music fanatic, wrote several scenes in Teen Spirit around specific songs. Actress Elle Fanning plays Violet, an English girl who sees winning a televised singing contest as a ticket out of poverty.
Actor-turned-director Max Minghella, a pop-music fanatic, wrote several scenes in Teen Spirit around specific songs. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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A strangely melancholic dance hit was the inspiration behind Teen Spirit, a pop-fuelled movie featuring music by singers Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Robyn.

Opening in Singapore today, it stars Elle Fanning as a shy teenager who enters a singing competition with dreams of escaping her life in a tiny English village.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 09, 2019, with the headline Finding that pop of inspiration. Subscribe