A strange magic seems to follow Stargirl; the football team starts winning games, the marching band starts playing in tune and Leo starts to fall in love. (She also has a crate of very good vinyl, which is magical to a certain segment of viewers.)

“Stargirl” was published twenty years ago, and its age occasionally shows in this adaptation; some of the story beats and character qualities (particularly those of the rather precious title character) have congealed into cliché. But Hart (who wrote the screenplay with Kristin Hahn and Jordan Horowitz) is such an enchanting filmmaker, her storytelling style so warm and welcoming, that those concerns fade — particularly in the picture’s second half, as her characters’ interactions and motivations become more complex.

When his classmates inevitably turn on Stargirl, Leo pleads, “Why can’t you just be more like everyone else?” She gives it her best, but to no avail, and here is where the film’s message becomes clear: nothing is more important than being one’s true self. That lesson never loses its value, or its timeliness.

Stargirl

Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 44 minutes.