Stuck in the Suburbs

Infobox_Film
name= Stuck in the Suburbs


caption = "Stuck in the Suburbs" promotional advertisement
imdb_id=0410696
writer=Wendy Engelberg
Amy Engelberg
Daniel Berendsen
starring=Danielle Panabaker
Brenda Song
Taran Killam
director=Savage Steve Holland
music=Jeff Vincent
distributor=Disney Channel Original Movie
released=July 16, 2004
runtime= 82 min.
language=English
movie_series= Disney Channel Original Movies
producer=Richard D. Arredondo
Richard Fischoff
budget= $1,000,000 (estimated) [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410696/business Box office/business] ]

"Stuck in the Suburbs" is a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) released on July 16, 2004, starring Danielle Panabaker as Brittany Aarons and Brenda Song as Natasha Kwon-Schwartz. Brittany, a regular middle school student in the suburbs, accidentally exchanges cell phones with pop singer Jordan Cahill. This was one of the first made-for-television movies by Disney which was also accompanied by its own soundtrack. It was released on July 21, 2004 in the U.L. and gathered 3.7 million viewers coming 1st in its timeslot and was the highest rated DCOM there until "High School Musical".

Plot

Brittany Aarons (Danielle Panabaker) is one of many 14-year-old girls who has a crush on popular singer and boy-toy Jordan Cahill (Taran Killam). However, she is bored of living a suburban existence and seeks a little something more. She meets the new girl Natasha Kwon-Schwartz (Brenda Song), who looks like an Upper East-sider from the City, except she's not. Upon Natasha's arrival, Brittany slowly starts to make a move towards breaking out of her conformist routines, but not before becoming an extra in Jordan's latest music video, and inviting Natasha to join her and her fangirl friends. When Jordan and his team bump into Brittany and Natasha after a show, they all collect their stuff, and take each other's cell phones.

Once Brittany gets a hold of Jordan's much more sophisticated phone, Natasha convinces Brittany that it'd be fun to mess with his career. They prank call his hair stylist, get her to cut off all his hair, and have someone serve him raisins, to which he is allergic. Along the way they find that Jordan's life is not the life he chooses, but rather the one his record company wants for him. They won't even allow him to use the original lyrics he wants for his own songs. At first he's terrified that his personal barber gave him a major haircut, but eventually accepts it as the first step towards a break from his manufactured image.

Cast

Main

*Danielle Panabaker - Brittany Aarons
*Brenda Song - Natasha Kwon-Schwartz
*Taran Killam - Jordan Cahill
*Ryan Belleville - Eddie
*Amanda Shaw - Kaylee Holland
*CiCi Hedgpeth - Ashley Simon
*Jennie Garland - Olivia Hooper

econdary

*Todd Stashwick - Len
*Kirsten Nelson - Susan Aarons
*Corri English - Jessie Aarons
*Patrick Stogner - Cooper Aarons
*Lara Grice - Soccer Mom (Olivia's Mom)
*Ric Reitz - David Aarons
*Drew Seeley - David (Desk Clerk at Hotel)

Production

Location

The film was mostly shot on several locations throughout the Greater New Orleans Area, in particular St. Tammany Parish. The school scenes were filmed in the atrium, front steps, and the courtyard of Ben Franklin High School in the Lakefront area. Lockers were temporarily moved into the atrium to give the appearance of a hallway, and door frames were painted with temporary red paint.

The music video for "Make a Wish" was filmed in City Park in New Orleans. The other video is filmed at the Piaza d'Italia in Downtown New Orleans.

The "Old House" from the film is actually the Otis House from [http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/iFairview.aspx Fairview-Riverside State Park] in Madisonville on the Northshore. The house was aged for production, but restored to its actual appearance at the end of the film. The Otis House was originally built in the 1880s, and it actually is located near the expanding suburb of Mandeville. When Brittany is riding through the suburbs on her bike she is actually riding through Lafreniere Park.

oundtrack

Walt Disney Records released a soundtrack for the album to promote the TV movie with the original movie promotional poster. The songs below are included in the first edition of the soundtrack:

ongs

#"Good Life" - Jesse McCartney
#"Stuck" - Stacie Orrico
#"Over It" - Anneliese van der Pol
#"Stuck in the Middle With You" - Stealers Wheel
#"Take Me Back Home" - Greg Raposo
#"More Than Me" (Acoustic) - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam
#"On Top of the World" - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam
#"Make a Wish" - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam
#"More Than Me" (Pop Version) - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam

Collectors editon

The enchanced golden collectors edition included the following songs with the same promotional movie poster:

#"A Whatever Life" Remix - Haylie Duff
#"Good Life" (Acoustic) - Jesse McCartney
#"Stuck" - Stacie Orrico
#"Over It" Remix - Anneliese van der Pol
#"Stuck in the Middle With You" - Stealers Wheel
#"Take Me Back Home" - Greg Raposo
#"More Than Me" (Acoustic) - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam
#"On Top of the World" - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam
#"Make a Wish" - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam
#"More Than Me" (Pop Version) - Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam

Contributions

"Good Life" and "Over It" was featured in several DisneyMania and Walt Disney Records albums and complaition sountracks. "More Than Me" by Jordan Cahill / Taran Killam was featured in "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and Haylie Duff's "A Whatever Life" was in 7th Heavan.

Viewership and ratings

The film received the highest ratings including top rankings in the time period in the kids 6-11 and 9-14 demographics. The film averaged 5.5 million viewers on the night of its premiere becoming an overnight sensation and leading to Brenda Song's number one rising star slot award at the Fort Myers Festival not to mention making Song the number one most searched female actress and teen star. The film was played again on UL and received 3.7 million viewers the highest viewership at the time until 2006 when "High School Musical" premired. [ [http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4937970-1.html 'days' Wins For Abc; 'atlantis' A Sci Fi Record] ]

Notes

When Brittany's brother asks what Jordan's birthday is to break the password to his cellphone, Brittany tells him it is 4/1/82. This is Taran Killam's actual birthday. "That's So Raven" co-star Anneliese van der Pol sings a song ("Over It") and has a video for this movie.

Jesse McCartney sings "Good Life" for the movie. He's also in "Summerland" with Danielle Panabaker's younger sister, Kay Panabaker (and for a time dated Danielle, who guest starred on several occasions).

In the movie Brittany's phone was a Nokia 3595 with a pink cover, and Jordan's phone was a Palm Treo 600.

References

External links

* [http://disneyvideos.disney.go.com/moviefinder/products/Stuck%20In%20The%20Suburbs.html Stuck in the Suburbs on Disney website]
* [http://disney.go.com/disneyrecords/Soundtracks/stuckinthesuburbs/index.html Soundtrack by Walt Disney Records]
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