Teen Beach Movie

''Teen Beach Movie'' is a 2013 American musical teen romantic comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie. Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday and written by Vince Marcello, Mark Landry, Robert Horn, it was filmed in Puerto Rico. The movie premiered on July 19, 2013, on Disney Channel and stars Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell. ''Teen Beach Movie'' was the only Disney Channel Original Movie to premiere in 2013. A sequel, '' Teen Beach 2'', premiered on June 26, 2015.

Plot

Brady and McKenzie (Mack) are surfing near her grandfather's beach hut in Waikiki. Mack then walks in on her grandfather and Brady watching their favorite film, a 1960s musical titled ''Wet Side Story'', where surfers and motorcycle bikers battle for the privilege to hang out at Big Momma's beachside restaurant. When Mack's aunt comes by, she explains to Brady that before her mother died, Mack's aunt promised Mack's mom that Mack would attend a private school, and she is leaving the next day. Mack asserts that although going is not her choice, she feels it is what she has to do since it is what her mother would want. She tells Brady they will have to break up.

Before Mack leaves, she decides to surf a 40-foot wave that is about to hit the beach on her family's special surfboard. Alarmed, Brady gets on a jet ski and goes after Mack, but they both get swept away, eventually landing on another beach. They soon realize that they have somehow been swept inside the ''Wet Side Story'' film. Seizing the moment, Brady joins the film's cast in singing, to Mack's dismay. Brady relents and informs Mack that there will be a storm and giant wave that should bring them back home at the end of the film. They go into Big Momma's and introduce themselves to the surfers just before the bikers appear and start the surf and turf war. Mack and Brady are then invited to come to a party at Big Momma's later that night.

That evening, Mack and Brady are arguing while the film's female lead, Lela (one of the biker girls), is singing on stage. Tanner, the male lead (one of the surfer boys), falls in love with Mack after she bumps into him, and Brady catches Lela when she falls off the stage. This interferes with the film's plot, in which Lela falls into Tanner's arms, not Brady's. They decide to make Tanner and Lela fall in love to fix things. Brady also tells Mack about the villains of the film, Les Camembert and Dr. Fusion, who are going to use a machine to affect the weather to make the surfers and bikers leave so they can control Big Momma's and turn it into a beach resort.

Lela and Tanner express their love for Brady and Mack, who subtly suggest to them that there may be someone else they are really meant to be with. That night Mack joins Lela and the other biker girls for a sleepover, while Brady hangs out with Tanner and the surfer boys at Big Momma's. While talking about love, Brady and Mack's modern relationship views come into conflict with those of the 1960s; they fail to make any progress on getting Lela and Tanner together. The next night, Lela tells Mack that she would like to surf.

Mack and Brady realize that they are morphing into the film when Mack falls into the water and her hair does not get wet. They then begin to spontaneously sing and are unable to stop. They are then captured by Les Camembert and Dr. Fusion and taken to the villains' lighthouse lair.

Lela and Tanner fall in love with each other and soon realize that their friends have been kidnapped. They convince the bikers and surfers to team up and save Mack and Brady. Meanwhile, Mack admits that she is glad that she ended up in the film and does not have to attend private school. When Mack says she thinks Lela is braver than her, Brady denies that, saying that Mack is the bravest girl he knows.

The surfers and bikers free Mack and Brady and destroy the villains' machine. The film's plot returns to normal, and Mack and Brady realize they are able to return home. After saying goodbye to everyone, Mack and Brady get on the surfboard and returns to the real world, where no time has passed since they left. Mack successfully surfs the 40-foot wave. Mack's aunt is upset about her delaying their flight but accepts her decision to spend the rest of the year with Brady. Mack and Brady celebrate by singing on the beach.

In a post-credits scene, Lela, Tanner, Butchy, Seacat, Cheechee and Giggles wash up into the real world. A modern-day surfer thinks they are lost and allows them to use his cell phone, which they marvel at as they attempt to use it.

Cast

* Ross Lynch as Brady
* Maia Mitchell as McKenzie (Mack)
* Grace Phipps as Lela
* Garrett Clayton as Tanner
* Spencer Lee as Tanner (singing voice)
* John DeLuca as Butchy
* Jason Evigan as Butchy (singing voice)
* Chrissie Fit as Cheechee
* Suzanne Cryer as Aunt Antoinette
* Barry Bostwick as Big Poppa
* Kevin Chamberlin as Dr. Fusion
* Steve Valentine as Les Camembert
* Jordan Fisher as Seacat
* Kent Boyd as Rascal
* Mollee Gray as Giggles
* William Loftis as Lugnut
* Jessica Lee Keller as Struts
* LaVon Fisher-Wilson as Big Momma

Production

The script was written by Vince Marcello, Mark Landry and Robert Horn, from a story by Marcello and Landry. Pre-production of the film began in January 2012. ''Teen Beach Movie'' was the third Disney Channel Original Movie filmed in Puerto Rico, the first two being '' Princess Protection Program'' and '' Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie''.

On March 28, 2012, local Puerto Rican press reported on the filming, which took place on the island. Most beach scenes took place in Fajardo on the east coast of the island, including the beach house of the Governor of Puerto Rico, while indoor scenes, such as McKenzie's bedroom, a restaurant, and a kitchen, were filmed inside an undisclosed warehouse in Bayamón. Mariella Pérez Serrano, who was executive director of the Puerto Rico Film Corporation at the time, said Disney had spent about eight million dollars to film the production in Puerto Rico when the film was titled ''Teen Beach Musical'' at the time.

The film's soundtrack features ten original songs composed in rhythms of surf rock, Motown R&B, rockabilly and pop.

''Teen Beach Movie'' was the only Disney Channel Original Movie that was released in 2013.

The film was dedicated to beach party film star Annette Funicello, who died on April 8, 2013. A memorial message preceding the start of the film read, "In memory of Disney legend Annette Funicello, the world's most beloved beach movie star."

To promote the movie seven-foot teen beach movie branded beach balls were dropped at One Direction and R5 concerts across the country as well as brand deals with Honda and Best Western. There was also a 10-city "''Teen Beach Movie'' Beach Party" event tour

The High School Musical/Disney Channel Rocks dance shows in Hollywood studios were moved to Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World Resort and re-themed into the Teen Beach Movie: Dance Party which ran from June 24, 2013 - September 1, 2013 before being brought back in 2015 to tie in with Teen Beach 2.

One Direction filmed promotional videos for the movie to tie in with the Radio Disney Sizzlin’ Summer Concert Series Sweepstakes where they previewed their song " Best Song Ever".

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album for the film was released on July 15, 2013, by Walt Disney Records. The album was the fourth best-selling soundtrack of 2013 in the United States with 407,000 copies sold for the year. The album peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. As of 2017 the soundtrack has sold over 500,000 units making it certified Gold. Cruisin' for a Bruisin' debuted and peaked at number eighty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

Release

Broadcast

The film originally premiered after a new episode of Austin and Ally on July 19, 2013, in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Ireland on Disney Channel. It premiered on August 4, 2013, in Southeast Asia and on August 9, 2013, in Australia and New Zealand, both on Disney Channel.

Home media

''Teen Beach Movie'' was released on DVD on July 19, 2013, exclusively at Walmart, and on July 30 at other American retailers. The film earned $12,519,474 from its domestic home media releases.

The film was made available to stream on Disney+.

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 88% approval rating based on 8 reviews, with average rating of 8.00/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 based on 6 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

Mike Hale of ''The New York Times'' stated that ''Teen Beach Movie'' represents Disney Channel's attempt to recapture the success of ''High School Musical'' with a high-concept story involving time travel and a 1960s beach movie. Hale found the film's numerous references and influences—ranging from ''Grease'' and ''Back to the Future'' to ''Glee'' and ''Bride of Frankenstein''—to be somewhat derivative but noted that its clever premise and occasional humor make it entertaining, particularly for its target audience. Emily Ashby of ''Common Sense Media'' gave the film a score of four stars out of five, saying that while tweens, drawn by familiar Disney stars like Ross Lynch, will enjoy the film's nostalgic, comedic, and romantic elements, parents will appreciate its family-friendly narrative that promotes individuality, self-awareness, and positive relationships.

Brian Lowry of '' Variety'' found that while the film includes inventive moments and lively musical sequences, the narrative between these numbers can feel lackluster. Lowry noted that Disney's extensive marketing effort aims to replicate the success of ''High School Musical'', with the film itself serving as part of a larger promotional strategy. ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the film a C grade, saying "The good news? Two tunes in this attempt to reverse-engineer a new ''High School Musical'' are decent...But the rest is dull as sand."

Ratings

The premiere in the United Kingdom had 597,000 viewers. The United States premiere just hours later received 8.4 million viewers during its first airing and 13.5 million viewers in L+7, becoming the second-highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie. The Dance Along version on July 27, 2013, garnered 3.7 million viewers. In Canada, the movie delivered 818,000 viewers. The Australian premiere had 113,000 viewers.

Accolades

''Teen Beach Movie'' was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs at the 66th Directors Guild of America Awards. It was nominated for Best Sound Editing - Long Form Musical in Television at the 2014 Golden Reel Awards.

Sequel

On April 27, 2014, the sequel, '' Teen Beach 2'' was announced as slated to premiere in 2015 on Disney Channel, with production set for July 2014 in Puerto Rico. Ross Lynch, Maia Mitchell, Grace Phipps, Garrett Clayton and John DeLuca reprised their roles in the sequel. The remaining actors who portray the bikers and surfers, Jordan Fisher, Chrissie Fit, William Loftis, Kent Boyd, Jessica Lee Keller and Mollee Gray, are also confirmed to return for the sequel. The sequel revolves around the characters from ''Wet Side Story'' after the first film's post-credits scene, when they were transported into the real world. ''Teen Beach 2'' premiered June 26, 2015, with 5.8 million viewers. A third movie was never made due to Ross Lynch's contract with Disney ending a couple months after the sequels premiere.

References

Notes

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Teen Beach Movie
2010s musical comedy films
2010s parody films
2010s teen comedy films
2013 romantic comedy films
2013 in American television
2013 television films
2013 films
American musical comedy films
American parody films
American teen comedy films
American teen musical films
Beach party films
Disney Channel Original Movie films
American musical television films
Films directed by Jeffrey Hornaday
Films set in 1962
Films shot in Puerto Rico
American surfing films
Films about vacationing
2010s English-language films
2010s American films
English-language musical comedy films
2013 musical films