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A shocking “Where are they now?” for Lemonade Mouth! | Episode 18 (Our season 1 finale!)
40 Plays8 months ago
Lemonade Mouth is the story of five high school misfits whose meet-cute in detention leads to them form a band. They inspire their schoolmates to stand up for themselves and what they believe in!
Let's discuss:
– “So much characters”
– These songs go HARD!
– Sports vs. art
– Which actor became a super genius, and which one went to jail? 👀
All that and more in this episode!
Lemonade Mouth stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, and Blake Michael. This modern classic features unforgettable songs like “Determinate" and "She's So Gone." You can watch Lemonade Mouth on Disney+!
Welcome to Once Upon A DCOM Podcast where we rave (and sometimes roast) classic DCOMs! We're rewatching every single Disney Channel Original Movie.
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Transcript
Hometown Movie Memories
00:00:00
Speaker
Did you know this movie was filmed in my hometown? Yes, you told us. I think you said that on the last episode. Yeah, I like literally watching it. There's so many people who were like extras or like people who had one line where I was like, hey, I know them. Hey, I know them. My high school newspaper teacher was in the crowd at the assembly. The ballet dancer in the like basement ballet class did a bunch of theater with her growing up. Oh, that is so cool. I know. Were you in high school when this movie came out? Oh, um.
00:00:30
Speaker
I don't think so. Let's see, it was 2011 and I would have been 14, so maybe I was just going into high school. you know I keep thinking this is a more like, quote, modern movie and like it's not. 2011 is a long time ago yeah and I was still in high school. I was, I guess, a junior, maybe a sophomore. I don't know what month it came out.
00:00:52
Speaker
But that's a long time ago. But I'm like, just because it wasn't 2008. Oh, it's so new. Isn't it so weird that like the jump from 2008 to 2011 is so big? Yes. There's like a chasm when you go from 2009 2010.
Podcast Introduction: Once Upon a Decom
00:01:12
Speaker
Welcome, fellow Disney Channel babes, whether you're from the nostalgic 90s or the awkward odds or you're giving Gen Z. We're glad that you're here. I'm Gabriella and I'm Natalie. And this is the podcast where we rave and sometimes roast classic Disney Channel original movies. You're listening to Once Upon a Decom.
00:01:31
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Once Upon a Decom. We are so excited to have you guys here. I'm Gabby and I'm here with my friend Natalie. How are you, Natalie? Hi, Gabby. I'm doing great. How are you? I'm so excited to talk about our movie for today. Guys, we take you every single week down memory lane looking through some of our favorite Disney Channel original movies, some old, some new, and this week we've got a really fun one to talk about.
Introducing 'Lemonade Mouth'
00:01:58
Speaker
We're talking about Lemonade Mouth, which came out in 2011, which Natalie and I just established means we were both in high school. Barely. Did you watch this one as a kid?
00:02:08
Speaker
Oh yeah, i I'm pretty sure I saw this pretty recently after it came out, especially because I was living in Albuquerque at the time this was filmed in Albuquerque. So I'm pretty sure I saw it right away. i This is not what I saw a million times, but I have seen it a few times.
00:02:25
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Well, this was my first time ever seeing it. Cause I think around this time in high school, I wasn't really watching Disney channel anymore, and but guys, here's what you have to look forward to in this episode. Like always, we're going to give you some background and fun facts on the movie, a recap in case you didn't watch it, which you totally should have, but that's okay. Yeah. Come on people. We're going to talk about where the stars are now, what they're all up to, what our critics and audience thought. And then at the end, we have a fun surprise for you guys to wrap up season one.
00:02:55
Speaker
ah yeah This movie stars Bridgette Midler, Adam Hicks, Haley Kayoko, I think, Naomi Scott and Blake Michael. A couple of fun facts about Lemonade Mouth. So in the beginning of the film, all of the characters, except for Moe, are seen wearing aspects of orange and purple. Moe is seen wearing blue, which matches her boyfriend. And then as the film goes forward, Moe gradually changes into more purple and orange clothing. And this was to symbolize how though orange and purple are opposites, they complement each other to form a perfect balance. And the director was trying to use colors to explain like the same idea with the band.
00:03:31
Speaker
I thought that was kind of cool. I love that. I totally did not pick up on that. I did pick up on how um strange their outfits were, but I did not pick up on the color theory. Yeah, no, i it was a lot, but I saw that in the trivia on IMDB and I was like, how cool, I have to share. Also kind of cool, Adam Hicks, who played Wen, which is a really interesting name. It's Wendell. It's not much better, but it's Wendell.
00:03:57
Speaker
so ah Named after the country bear, you know? Oh, is that what he was named after? No, no, just saying that. I hate the country bears. They scare me so much and I know you love them. I love them. I think they're atrocious and they're my favorite. Every time I see them at the Disney parks, I just run the other direction. They scare me so much.
00:04:22
Speaker
Okay, Eddie Who, Wendell the Bear wrote part of the rap for Determinate, which is kind of cool. He actually wrote several, he parts of several of the songs. Now I'm just picturing Wendell the Bear from the Country Bears. Oh my gosh. That would be horrid.
00:04:46
Speaker
Okay, we're good. We're having fun. Okay, Stella, who was like the punk girl, ah she had just moved from Rhode Island, which is where the source novel was set, so they paid homage to the novel. They actually did that several times.
00:05:02
Speaker
And finally, Mark Peter Hughes, who was the author of the book that the film was based on, he was in the movie as the man wearing a bee costume behind Principal Brennigan during the Halloween bash. Sure.
00:05:16
Speaker
Well, thought that would get more of a reaction anyways. All right. Sounds good. Well, my fun facts have made such a splash. How about you tell us everything about what happens in this movie?
Main Characters and Their Stories
00:05:28
Speaker
All right. First, let me introduce you to our main cast. One, Olivia, a shy girl who lives with her grandmother after her mom's death and her dad's incarceration. Two,
00:05:40
Speaker
One, a sarcastic kid who is currently frustrated by his father's relationship with a much younger woman. Three, Stella, a rebellious and outspoken teenager who's just moved to town. Four, Charlie, a drummer who is living in the shadow of his athletic older brother. And five, Mohini, who goes by Mo, a girl from a strict Indian family who is struggling with her culture and her parents' expectations.
00:06:06
Speaker
If you think that's too many characters, you are absolutely right, but somehow this movie makes it work. Alright, so these five misfits all meet in detention, supervised by the music teacher Miss Resnick, whose classroom has been moved to the basement to make way for more athletics in the school.
00:06:23
Speaker
When she leaves the room briefly to complain to the principal about, I don't know, something to do with the fact that she's been banished to the basement, I guess, um the group bonds over music while playing the instruments that are left in the room. Ms. Resnick overhears the end of their song and says, you know, they've really got something special and they should enter the upcoming Rising Star music competition.
00:06:43
Speaker
They all immediately shut that down. But after giving it some thought, Stella brings the group back together and informs them that she has signed them up for the competition, and also to perform at the Halloween Bash so they can get some experience. After not very much convincing at all, they all agree that they're in.
00:07:01
Speaker
They're just waiting for something good to happen in their lives. They're like, no, no, we couldn't possible. Okay, we'll do it. Okay, sure. Sounds good. Problem is um they are opening for a local band called Mudslide Crush, which Moe's boyfriend Scott is the guitarist in. And Scott, as well as the entire school, are not happy that half of this set is now being played by a bunch of nobodies. Also, is Two Man really a band? like It's just two guys.
00:07:32
Speaker
There's other people. They're just very quietly in the background and never speak. They are hardly even there. I was like, this isn't a band. Well, is Owl City a band? Because that's just one guy. I've never understood that even though I love his music. I was like, why are you calling yourself like a whole thing, like a brand? Just just use your name, Adam.
00:07:55
Speaker
All right. And that is Gabby's take on Adam Young, ladies and gentlemen. The band struggles to find their rhythm, pun definitely intended there. um And each of them is going through some ah personal struggles at the same time. So Olivia is grieving over her mother's death. Mo struggles with her controlling boyfriend. Wen's still frustrated with his dad. Stella's, you know, still being her little rebel.
00:08:21
Speaker
And Charlie is dealing with some unrequited feelings for Moe. The Halloween bash comes, and Olivia has a panic attack. Her bandmates encourage her, they all finally take to the stage, and they absolutely crush it. But then Stella gives this bold speech protesting the lemonade machine's removal,
00:08:40
Speaker
and promoting like self-expression and not letting the man get you down. And that really upsets Principal Brennigan who bans them from ever performing at school again. But the next day, it becomes clear that all of the students are actually on the band's side. They loved Lemonade Mouth.
00:08:59
Speaker
Woohoo! The band starts to get better and to trust each other more and more, opening up about their struggles and finding support in one another. As they start to prepare for the Rising Star competition, though, things just start to go wrong.
00:09:12
Speaker
Mo gets sick, Charlie breaks his fingers, Wen gets a black eye, and Olivia loses her voice arguing with Wen.
Band's Journey and Growth
00:09:19
Speaker
Everybody's fighting with everybody else. Stella sends them an SOS that the lemonade machine is being removed from the school, and so they all show up, but promptly get detained by the police. So in the holding cell, they all reconcile, and they decide that despite all of the challenges, they need to perform at Rising Star. For the fans. Also for themselves.
00:09:40
Speaker
Also, when he accepts his dad's girlfriend, Mo gains her dad's acceptance for who she truly is, Charlie realizes he doesn't need to live up to his brother's legacy, and Stella understands that she doesn't need to be a genius in order to belong in her family. She's special just the way she is. So at the competition, they are playing absolutely horribly thanks to all of the earlier problems mentioned, broken fingers, the flu, etc. But then Moe's now ex-boyfriend joins them on stage to play the guitar and then the whole crowd stands up and starts singing their song, Determinate, back to them. They end up not winning the competition, wah wah, but they start to see things look up.
00:10:21
Speaker
And Mo and Scott reconcile when serves as the best man at his father's wedding. Stella connects with Mel, the original owner of the Lemonade Machine, and he helps fund a new music auditorium for the school. Olivia writes the entire story of their band, Lemonade Mouse, and she sends a letter to her father, ending with the news that the band is performing at Madison Square Garden, now with Scott as an additional band member. Things are good!
00:10:48
Speaker
Wow. What a movie. What is your one sentence review? Oh, geez. um Catchy songs. So much characters. Good. Yep, I could agree with that. So much characters with that syntax. That's what I'm going with. Love it. My one sentence review is, I actually wanted more of this story.
00:11:10
Speaker
This movie deserves a sequel and I was shocked it doesn't have one. Yes, it truly needs a sequel and I thought that back then too for sure.
Personal Reflections on the Movie
00:11:19
Speaker
Yeah, I got to the end of it and I was like, it left me wanting more. I really love the people in this and I want to see what happens next. And I feel like there's so much more story to tell. And that is not true of many DCOMs. So I was like, well done Lemonade Mouth. Yeah. If this was made today, like without this, like not a remake, but if this was just made for the first time in today's day and age, this absolutely would have been a series and not a movie.
00:11:43
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah, they would have set it up as a franchise. Oh, yeah. So since you've seen it before, ah do you feel like it still holds up? And like, how do you feel about it now versus then? Oh, yeah, I think it totally holds up. I was actually surprised. Again, I saw this when I was a kid. It's been many, many, many years since I've seen it. So I was kind of expecting it to like not live up. But these songs go hard. Like they're so good.
00:12:09
Speaker
Good. And like the acting, especially from Bridgette Medler, like incredible. Like actually really solid, like, and Naomi Scott too, like really, really solid performances. And I loved that each of these characters deal with some real things.
00:12:26
Speaker
Oh, yes. That's the essence of a DCOM, right? That's the part that makes it you know relatable to kids is these very individual circumstances that some kids find themselves in. But yeah, I absolutely loved it. I think it it held up perfectly. What did you think of this movie? First time viewer? Yeah, I was not expecting to love it this much.
00:12:46
Speaker
As I've said before, my husband is obsessed with this movie. I think mainly for the music, which you're right, goes so hard. I have been singing She's So Gone for like the last several days. Such a good song. It is so intense. And I love it at that time in the movie when she's struggling through this breakup and who she wants to be. And it's just, oh, it's so good. I love it. And she looks right at him while she is singing it. And you're like, yeahqui yes, Yes. She's laying down on the pizza table, like screaming, singing her heart out, and like looking into the napkin holder, I was like, this is so good. It is such a girl anthem. Yes. so The music was amazing, but for me, my favorite part was the various stories. Like you were saying, all the characters have these really unique things going on, all very different from one another.
00:13:36
Speaker
But they they blend together really beautifully and so i just wanted more i i really appreciated that they didn't give us everything we wanted.
00:13:47
Speaker
but they gave us enough that you're satisfied. I feel like my main word for this movie is balance. Everything felt very balanced. Yeah, no one felt like a main character and I would usually complain about that, but I actually really liked it in this movie.
00:14:07
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. I agree. And I always have to comment on the pacing. I thought the pacing was phenomenal as well. It really moved you along through it. There were parts that they like sat on for a little bit that you needed to sit on and then parts that they kind of went faster and you're like, Oh, we just jumped really far ahead, but and nothing important was needed in between. So yeah, it was great. I have this like a little note I had. I appreciated that someone else gave them their name. like Yeah.
00:14:34
Speaker
It kind of like Radio Rebel, it subverted my expectations. I thought when they were all drinking the lemonade trying to come up with the name, they were going to be like, oh, lemonade mouth, that's our name. And I love that it did not do that, like somebody else like gave that to them. When Stella spits lemonade directly in that Turk's face, you go clean, pop off.
00:14:56
Speaker
Yeah, and it's like so perfect that that becomes their name because it's exactly what they're doing. like They're taking down the oppressors by using their like tactics against them. Yeah. Hey, let's talk about self-expression and rebellion. Sure. I'm not a very rebellious person, so I think you should start. I don't know necessarily that, well, no, I am.
00:15:19
Speaker
I was gonna say, I don't know if I am a rebellious person, but I am. I am. Saying that is a rebellion against what I said. I know, I know. It's just it's a personality quirk, okay? But yeah, I love that this movie encourages individuality and standing up for what you believe in. And I think Stella probably takes it a little bit too far. I'm not necessarily a spit in the face of authority type of person.
00:15:48
Speaker
But I can certainly respect her her gumption and her way of saying, I'm not going to let you control me if I don't agree with the way that you want to run things, which the principle is a jerk. So like, Oh, he's terrible. Yeah, no, he's kind of the worst. And like the fact that this is a step away from the rebellion question, but like the prioritization of sports over the arts and schools like Yes, this is so exaggerated in this universe, but like they're not wrong. I didn't think it was exaggerated at all. My high school was exactly like this. The principle wasn't mean about it, but the allocation of resources was the exact same. Yeah, and the argument that like sports is where the money comes from is just a straight up lie. like That's not the case. You can get equal amounts of donors and
00:16:42
Speaker
interest and ticket sales from theatrical performances, arts performances, computer science things, and like STEM research. like like STEM is the new, group I think it's called STEAM now because they added more things. But like oh that realm of science and like not sports is what I'm trying to say. Those things can be just as valuable and like ah funded by the community than sports. I don't know why we have to choose. the The money is going to come from where you invest in. So like if you're investing in anything else and it's good, people will come pay to see it and to be a part of it.
00:17:23
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, I had a whole rant with Nick after this movie. I was like, this just brought up a lot in me about my high school days. Now I was so undervalued in my artistic realm. Getting war flashbacks. Yeah, for real. It was so upsetting.
00:17:39
Speaker
Going back to the rebellion thing, I appreciated the healthy, again, balance of, yes, Stella's over the top, but the other four kids were all just there for ah the same cause as her. and and made It made a difference. and like They were able to really move the needle. and ah yeah and i'm not I'm never going to encourage like disrespecting authority and spitting in people's faces. that's That's not the way to do it. But standing up for what you believe is always a good thing. And especially when there is like an obvious injustice saying something about it. And I think these kids were able to help like the teacher find her voice because she was like really frustrated at the beginning. And in the end, she was able to kind of let that go. Although I didn't like that she then decided she thought the principal was sexy. I'm like, this is not how that works. Don't do that.
00:18:26
Speaker
Yeah, that was weird. i was That was a weird moment. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought, can I change subjects real quick? Yeah, I literally have no more discussion points, so it's all you. Okay. I totally thought Olivia was going to struggle more with her stage fright, especially based on the attack that she has in the bathroom. I thought it was going to be much more of a plot point, but she like wrestles with it really fast and just kind of gets past it really quickly. I thought that was interesting. I think that was unfortunately like a victim to the pacing. Like I don't think they could take the amount of time that they needed to take for that to fully be developed.
00:19:02
Speaker
So they were just trying to show it and then like, and we have to move on in the story, sorry. Yeah, yeah. I actually liked it though because they didn't harp on it for so long that she becomes the main character or she becomes the problem. They just kind of let it be a part of who she is. And I feel like her stage fright isn't as bad as she thinks it is. And maybe that's kind of part of her character is there's a lot of things in her life that aren't going great, but at the same time, like things could be a lot worse and she's learning to manage like within that middle ground kind of. Yeah.
00:19:34
Speaker
I think we touched on it before, but kind of bouncing off of that point, I think any one of these five could have been the main character and it still would have been an incredible movie, you know? And like we could have dived more into their journey and what they were struggling with. I kind of like that it's like a buffet of characters and you get to pick the one that you identify most with and kind of ride the journey with them, you know?
00:20:00
Speaker
Love that. Yeah. You can kind of do like picking shoes who you want to focus in most on or relate to the most. I like that. That was really cool, Natalie. Well, yeah. Here's, here's my question then. Who do you relate to most out of the five? Ooh. Oh, let me think for a second. Cause one immediately came to mind, but then I was like, is that really true? I don't know. I can definitely. Well,
00:20:25
Speaker
okay. I think there's a couple that I could relate to for different reasons. Can I just share my reasons? Because I can't just pick one and be like- I guess you can cheat and say all of them. There's not, oh no, it's not all of them. I don't really distill a butt at all. Nor do I relate to, I don't think I relate to Olivia very much either. Thankfully, I've never had to go through that kind of pain that she has. I related to Wen in the sense that he is such an optimistic person.
00:20:54
Speaker
And yet he's got some like dark stuff going on inside that he's trying to navigate. And he really tries to not let it affect his positivity and how he loves his friends. But every once in a while, he just has to like have a meltdown you know about whatever's going on. But ultimately, the thing he came to realize is like that he was the one causing himself pain. like He was choosing to stay mad in a situation he didn't have to stay mad in.
00:21:18
Speaker
I can relate to that struggle. so He was the one that immediately came to mind. However, I can relate hardcore to being in love with someone that doesn't love you back. I mean, I'm married now, but bro, what's his face, the long-haired kid? I was like, I feel you, man. I feel you,
00:21:35
Speaker
oh Yeah, and I also can relate to like having a lot of pressures on you um like Mo, but I think her pressures were much more intense than anything my parents ever put on me, but just like that idea of like I need to perform well. so I took bits and pieces for Mo and Charlie, but like really, I feel like when and I, maybe we are heart to heart characters. Yeah. What about you? What's funny is the two that I identify with are the two that you don't identify with.
00:22:05
Speaker
Wow, so shocking. In case you all didn't know, Gabby and I are pretty much opposites. I don't know how we're friends, but we are and it works. It works great. Yeah, I, as a kid, related to Olivia so hard. um I've said it before on this podcast, I was not necessarily shy, but I was very introverted.
00:22:26
Speaker
And I struggled a lot with anxiety. I still struggle a lot with anxiety. Panic attacks and I are quite familiar with each other. So yes, I get her. I understand that part of her personality and her struggle. Also,
00:22:42
Speaker
There's a part of me in my soul that just rebels naturally to everything. And so Stella, she's my girl. she's a girl she um She stands up for what she believes in. She says what she's thinking. And on my good days, I like to think I'm the same.
00:22:59
Speaker
My favorite part with Stella is when she's ah protesting the lemonade ah machine getting taken away and she is sitting crisscross applesauce in midair as the two men try to pry her away. And then she's like, it looks like she's levitating when everyone's like holding her up and she's just sitting there like, I'm not moving. This is actually a fun, a place for a fun anecdote from my childhood. Oh, go, yes. When I was in second grade,
00:23:27
Speaker
um My playground changed from sand and dirt to wood chips because those are actually safer for kids, fun fact. But I was really upset about it and everyone else was really upset about it too. And so I, in second grade, organized a protest and me and my classmates sat crisscross in front of the playground with our arms locked together, enchanted, we want dirt, wood chips hurt, and we refuse to play.
00:23:59
Speaker
for like couple days i think and eventually our teacher was like listen i respect the hustle but you guys gotta stop with your wood chips now we're not going back of course you did and that's how i started a protest when i was like seven
00:24:17
Speaker
Wow. Good for you, Natalie. Thanks. And on that note, I would like to talk about how I loved the sweet organic relationship of Olivia and Wen so much. Little cuties. And I did also love, I kind of alluded to it earlier, that what's his name again? Charlie? Is it Charlie? Yeah. long Charlie and Mo.
00:24:39
Speaker
did not get together. She got back with her ex and I was like, oh, okay. That was not what I expected. And again, if this were a series instead of like just one movie or like if it were a TV show or something, that could have been explored more. But I do like that it didn't end the way you thought it would, right?
00:24:58
Speaker
Right. And the boyfriend redeemed himself. Oh, he totally redeemed himself. I was like, yes, I'm actually OK with this. I feel like they have a whole healthy thing going on now. And I appreciate that they've gone through this difficulty because it's going to make them stronger. Yeah.
Cultural Representation in 'Lemonade Mouth'
00:25:13
Speaker
Moving on.
00:25:13
Speaker
I have one final point and it's actually like a, it's like a real point that I wanted to talk about the multiple representations of bi-culturalism in children of immigrants and the pressures associated with that. So Mo being both Indian and American and how that affects her and how she kind of is struggling with I'm not fully this or fully that. Like she says at one point, I'm not ever going to be a regular American teenager, but I'm never going to be this perfect Indian daughter. And I don't know, they just showed how it can be challenging.
00:25:43
Speaker
like a struggle for identity and also like this unique ability she has to understand and adopt to new customs and traditions. So I just really appreciated that. I just wanted to throw that out there and hear your thoughts. No, I absolutely, I love that too because i i I cannot relate to that experience, right? My parents are both American, my grandparents on both sides are American, but I live in a state that is full of a lot of immigrants and children of immigrants. And so this is something that I saw a lot growing up, and I love seeing it portrayed on television and in movies because it's honestly a huge part of the people in America, like so many kids struggle with it. Right. And I love it being like present and being stated so clearly that you can be both things and that's okay. Right. And also that you might never feel like fully either of any thing. Right. So she kind of has to ride that balance the rest of her life. I've seen this a lot with my husband, Nick, because he actually is an immigrant. like He was born in Colombia and raised there till he was 12 and then came to America.
00:26:51
Speaker
But because he came here so young and his dad came before him, he has a lot of this too, where he's like, I'm not 100% an American. I'm also not 100% Colombian anymore, like if he goes back. But I think what he would say is, I'm 100% of both. you know like he But he kind of like he can have moments where he's like, oh, I don't understand that part of America. Or when I go back to Colombia, they don't see me the same way anymore. And right it's just such an interesting thing to observe. I also am an outsider to it, but it's really cool to be that close to it. And then also with Stella, like even just this idea of like not fitting into your own family, yeah and like she's the only one who's not this super genius pursuing all these crazy things. um I don't know, I just felt like there was multiple opportunities that they took to be like, it's okay if you don't fit into like the standard norms, yeah and there's still a place for you.
00:27:44
Speaker
Yeah, because ah ultimately this movie is about being a misfit and why being a misfit can be cool too. I think it's cool that they show that within an immediate family. like that That is so hard. It's different when you're a misfit at school. It's it's harder when you're a misfit at home. and I think that's why they kind of have this like found family or chosen family with this um group of kids. Yes. Do you want to hear what the rest of the world thought of this movie? I do.
Critics' Reviews and Audience Reactions
00:28:11
Speaker
so Okay, I think this is going to be unsurprising, but the Rotten Tomatoes information I got here, the tomato meter, which is the critic score, 80%.
00:28:24
Speaker
Oh my. I know. So high. So high. That's great. I know. And the audience rating, 79%. So almost in complete agreement. Wow. That's pretty rare that they agree. I know, right? So I pulled a couple of the critics reviews. I just have two of them here. um Everything in general was pretty positive.
00:28:45
Speaker
This first one says, besides the social themes, there are plenty that relate to family life and the movie's a message about honest communication between parents and kids is just impossible to miss. I love that. Very good. Second one, Lemonade Mouth is predictably bland. You can't imagine a more fresh-faced and squeaky clean bunch of outsiders than this lot, but the film's target audience, the performers, and the songs have enough fizz to hit the spot. Okay. I feel like they were going in two different directions with that. Yeah. I think they thought, ah Disney movie, gross, but I guess Disney people will like it and they're not wrong. All right. Sure.
00:29:25
Speaker
All right, for the audience reviews, I have three of them. Again, almost everything I saw was positive. I think I pulled one slightly negative one. All right, so here's the first one. For Disney Channel standards, it's the best out there. 10 out of 10, DCOM. Wow. Gabby, did you write this one? Because I feel like maybe you wrote this one. No? I feel like it's a 10 out of 10 that doesn't make it my favorite overall.
00:29:51
Speaker
Don't spoil next week's episode. Anyway. All right. Second one. Absolutely spectacular. Defined our generation as a whole was never the same after viewing this. Wow. I know. I feel like I missed this generation. I was like, how did I miss this?
00:30:08
Speaker
yeah I think this was slightly younger than us. I think maybe people who are two to five years younger than us, I think they would agree with that statement. Yeah. All right, last one. It's definitely not a perfect film. It's predictable with forced story beats and exaggerated reactions in order to keep it going. But gosh darn, it is a good movie. I revisited it in quarantine because I was running out of ideas and I had a great time singing along and laughing with this charismatic cast.
00:30:36
Speaker
My favorite reviews are the quarantine reviews. Honestly, so many people rediscovered Disney Channel in these quarantined years. It was great. Okay. Well, that made me happy. Yeah. All right, Gabby. Will you tell me where they are now?
Where Are They Now?
00:30:50
Speaker
Because I know a little bit, but I have a feeling I'm about to be surprised about some people. Oh my gosh, Natalie. Dare I say, this might be the best where are they now that we've had yet, minus, of course, Spencer Breslin, who is the best one that we've had yet.
00:31:05
Speaker
Oh, Spencer. All right. If you want to be scarred, go look up Spencer Breslin on Instagram. Okay. I think what makes this so great is we have five stars to look at. So I did my research, guys. Here we go. Bridget Mendler.
00:31:20
Speaker
this girl. Okay, I do know this stuff, but I'm excited to hear like what more you have revealed. I feel like there was a lot about her, so she continued to appear on Disney Channel in shows like Good Luck Charlie, Wizards of Waverly Plays. She acted here and there up until 2019. She also continued in her musical career touring and releasing several music videos and a few albums and EPs But currently, she is the CEO of Northwood Space, a satellite data startup based in California that she and her husband started. So she talked about how music is always her first love, but during the pandemic, she felt a disconnect between her art and her day-to-day life, and she wanted to dive more into research.
00:32:05
Speaker
So this is a fun quote from her. She said, while everybody else was making their sourdough starters, we were building antennas out of random crap we could find at Home Depot. For me, why the ground side matters is because it actually is about bringing the impacts of space home to people. And to be honest, I went to this website, the Northwood space website. um I understood about half the words on there. So if you would like to do your own research, go look at their website. Yes. And let me add, she went to Harvard Law School.
00:32:34
Speaker
like our girl Elle Woods did. And then she also went, shit she went to MIT. So like girlfriend knows what she's doing. Dr. Bridgette Medler, did you know she's a doctor? Yeah, she's really, really smart. I watched a couple little interviews with her and I have one other thing on her that's a little bit later down that has to do with somebody else. Um, yeah, she's, she's doing phenomenal. So A plus to her. Love it.
00:32:59
Speaker
Then we have Adam Hicks, who played Wen. He was really famous from this movie, from being Luther in Zeke and Luther. He was King Boz in Pair of Kings after Mitchell Musso left the show, which was sad. And he was even in a few episodes of Jonas. He co-wrote the tracks to terminate Breakthrough and Living on a High Wire, like I mentioned earlier.
00:33:19
Speaker
and he acted on and off until 2018 when, sadly, he was charged and eventually found guilty of robbery with his girlfriend at the time and he served some time in prison.
00:33:31
Speaker
he has since apologized for his mistakes. He actually appeared in an episode of Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide, which, if you don't know, is produced by Christy Carlson Romano's company Podco. We've talked about this on the show before, but Christy, who was in Even Stevens and She's Kim Possible and she was in Cadet Kelly, all that stuff, she started this podcast company And she basically has old Disney Channel and Nickelodeon stars and celebrities come back and host a podcast where they talk about the show that they were on and talk about their experiences. So Adam appeared on an episode of the show and he opened up about his time in jail, his struggles with addiction and mental health, and how he's actually started a nonprofit called Soundtracks of Life. And they use music as a therapy to help people who have been incarcerated bounce back. And he's been sober for over six years now.
00:34:20
Speaker
oh Well, that's positive. Yes, so it ends on a good note. Moving on to Hayley Kayoko. Is that how you say her name? kaoke I don't know. She has a wildly large fan base. Like your girl's doing just fine. She has continued acting and singing steadily, but is most known for her music. So like way back in 2007, she was a founding member of the Stunners, a girl group that performed up until 2011. They supported Justin Bieber's My World Tour and they had a cover song on the iCarly soundtrack. So that was fun.
00:34:58
Speaker
Yeah, she has released two studio albums, several singles and EPs, and directed multiple music videos of her own songs. Then in 2023, she released her first novel called Girls Like Girls, which is an expansion of her original song by the same name.
00:35:14
Speaker
and She has a second novel coming out soon called Where There's Room for Us. Both books are like about ah lesbian couples, so it's really big with the LGBTQ plus community. and Then she has also created a comic book based on her song Gravel to Tempo. She's doing a lot. Yeah. I love all the art. Yeah. and She is like a huge icon in the LGBTQ plus space.
00:35:40
Speaker
I love that. and Then we have Blake Michael who played Charlie. so He went on to play the brother Tyler in Dog with a Blog from 2012 to 2015. That was pretty much the biggest thing he's done, I think. He's done other acting work that I didn't really know up until 2019.
00:36:00
Speaker
In 2021, Michael became the chief evangelist of Lumenoo, a social media management company. so He was inspired to help other creators elevate their social status on the internet instead of following what he called the traditional Hollywood film route. so He wanted to help people through social media and YouTube like get famous so that they didn't have to go through everything he had to go through as a kid. okay He also got into journalism and began writing for Forbes Business Magazine as a marketing expert and a business analyst.
00:36:33
Speaker
Okay, Homie, I see you. I know. He's doing fantastic. Does he still have beautiful hair? It's short, but he is beautiful. I mean, look him up on Instagram. I'm not met up right now. Yeah, and actually on Instagram, he still posts often about Lemonade Mouth, and he's really proud of the movie. like He'll be like, I know you guys keep asking why I'm posting about this. It's because I love this movie. like He was so proud of it. I love that.
00:36:58
Speaker
Yeah. And then finally, saving the best for last, in my opinion, we have Naomi Scott. I love her. Dude, I love her. So this is her first movie, having only done one reoccurring TV role before this, which was Disney Channel's Life Bites. I never saw that. Did you ever see that? Never. No, never seen it.
00:37:17
Speaker
Okay. Well, that was like her first thing. And then this was her first movie. So in 2017, she was known for her co-leading role as Kimberly Hart, the pink ranger in Power Rangers. Oh, yes. I saw that movie. It was actually pretty good.
00:37:32
Speaker
Okay, cool, cool. So that was kind of a big deal for her. Then in 2019, she had a leading role in Charlie's Angels. She was one of the three angels. So that was kind of a big deal. And also in 2019, she is most known for her role as Jasmine in the 2019 live action Aladdin. Where she sang a completely unnecessary song, but a beautiful song. I was going to say, what are you talking about? It's necessary to my life continuing. I love speechless.
00:38:02
Speaker
No, great song. Didn't need to be in the movie. so Great song. ah Okay. Yes, I can agree with you on that, but such a good song. And that's where she reached a like international stardom was from being Jasmine. So she's continued acting steadily. Bridget actually recently interviewed her for the heroin magazine and they talked about their time on Disney and they talked about Northwood space. And she called it Bridget, one of her closest friends on Instagram saying that's so close. Bestie interviewed her.
00:38:31
Speaker
I know. So other fun things about her, she's a UK ambassador to Compassion International. ah She holds a black belt in karate. Somehow that doesn't surprise me.
00:38:44
Speaker
Yeah, which came in handy when she was in Charlie's Angels and the Power Rangers. And finally, she married English footballer Jordan Spence. After four years of dating, they met at church when she was 16. Oh, that's cute. And now they're nailed. I love that. I have to say one thing about Miss Naomi Scott. One of my favorite shows of all time was called Terranova, short lived show. I think it went one season, maybe one and a half seasons.
00:39:13
Speaker
um It was about the future and people got sent to the past to live in dinosaur times. It was great. Anyway, she was on that show and she was stunning in that show. So everyone go look up Terranova and go watch it.
00:39:26
Speaker
So I'm sure I saw that on her IMDb and I didn't know what it was, so I just passed over it, but I'm glad you knew. Honestly, that's fair. Nobody talks about that show. And listen, it was actually good. Everyone watch it. So good. Okay, cool. Well, I'm gonna have to check that out. So they now. I love it. Okay, wrap us up, Natalie.
Season 1 Wrap-up and Future Plans
00:39:46
Speaker
Sure. So everybody, this was our season finale. If you did not know, congrats. This is the final love episode of season one. oh Confetti, confetti, explosions, fireworks. I don't know why there's fireworks and explosions, but you know.
00:40:03
Speaker
So everyone, look forward to our mini-sodes. Next week kicks off a series of short episodes before we kick off season two in January. And this first mini-sode, we will be tier ranking all of the 18 films that we have seen so far. Yes, I'm so excited. Yes, Gaby and I will be ranking individually. So we're going to come up with these tiers together and then on our own, put all of the movies in the categories and then live on the recording, reveal one by one where we have placed these movies. I have no doubt that we have some differences in our brackets. No doubt at all. Looking at you, Ice Hockey movie. What was that one? You can't even remember what it's called. I know, and I was on team. I love that movie. Oh, goodness. Not Ice Princess. What is it called? No, Go Figure. It's called Go Figure. Go Figure.
00:41:01
Speaker
Oh goodness, this season has been a blast, y'all. I've had so much fun. Thank you to everyone who's made it this far, and I hope you all have enjoyed it. We're going to continue making the same types of content throughout all of the mini-sodes, and they're only going to be like 10 to 15 minutes, so it's going to be great little bite-sized pieces in between our seasons.
00:41:22
Speaker
We hope you love them all. Stay tuned again once a week. We'll be hitting out those mini episodes and we will see you again in January with season two. Yeah. Happy holidays.
00:41:33
Speaker
micro Thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Once Upon a Decom. Like what you just heard? Leave us a rating and review. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at onceuponadcom.podcast and share this podcast with your Disney-loving friends. A big thanks to Gabby for editing this whole podcast together. Thanks, Brand. And don't forget to subscribe because there's always a new episode on the way. This is Gabriella. And Natalie. Signing off with a sprinkle of pixie dust. And a whole lot of nostalgia.