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The *other* DCOM about surfing 🏄🏻♀️ | Episode 27: Rip Girls
39 Plays2 months ago
Is this a forgotten classic? Join us for a Hawaiian roller coaster ride of family dynamics, preteen emotions, and 2000s nostalgia! 🌊🌴🏄♀️
Let's discuss:
– The first female DCOM director! 👏
– How much autonomy should a 13 year old have? 🧐
– They told the WRONG LOVE STORY! (Kona + Gia 4ever 💘)
All that and more in this episode!
Rip Girls is a 2000 film starring Camilla Belle, Stacie Hess, and Dwier Brown. You can watch it 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
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:00
Speaker
So I know like this is not what the movie is about, but can I just say that I was vibing so hard with this soundtrack? It's a really good soundtrack. It really was.
00:00:11
Speaker
At one point I told Nick that I like forgot there was music playing because it was just so like in me. And then like beat changed and I was like, oh, this music is great. It's so vibey and the electric guitar. Like when we went to credits, I like let the credits roll all the way through. i was like, I don't want to stop this music. I'm feeling it.
00:00:29
Speaker
Megan would love this soundtrack. Oh yes, the electric guitar island vibes were strong.
00:00:39
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.
00:00:59
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Once Upon a DCOM, the podcast where we rewatch all of your favorite Disney Channel original movies. Join us for a movie recap, discussions about the film, and we're going to show off where these actors are now.
00:01:12
Speaker
My name is Natalie and this is my co-host Gabby. We are both finally back. Finally back. We're still a little sick, but we're going to pretend that we're not and push through.
00:01:24
Speaker
It's going to be wonderful. Yes. So we are just a couple of 90s babies reliving our childhood one Disney film at a time. This week, Gabby and I watched a DCOM that is all about surfing, self-discovery, and some surprisingly high-stakes real estate negotiations.
00:01:41
Speaker
Rip Girls. This an oldie but goodie. Yeah. So last week we covered the hit film Descendants, which we both adored, obviously.
Impressions and Background of 'Rip Girls'
00:01:51
Speaker
um But neither of us had seen Rip Girls before this week, so I am very...
00:01:55
Speaker
very excited to dive in and see what gabby thought about this one because i have feelings oh really i was not sure going into it how i felt the picture looked intriguing and the description online i was like oh this seems really good and my husband nick was very excited because he watched this growing up i i was like i've never heard of this and yeah i i think ultimately i'd say it was a good movie i enjoyed it It's not something I'll probably go back to, but like it was exactly the kind of DCOM you would expect from this year. What was it like 2000 that this came out? 2000. Yeah, exactly.
00:02:30
Speaker
Yeah, it's exactly what you'd expect from a 2000 surfer girl movie, I think. We have differing opinions. Oh, tell me yours. How about we dive into some info first?
00:02:43
Speaker
Okay. Okay. So before we head into our movie recap, I want to give you just a little intro about the world of Rip Girls. The movie was directed by Joyce Chopra, who, fun fact, was an award-winning documentary filmmaker before she decided to make a decom about a 13-year-old learning to surf.
00:03:02
Speaker
um she is the very first woman to direct a decom a plus for her she's absolutely freaking incredible and everyone should go look her up she has made films examining feminism in the workplace homeless gay and transgender teens in manhattan adolescents and women like she's she does really amazing work what a resume I know. And currently she's part of an organization called b y Kids. I think it's pronounced by kids, which helps kids from around the world connect with mentors as they make their own film documentaries.
00:03:37
Speaker
Wow. I know. She sounds really cool. Has she done any other DCOMs or was this like her lone adventure into Disney? So she's done some other like TV movies, I think, but I think
Cultural Impact and Filming Details
00:03:49
Speaker
this is the only DCOM she's done. Okay. But like all in all, she's absolutely freaking incredible. And I think she's like a new role model for me.
00:03:57
Speaker
Yeah. so I don't know what you're going to say about the movie, but I think it was very well directed, if nothing else. So good for her. I have thoughts. I have thoughts.
00:04:08
Speaker
Okay, but enough about Joyce. um Rip Girls premiered on Disney Channel in 2000. And while it didn't have the massive cultural impact of some of its early 2000 siblings It did make a lot of kids become suddenly very passionate about surfing, which is so cute. um And when news outlets make listings today about some of the best DCOMs of all time, this movie consistently ranks.
00:04:32
Speaker
It's not like top 10, but it's consistently in like lists of top 50, which I think is super cool. That is neat. I literally never heard of it before this show that we're doing. So I'm... yeah I mean, good for them. it just maybe wasn't in my exact vein of DCOMs because I was born in 95. I would have only been five when it came out.
00:04:54
Speaker
So by the time I
Plot Recap and Character Development
00:04:55
Speaker
watched Disney Channel, I'm guessing it was like the late night movie, which is probably why I missed it. Yeah. So a little bit ah sprinkling of some fun facts before we move on. Despite being set in Hawaii, Rip Girls was actually filmed in Queensland, Australia.
00:05:09
Speaker
Oh, how beautiful. I know. But also for a movie that's so much about Hawaii, I feel like you should just gone to Hawaii. Yeah, that's a little weird. We've been getting a lot of Australia recently. There was like Maya Mitchell and then What's-His-Face, who played Ben in Descendants. Is he Australian?
00:05:28
Speaker
yes Oh, didn't know that. We talked about it last week. Well, ah that information has left my brain since then, apparently. Another thing, Rip Girls has never been released on VHS or DVD.
00:05:42
Speaker
So pretty much the only way you can watch it now is on Disney Plus or if you know someone who recorded it um from their TV back in the day. Oh, wow. Throwback. Recording on the TV. Right. feel like that doesn't happen anymore.
00:05:56
Speaker
I guess it does like sports. Yeah. but Yeah, but like and you record to a DVR, you're not recording to an actual like tape or whatever. Right. Like when we were kids and you still had the commercials in between and stuff.
00:06:07
Speaker
That would be like something to put in a museum. Like I have an original recording of RIP Girls on VHS. And listen, if if someone out there does, you could probably make a pretty penny from selling that.
00:06:19
Speaker
Honestly, give it a shot. See what happens. it on eBay. Lastly, in 2001, Camila Bell, who played our leading lady, Sydney, and Stacey Hess, who played Gia, they both received Young Artist Award nominations for acting in this film.
00:06:34
Speaker
Interesting. All of that out of the way. Gabby, do you want to take us through this recap? Yeah, I do. ah it's It's a rather simple movie. So like my recap actually isn't super long. But yeah, let's dive in.
00:06:49
Speaker
So this movie takes us on a trip to Hawaii, not Australia, where Cindy and her dad, Ben, and her stepmom, Elizabeth, are visiting a beachfront plantation that was owned and operated by Sydney's mother's family for generations.
00:07:03
Speaker
We learn from the opening narration that Sydney has not been back to Hawaii since she was a young girl, nor does she know anything about her mother or her time living there, and her dad is adamant that they leave as quickly as possible.
00:07:15
Speaker
He is overprotective of Sydney and somewhat controlling, and that seems to get worse once they arrive on the plantation. Ben and Elizabeth speak with the lawyer handling the property and they learn that Sydney is the sole heir of the property and the final decision on what to do with it will rest with her.
00:07:31
Speaker
In her exploration of the house, Sydney finds a photo album containing pictures of her mother surfing, which prompts her to begin asking questions about who her mother was. When these questions are shut down by her father, Sydney goes out exploring on her own.
00:07:44
Speaker
And in a barn on the plantation, she finds an old surfboard and begins carrying it around the island. Later that day, Sydney runs into a local girl named Gia, who she immediately befriends, and Gia takes her to the beach to meet her other friends and a surf with Sydney.
00:07:59
Speaker
Then Kona, one of the boys at the beach, immediately picks on the back. Kona. Immediately picks up on the fact that Sydney has clearly never surfed before, having never been allowed to attempt anything so dangerous.
00:08:12
Speaker
And all the kids offered to teach her how to surf. Yay. So in the background, we learn that there is an interested buyer in the beachfront property who wants to turn the entire plantation into a resort.
00:08:24
Speaker
The locals are, of course, horrified by this idea. But Ben and Elizabeth, along with the realtors, encourage Sidney to consider selling as the money would be incredible. And the buyer is willing to be flexible on some of the things she's concerned about.
00:08:38
Speaker
Sidney expresses many concerns about the buyout and this potential negative effects on the town and the surrounding land. And the buyer says that he will consider all of these things. So Sydney continues growing closer in her friendships with Gia and Kona, but one day while they're out surfing, Sydney gets caught in a wave and she hits her head and it's bad.
00:08:57
Speaker
So she gets taken back to Gia's house for care and Gia's mother reveals that she was best friends with Sydney's mom and that Sydney's surfboard actually belongs to her mother.
00:09:08
Speaker
Sydney realizes there's a lot more to her mom and her mom's death than she ever realized. But before she can talk to her dad about it, he notices the cut on her head and gets incredibly angry with Sydney for attempting to surf.
00:09:20
Speaker
He blames Gia's mother for getting her tangled up in all of this, and Gia's mother tells Ben that he needs to begin letting go of the past and allowing the island to heal him of his pain. The next day, Gia tells Sydney more about the legacy of her mom on the island and how a surfing accident is what led to her death.
00:09:36
Speaker
Later that day, Gia and Kona take Sydney to her mother's old house, where she actually has a brief memory of her own time in Hawaii with her mother. The locals then invite Sydney to an exclusive celebration where they all watch the whales coming into the bay, a ritual rite of passage for young Hawaiians. And at the party, Kona kisses Sydney And Gia's mom tells her- For.0001 seconds.
00:10:03
Speaker
It is a middle school kiss if I've ever seen It is the quickest kiss I've ever seen on television. But that's so cute. But it's very cute. And Gia's mom tells her even more about her own mother and why her father, Ben, is so angry with the island as he blames it for losing her.
00:10:22
Speaker
At this point, Sydney's own anger flares up that she's not had her mother her entire life, and she tells her dad that he never should have kept her mother a deep, dark secret from her. After some encouragement from Elizabeth, Ben decides to walk with Sydney and finally open up about his experience falling in love with her mother and why he loved her and what she was like.
00:10:41
Speaker
After this, Sydney asks if they can move to Hawaii and live on the plantation instead of selling it. Her father tells her that it's really up to her what happens, and he will support her choice. which is a lot of autonomy to give 13 year old.
00:10:54
Speaker
Yeah, I unrealistic. I appreciate it. Because at the beginning, I was like, why they're like gonna make all these decisions for her. um But then at the end, I was like, yeah, but she's a child. So maybe probably that made more sense.
00:11:09
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. ah so that day sydney goes to find her friends but they turned on her apparently despite the fact that no decisions have been made a newspaper article was released saying that a resort will be coming to the island and they all assume that sydneyney has sold the property and turned her back on them sidney tries to explain that nothing's been decided but they won't listen Then Gia lets slip to Sydney that the initial reason she befriended her was in fact to try and make Sydney love Hawaii so that she wouldn't sell the property, even though since then she's truly come to be friends with Sydney.
00:11:46
Speaker
That
Themes and Portrayal Critiques
00:11:47
Speaker
scene is so freaking good. Yes. like It's very tense. Like the confrontation between the two of them, i was not expecting it. And I really, really loved that.
00:11:57
Speaker
I really didn't expect Gia to admit to it, to be like, yeah, no, I only befriended you to make you like Hawaii. Yeah, right? Wild. So Sydney is rightfully very upset with this information.
00:12:09
Speaker
She gets very angry. And she also assumes that Kona was in on the scheme, just trying to make her like want to stay. And Gia kind of lets her believe that. Then in her flare of anger, Sydney tells Gia that she is going to sell the plantation and never come back to Hawaii.
00:12:24
Speaker
But when the time comes to sign the papers, Sydney realizes that even with the safeguards that they've decided to put in place from her earlier concerns, selling would still be a terrible idea and she doesn't want to. So she doesn't sign the papers.
00:12:37
Speaker
Then Sydney runs to tell Gia the news that she will not be selling the plantation. but she can't find her. She does, however, find Kona, and she learns that he was never part of Gia's plan, and he's really had feelings for her all along.
00:12:50
Speaker
They then work together to locate Gia, and they find that in her frustration, she went surfing in poor conditions and is now trapped in the water. Sydney rushes out to save Gia, and once they're all safely back on the beach, Gia apologizes for how she acted. Sydney tells her that she didn't sell the property, and everything is looking up.
00:13:10
Speaker
The movie ends with Ben, Elizabeth, and Sydney moving to the plantation home and Sydney getting to surf all day with her friends. And that's Rip Girls. That's so cute. It's cute.
00:13:20
Speaker
It's very easy and simple. Like, there's a lot of details that I felt like i needed to include, but, like, honestly, not much happens. Like, the whole thing could be summed up in one sentence. Yeah, and I, controversial opinion compared to previous versions of me on this podcast, really enjoyed that part about it.
00:13:39
Speaker
I loved that it was simple, you know? i feel like this movie really leaned more into the drama and the introspection than other DCOMs. You know, like, there's not really that comedy element. Like, none of this is funny.
00:13:54
Speaker
Let's be straight up honest. None of it's funny. But I kind liked it. Yeah. I actually, one of my notes at the beginning was, wait, is this going to be a horror movie? Because they do really play up the drama and like the mystery surrounding her mom and the music choices at the beginning. I was like, are we actually watching a horror movie? And I just didn't know it. Like, is something bad going to happen now? Or like, is her mom going to still be alive? Like, that's the direction the tone felt like it was leaning.
00:14:20
Speaker
Right. And it's it's almost because in in today's age, like, so many horror movies will start off with this vibe at the beginning, right?
00:14:31
Speaker
Because, like, I think this was before horror movies were like that. Maybe. Maybe, yeah. And I feel like a lot of movies today do need, like, an extra gimmick. Like, oh, the mom's been alive the whole time. But this needed none of that.
00:14:45
Speaker
it was just very simple. So what... Do you feel about it? Because like, I'm dying to know. What is your opinion on the movie? I loved it. Oh, good. I like genuinely really, really enjoyed it.
00:14:59
Speaker
I think it's probably not one I'm going to reach for a whole lot, you know? Um, and when we rank everything at the end of season two, I don't think it's going to be number one, but I really enjoyed it. And I think that it was beautiful to watch like the cinematography, like the beach and the nature shots, um, the music we already talked about big fan and like the acting wasn't incredible, but I really thought it served the story. I loved that the adults were like fully fledged characters with their own problems and their own,
00:15:34
Speaker
Like every scene between the dad and the stepmom was like beautifully crafted. and I feel like even though this was one of those movies that like wasn't funny and was pretty early 90s movies in that it wasn't fast. Right. It was very slow, very, you know, the pacing and the tone were not what today would be.
00:15:58
Speaker
But I think that it really held my attention because the story was so engaging. I agree. Yeah, I actually like the pacing of it as well.
00:16:09
Speaker
I am glad you mentioned the acting because I would say the acting for me was a bit distracting. Like at times, I don't think it was great acting. But yeah, the writing was good enough that it supported it I didn't mind.
00:16:24
Speaker
that they weren't amazing, incredible actors because all of them were pretty much unknown at this time. And a lot of the kids were like just kids who could surf, who they thought could also act.
00:16:40
Speaker
And like, I love that they went and discovered these kids and put them in this movie and didn't go all Hollywood with it and like try to find people who are already famous or already had done other Disney movies before.
00:16:52
Speaker
and we're going to like use body doubles to surf. Like they went out in not Hawaii, Australia, but they went out in Australia, found people who fit the roles first and then kind of taught them how to act. And I love that as someone in casting. I adore that, you know?
00:17:09
Speaker
It made the movie real. Yeah. I also love that everybody who was like Hawaiian native or a local in Hawaii looked Hawaiian. Exactly. I was so excited, even down to the fact that they had the little bit of like blonde hair. I feel like that was so popular in in that place at that time.
00:17:26
Speaker
And I was just like, wow, they actually got people who look like they're Polynesian. And from this place, it makes it so much more engaging when they do that. I was a little sad when I first saw Kona because I was like, he looks the most white. So I'm sure he's the love interest. And that bothered me just a tiny bit.
00:17:41
Speaker
But he's did a great job. And he actually was a really good actor for that part. Yeah. I let it go. I want to talk about the romance if you are ready for my strong opinion.
00:17:52
Speaker
Oh, sure. Wait, can I just share something that's like a lukewarm opinion before you share your strong opinion? For sure. Share your lukewarm opinion. I just really appreciated that they were actual kids and it felt like a kid romance.
00:18:06
Speaker
Like yeah all of these child actors, this is what we talk about with DCOMs, right? Like what makes them so good, especially the early 2000s ones like under wraps, is that they're actually kids and they don't look like they're 20 and they're not acting like they're 20.
00:18:20
Speaker
yeah And I just felt like that extended to the romance where you're like, oh my gosh, they're just so adorable and it's so cringy. And I don't know, it was cute. It worked for me. I agree. Romance was super cute.
00:18:32
Speaker
I enjoyed that the ah two of them had their little thing. However, strong opinion alert. um We need like sirens blaring because I'm about to really throw down here.
00:18:44
Speaker
Oh, gosh. Yeah. Two things. First of all, Sidney's crush on Kona adds absolutely nothing to the movie. It's just there because the DCOM needed a romance subplot because because it's a Disney movie.
00:18:57
Speaker
Oh, definitely. No need for it whatsoever. added nothing. Okay, second strong opinion, Gia and Kona have so much more chemistry. Literally, so she's like, oh, I don't like him like that. They're running around and shoving each other. They're always touching.
00:19:14
Speaker
Excuse me? No, this is a Gia and Kona romance. I'm sorry. In the sequel, they are together. I said it at least three times. I was like, Gia and this guy should be dating. I said it at least 20 times.
00:19:27
Speaker
I don't understand why Cindy's even in this relationship. Exactly. Exactly. i was like, oh, oh, she just doesn't know yet. But the second she gets jealous, oh, that girl's gonna know she's in love with Kona.
00:19:38
Speaker
And he loves her. Like, there's chemistry is palpable. Yes. Oh my god. Thank you. I'm so glad you thought this too. Literally, I feel like the Sydney Kona crush is just that. It's a crush. like She's the new girl and he's like, oh, new girl who like needs help surfing. Let me step in and help. Oh, cute.
00:19:56
Speaker
And she's like, oh my gosh, I've never seen a boy before. There's a boy. i like him. like that's That's the full extent of their romance. Gia ain't going to have this like... whole background they've got this relationship this friendship it's deep he's and he's like an artist and she appreciates his art and all the things and i'm like why are you wasting your talent on and she's like he's a good listener he has a good soul and i'm like girl you love him girl you love him no one is buying that you're like brother and sister not a soul is buying that not a soul i agree with your strong opinion 100
00:20:30
Speaker
Thank you. I appreciate that so much. And their romance felt more like an adult romance. Like theirs was the one that I was like, I'm feeling something. We're not quite at Harry from Descendants 2 level, but like there's something there. Maybe more than Zac Efron and Vanessa Hutchinson, the first musical. But Sidney and Kona was just middle school.
00:20:50
Speaker
Honestly, yes. But yeah, it's just so good. it had all the elements of like adventure, kids, like family, grief, all the right things to make a classic decom recipe.
00:21:01
Speaker
They just did a good job. I, again, to go back to the parents, like his expression of grief and his journey of grief was amazing.
00:21:11
Speaker
I think, uh, smart house level. Like, I definitely didn't cry, but it was deep. I appreciated the grief more in smart house because it was easier to digest kind of grief.
00:21:26
Speaker
When you see Ben grieving his mother, it felt more correct. This was a kind of grief That doesn't feel good because he's acting in a negative way because of it, but that's real life. Grief doesn't always look the way we want it to look.
00:21:43
Speaker
And the way that he's reacting to Sydney is, you know, a little bit harmful to her, but we know where it's stemming from and that's real. And I also, that moment between the stepmom and the dad where she's talking to him and she's like, I i don't know how, like if it was another woman, i would fight for you.
00:22:04
Speaker
I don't know how to fight a ghost. Like that hit me. That was my favorite line in the movie. That was my favorite too. It's like, she's like, I want to love you, but it is so difficult for me to love someone when you're holding onto this grief.
00:22:19
Speaker
Like it's an addiction. Yeah. Yeah, it's like it's what keeps him going to be in Greece and to sad. I also love the line, you need to let the island heal you. What she said spoke volumes to the fact that he's not allowing healing in his life one way or another.
00:22:35
Speaker
I also really like that they touched on this theme of remarriage. We don't see that a ton in DCOMs. And usually when we do, it's taken very negatively. Like the step-parent has a negative relationship with the stepchild.
00:22:49
Speaker
And I really like that they're just very happily, healthily remarried. Like they're currently in – in this movie, like a season where they're going through it because he's back at the home of where his deceased wife lived.
00:23:01
Speaker
But you can tell that like in life, she has a great relationship with Sydney. Like Sydney trusts her. think Sydney at one point even says like, she's kind of the only mother figure I've ever had. And I just really liked that they touched on that.
00:23:14
Speaker
Yeah, I love that she wasn't a wicked stepmother. She was so healthy and so sweet and she loves that girl. Mm-hmm. She really does. Yeah, and she just wants both of them to heal. Yeah, ah Elizabeth was great.
00:23:26
Speaker
Great character. And I just have one final question. Who the heck was the creepy person with binoculars? Is that ever explained? Oh my god, yes! Thank you! I also was thinking that.
00:23:37
Speaker
I was like, who? and I said it twice out loud. My friend Emma watched this with me. And I was like, who is that? What? Who is that? Why they showing this? And they never talk about it again! I feel like there was some kind of a like deleted subplot where maybe the dad is spying on her or Elizabeth is trying to like, or maybe the mom was supposed to be alive and they just kept this shot in or something. I think literally have no earthly clue.
00:24:01
Speaker
You are so right. I had forgotten about it until now. There is no explanation. You don't know who that person is. You don't know why he or she
Reception and Cast Updates
00:24:09
Speaker
or it is watching her. That's the horror movie subplot.
00:24:13
Speaker
That was one of my cues for like, oh, is it going to be a horror movie? Or, oh, is her mom going to be alive? And then it just never came back. and Never came back up. Yeah. Wild behavior.
00:24:25
Speaker
i think we've talked long enough. And I just want to end this segment by saying, i think this deserves a remake. Absolutely, I would watch that. I would love a remake.
00:24:36
Speaker
That would be so good. Yes. We must move on to public opinion. Yeah, public opinion. It's... It was a journey. So our tomato meter, ah we don't have one. There was only one critic review, but it was four out of five stars.
00:24:53
Speaker
Tracy Petherick said, coming of age surf movie has good vibes, strong role models. That's it. I mean, sure. Yes. Agreed. Right.
00:25:04
Speaker
The popcorn meter is surprising. So it's 69%.
00:25:10
Speaker
Okay. Yeah, which is like, sure. But it's surprising because most of the written reviews are fairly positive or at least kind of in the middle. There were hardly any that were like completely negative.
00:25:23
Speaker
So people were afraid to share their opinions again. ah But here's a few of the reviews. So, okay, as a theme, lots And lots of reviews mention Camila Bell or her acting or that she was the best, that she's great, that they love her.
00:25:39
Speaker
So I guess people did kind of know her. Cool. I mean, she went on to do more stuff. and We'll talk about that in a minute. But like, okay, I think at the time, like maybe she'd done some stuff as a kid, but she wasn't like big yet.
00:25:50
Speaker
Yeah. um First review. Awesome movie. I watch it all the time. Great. And there are tons of like positive short little reviews like that. Just tons and tons of them.
00:26:02
Speaker
Second review. It feels like the multiverse version of Johnny Tsunami, except what makes this film significant, is the outstanding lead in Camila Bell, there we go again, delivering charm, heart, and wit, and surprisingly adds some mature themes in responsibility and deciding what's the best interest of oneself while acknowledging the impact that your decision makes.
00:26:27
Speaker
All of this makes for one fulfilling ending. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, it the whole movie really is about how your choices affect everybody. Yeah, 100%.
00:26:38
Speaker
Next review says, This is such a good movie. This was during the time when Disney did amazing original movies. Which, like... Sure. i mean, there were some real good ones after that, too.
00:26:50
Speaker
i know. I'm like, i mean, I mean, this before High School Musical, guys. Calm down. Yeah, come on. ah Next one. It's honest and it's really sincere, which I really liked that short, sweet, and to the point.
00:27:04
Speaker
Yes. And exactly what I've been trying to convey this whole time in so many words. Yeah. Right. Yes. And then finally, for some reason, I never cared much for R.I.P. Girls.
00:27:14
Speaker
Oh, I'm sorry. I should have warned you. This is a negative one. This is like the only negative one. I got that. Yeah. so We're ending on a negative note. ah For some reason, I never really cared much for R.I.P. Girls, although the Hawaiian setting is lovely and there isn't much else to this movie.
00:27:30
Speaker
Well, you mean the Australian setting? Yes, sure. It kind of looked like Hawaii. They're similar. mean, fair, but still. I know, I know. All right, I'm dying to know where are they now because I don't think I know any of these people.
00:27:43
Speaker
Like when I saw them, I was like, you're all strangers to me. That's fair. All right, so Camila Bell, who played Sydney, continued her acting career with notable roles in films like When a Stranger Calls, 10,000 BC, and Push.
00:27:57
Speaker
um Beyond her acting career, Camila has been the face of Vera Wang's Princess fragrance and has appeared in advertisements for even more brands like Nespresso. She is known for her fashion sense, having been featured on numerous magazine covers and receiving the Young Hollywood Style Icon Award at 2001's Young Hollywood Awards.
00:28:19
Speaker
Wow. I know, right? She was raised in a bilingual household, so she speaks both English and Portuguese fluently. She often visits her mother's family in Brazil.
00:28:30
Speaker
And she keeps a relatively private life now. So there's not a whole lot of info beyond that. But girls book and blessed, as we say. I mean, good for her. That sounds great. I didn't know she was a fashion icon. I'm going to have to look her up.
00:28:43
Speaker
She's stunningly gorgeous. She was such a typical middle schooler in this movie. And that's not to say she wasn't pretty. She was just so young. It's like hard to see how she would develop. And they definitely made her look like, you know, the awkward middle school pictures where you're wearing like gym shorts and three tank tops to the beach.
00:29:01
Speaker
Yes. In a way that Disney does not do that now. No. Now everything makes you look like you're 25 and on a magazine cover when you're like chilling in your pajamas. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:29:13
Speaker
Okay. Dwyer Brown, who played Sidney's father, Ben, is perhaps best known for his role as John Kinsella in the classic film Field of Dreams, which was about 10 years before this movie.
00:29:26
Speaker
Oh. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. i I did when he popped up on screen. I was like, is that? Huh? And it was. Interesting. Okay. Yep. So following Rip Girls, Dwyer continued to act in various films and television projects. In addition to his acting career, he authored a memoir that is titled If You Build It, which is a reflection on his experiences related to Field of Dreams. And he does a lot of like conventions and promotion of Field of Dreams stuff now. So.
00:29:55
Speaker
I love that so much. That's a great movie. Stacey Hess, who played Gia, this is her one and only acting credit. She transitioned away from acting and she found her passion in photography and modeling.
00:30:11
Speaker
She currently has a very active presence on social media where she shares her work and some of her personal life. She is a mom to an adorable daughter, and she now owns a fine jewelry company with her husband. Way to be, girl. She's like the cheetah girls.
00:30:27
Speaker
Just has auntie and Tamera Mori. Just all the numerous successes. All right. That's the last one. Brian Stark, who played Kona, the love interest, he went on to act in shows like Malcolm in the Middle, but ultimately stopped acting in the early 2000s.
00:30:43
Speaker
And to be honest, I'm very sad, but I could find almost no information about Brian. There's like a ton of Brian Starks on social media, but I couldn't confirm that any of them were actually our Brian.
00:30:56
Speaker
So I have no idea where he is now. If anyone knows where Brian Stark is, Please tell him that we'd love to chat because he's such an adorable little sweetheart and I want to know what he's up to now.
00:31:08
Speaker
Yes. Well, okay. That sucks. I know, right? Because I was really excited to figure out where he's at Right. And then the stepmom and a couple of the other kids, um all of them have either faded from obscurity because they don't act anymore because this was their one and only acting credit.
00:31:28
Speaker
Or like the stepmom, they are still acting and just doing little bit parts here and there. So everyone's doing all right. Except for Brian. Brian, where are you? Where did you come from? Where did you go?
00:31:39
Speaker
i can see on their IMDb like almost none of them have pictures. Yeah. And that's very unusual. So you usually know like, okay, they they haven't done much if they have pictures. For I'm actually impressed that you found so much on these guys.
00:31:51
Speaker
I tried. I really went deep, um
Next Episode Teaser and Closing Remarks
00:31:54
Speaker
you know. And that is where they are now. But Gabby, it's time. It is time. It is time, yes, to pick our movie for next week.
00:32:03
Speaker
So we have our very long list of movies of every single DCOM ever made, and we use a random number generator to help us pick which movie we're going to be watching for the following week. So far, we have watched classics like High School Musical and the Lizzie McGuire movie and the Cheetah Girls. We've also watched some more obscure films like Rip Girls, maybe not obscure to some, and Under Wraps, which I know you probably haven't seen unless you watch this podcast. Yeah.
00:32:26
Speaker
But you know what? Shout out and justice for Under Wraps because that movie was great. It was. Okay, here we go. I am putting in our random number generator to see what we will get. Again, this could be literally anything from the beginning to now.
00:32:41
Speaker
Okay, I don't know this movie, but I can tell you, Natalie, I think you're going to be excited about the lead actress. Okay. We are going to be watching Quint from 2000 starring Kimberly J. Brown, who we already know from Halloween Town.
00:32:56
Speaker
love her so much. Okay, listen, Gabby, I love this one. I have not seen, I probably haven't seen this in 20 years, but I watched this so much as a kid with my sister Megan.
00:33:08
Speaker
Really? all know Megan. You met her a couple weeks ago. Oh, yeah. We know i love this one. Okay, I don't think I've even heard of it. So this will be brand new for me. Okay, I'm not going to tell you anything. I want you to be surprised.
00:33:21
Speaker
Yay, I'm excited. Okay, guys, so go watch Quints this week. That's Q-U-I-N-T-S. And we will see you next week to talk about apparently babies. A lot of babies.
00:33:32
Speaker
Yes, i you'll love it. Please go watch it. You will love it. Well, we'll see you guys next week. Have a good one till then. Bye. Bye. Thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Once Upon a DCOM. Like what you just heard? Leave us a rating and review. We'd love to hear your thoughts.
00:33:48
Speaker
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, Fran.
00:33:59
Speaker
And don't forget to subscribe because there's always a new episode on the way. This is Gabriela. And Natalie. Signing off with a sprinkle of pixie dust. and a whole lot of nostalgia.