Cadet Kelly (2002) (TV)

Director:

Larry Shaw

Writers (WGA):

Gail Parent (written by) &
Michael Walsh (written by)

Release Date:

8 March 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Too Cool For The Rules!

Plot:

As the clumsiest, most clueless cadet to enter George Washington Military Academy, Kelly seems to be fighting an uphill battle to fit in...

Plot Keywords:

Cadet | Teenager | Stepfather | Rivalry | Humor

Cast

Hilary Duff	...	Kelly
Christy Carlson Romano	...	Jennifer (as Christy Romano)
Gary Cole	...	Sir
Shawn Ashmore	...	Brad
Aimee Garcia	...	Gloria
Linda Kash	...	Samantha
Nigel Hamer	...	Adam
Sarah Gadon	...	Amanda
Andrea Lewis	...	Carla
Joe Matheson	...	General Archer
Beverlee Buzon	...	Grace
Dalene Irvine	...	Marie
Avery Saltzman	...	Kevin
Christopher Tai	...	Sr. Cadet Officer
Josh Wittig	...	Cadet Bugler

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:G | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Disney Channel

Trivia:

This was the very first Disney Channel Original Movie to air on The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC in the United States and CBC in Canada. The second DCOM to air on ABC and CBC was Camp Rock (2008) (TV).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Sir calls Brad "Cadet Captain Rigby", instead of Cadet Major Rigby when telling Kelly she made the drill team.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Kelly Collins: [narrating voice over] Hey, I always known there are some stories that have to be told, but I never realized my memoirs would be one of them.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Come Feud with Me: The Top 10 Disney Channel Character Feuds (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Watch Me Shine

Pleasantly surprised...

While I didn't expect too much from this movie despite the fact that I generally like Disney channel movies, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

Not only was the acting very believable, but the plot was original and had a lot of heart. This movie made me smile, get teary-eyed, and think. I think what makes this movie rise above the average is that it reaches many different people on various levels. It challenges you to think outside the box, to not accept the conformity of society and set your own standards while crossing over the line. It teaches you the importance of family, even 'broken' ones, and letting new people in, to have faith in people, how its important to face your fears, and perhaps most importantly, to embrace your individuality and set new standards.

Most of the negative comments I read about this movie complain about two things: 1) Hilary and Christy's characters are more or less the same as their alter egos, Lizzie and Ren, and 2) It was unbelievable as far as the military aspect because of the discrepancies and the way Kelly spoke to her ranking officer (Jennifer Stone, Christy Romano). I disagree on both counts.

First, Kelly and Jennifer's characters couldn't *be* farther from Lizzie and Ren. Lizzie is a sweet, sensitive, albeit insecure and klutzy homebody, while Kelly is a fun-loving, adventure-seeking, rule-breaking girl with something to prove. Similarly, Ren is a nice, caring, intelligent, studious person while Jennifer is a mean, stuck-up military brat with a chip permanently lodged on her shoulder.

And secondly, while I can't really confirm nor deny the military discrepancies not having been in ROTC or any branch of the military, I can certainly refute the statement that Kelly was way out of line. The worst thing she did was paint Jennifer's hair, and she was court-martialed for *that*, so I don't really see that as getting away with it. And furthermore, while I don't condone acts of revenge, she *did* have it coming--sometimes, the only way you can reach a person is to go to their level, for while it brings you down a notch at the time, when you rise back up, not only will you be a notch higher, you'll have brought someone up with you.

VERDICT: A heart-warming movie with character, not just recommended for the family or kids, but for anyone with an open mind and/or open heart.

7.0 out of 10.0

~AleXa~