The American Mall (2008) (TV)

Director:

Shawn Ku

Writers (WGA):

Margaret Oberman (teleplay)
Tomás Romero (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Love and Dreams Are Not for Sale

Plot:

A musical romantic comedy set at a mall and focused on the relationship between two young musicians and their respective personal and professional struggles. |

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Nina Dobrev	...	Ally
Rob Mayes	...	Joey
Autumn Reeser	...	Madison Huxley
Yassmin Alers	...	Erin
Al Sapienza	...	Max
Brooke Lyons	...	Dori
Bresha Webb	...	Penny
Bianca Collins	...	Mia
Blythe Auffarth	...	Alexa
Rodney To	...	Ben
Neil Haskell	...	Drew
David Baum	...	Stavros
Wade Allain-Marcus	...	Rick
Josh Rouah	...	Pete the Security Guard
Nikola Clark	...	Jordan
Kira Plastinina	...	Herself
Bayli Baker	...	Principal Dancer
Kelli Baker	...	Principal Dancer
Shawn Carter	...	Principal Dancer
Katie Cockrell	...	Principal Dancer
Kellie Cockrell	...	Principal Dancer
Christian Denice	...	Principal Dancer
Matthew Dorame	...	Principal Dancer (as Matt Dorame)
Mollee Gray	...	Principal Dancer
Tadd Gadduang	...	Principal Dancer (as Louise Tadd Gudduang)
Shannon Hendrix	...	Principal Dancer
Thayne Jasperson	...	Principal Dancer
Eldon Johnson	...	Principal Dancer (as Eldon L. Johnson)
Roger Malaga	...	Principal Dancer
Gevorg Manoukian	...	Principal Dancer (as Gev Manoukian)
Nina Miller	...	Principal Dancer
Emily Seegmiller	...	Principal Dancer
Veronica Yeager	...	Principal Dancer
Gabriel Borden	...	Mallrat
Chance Borden	...	Mallrat
Nacole Brown	...	Mallrat (as NaCole Brown)
Mike Christensen	...	Mallrat
Stacy Clark	...	Mallrat
Averie DelGrosso	...	Mallrat (as Avery Delgrosso)
Molly DePolla	...	Mallrat
Kaleb Henderson	...	Mallrat
Kameron Henderson	...	Mallrat
Adair Hensley	...	Mallrat
Bailee Hunsaker	...	Mallrat
Nathan Kukahiko	...	Mallrat
Melissa Magleby	...	Mallrat
Chris Pitts	...	Mallrat
Nick Pitts	...	Mallrat
Kaitlyn Schwab	...	Mallrat (as Kaitlyn Schwaibe)
Erin Sullivan	...	Mallrat
Megan Sullivan	...	Mallrat
Jessie Thacker	...	Mallrat
Josh Unice	...	Mallrat
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Shum Jr.	...	Dancing Taco
Julia Faye West	...	Mallrat
Johnny Ahn	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jamey Anthony	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Madison Dominguez Aragon	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Elle Devine	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Chanelle DeVore	...	Fan (uncredited)
Lindsey Evans	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Larry Filion	...	Stage Builder (uncredited)
Oksana Georgiu	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Lafe Jordan	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Angella Joy	...	Stevie's Mom (uncredited)
Tony Knight	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Mary Alice Nelson	...	Shopper (uncredited)
Priscilla Poland	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Yong Yun	...	Max's Assistant (uncredited)

Directed by
Shawn Ku

Writing credits (WGA)
Margaret Oberman		(teleplay)
Tomás Romero		(story) (as Tomas Romero) and
P.J. Hogan		(story)

Produced by
Leslie Belzberg	....	co-executive producer
Bill Borden	....	producer
Mark Hansson	....	associate producer
Richard Martinez	....	producer
Arata Matsushima	....	executive producer
Barry Rosenbush	....	executive producer
Lisa Silfen	....	executive producer
Terry Spazek	....	producer
Jeff Yapp	....	executive producer

Original Music by
David Lawrence

Cinematography by
Matthew Williams		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Don Brochu

Casting by
Dori Zuckerman

Production Design by
Christopher R. DeMuri		(as Christopher Demuri)

Set Decoration by
Les Boothe

Costume Design by
Cynthia Ann Summers		(as Cynthia Summers)

Makeup Department
Lindey L. Crow	....	hair stylist
Lindey L. Crow	....	makeup artist
Raquel Goodsell	....	makeup artist
Bern Kubiak	....	makeup artist
Greg T. Moon	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Kelsey Daniels	....	production supervisor (as Kelsey Landry)
Terry Spazek	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Borden	....	second unit director
Brent Geisler	....	second second assistant director
Mark Hansson	....	first assistant director
Cody Harbaugh	....	additional second assistant director
Heather Toone	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Brent Astrope	....	construction coordinator
Burke Bowthorpe	....	props
Gabe Casdorph	....	set dresser
Kent Daniels	....	painter
Matt Harris	....	assistant property master
Janet S. Havranek	....	art department buyer
Adam Henderson	....	set dresser
Michael T. Higgins	....	lead man
Hollie Howton	....	art department coordinator
Derek Hunter	....	set graphics
Cynthia A. Neibaur	....	buyer
Jonas Sappington	....	set dresser
Anthony Straga	....	on-set dresser
Cordell Taylor	....	carpenter
Joshua Zeigler	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Jason Brady	....	boom operator
Jason Brennan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Clare	....	dialogue editor
Steve Copley	....	foley mixer
Daniel Douglass	....	sound engineer
Mark Ettel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Gillingham	....	sound effects editor
Darrell Hanzalik	....	dialogue editor
Jamie Hardt	....	co-supervising sound editor
Anthony Krajchir	....	sound engineer
Cliff Latimer	....	dialogue editor
John Leveque	....	supervising sound editor
Ryan Lukasik	....	foley assistant
Michele Perrone	....	supervising dialogue editor
Paul Ratajczak	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pernell L. Salinas	....	assistant sound editor
John Sievert	....	foley artist
Jonathon 'Earl' Stein	....	sound mixer
Mandell Winter	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
John Bellas	....	visual effects artist
John Ross	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Frank L. Bare II	....	stunt coordinator (as Frank Bare)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dean Aoki	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Joseph Arena	....	Steadicam operator
Joseph Arena	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Kurtis Burr	....	loader
Natalie Cass	....	still photographer
Brandon Gleave	....	electrician
Fred Hayes	....	still photographer
Gary Johnson	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Kelly Klindt	....	grip
Rick Page	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Dennis L. Peterson	....	chief lighting technician
John Raymer	....	best boy electric
Paul Sanchez	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Theodore Spazek	....	camera utility
Craig Sullivan	....	grip
Jason Walser	....	dolly grip
John M. Williams	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Dylann Brander	....	additional casting
Lauren Failla	....	casting associate: LA
Jeff Johnson	....	casting: Utah
Gayle Minkovitch-Jensen	....	extras casting (as Gayle Minkevitch)
Tye Nelson	....	casting assistant
Georgia Simon	....	adr voice casting
Kelly Wagner	....	additional casting
Yong Yun	....	extras casting assistant (as Aaron Yun)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alyson Hancey	....	wardrobe supervisor
Barbara Nelson	....	costumer
Carmen Nydegger	....	key costumer
Brooke Westberg	....	key set costumer
Michelle l Boucher	....	seamstress (uncredited)

Editorial Department
David Abramson	....	first assistant editor
Paul Allia	....	digital colorist
Derek Herr	....	on-line editor
Christine Seino	....	assistant on-line editor
Heidi Tebo	....	project manager: The Post Group

Music Department
Amber Funk	....	music editor
Faye Greenberg	....	executive music producer
Avital Korin	....	music editor
Matt LaPoint	....	score mixer
Matt LaPoint	....	song mixer
Georgia Stitt	....	composer: additional music
Matthew Temple	....	music supervisor
Pancho Burgos-Goizueta	....	composer assistant (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Britani Alexander	....	transportation coordinator
Ryan McDowell	....	driver
Thad Paget	....	driver

Other crew
Gaetano Akiya	....	first assistant accountant
Jack Allred	....	assistant to director
Hayley Badham	....	key set production assistant
Suzanne Bingham	....	script supervisor
Karen J. Borja	....	assistant to producers
Erika V. Carlson	....	assistant accountant
Harry Cross Jr.	....	key office production assistant
J.J. Gerber	....	assistant production coordinator
Raquel Goodsell	....	production assistant
Eldon Johnson	....	assistant choreographer
Shawn Ku	....	choreographer
Maggie Means	....	production accountant
Rachel Moceri	....	production assistant
Ryan Pederson	....	production assistant
Brooke Redmon	....	production coordinator
Brooke Schaertl	....	production assistant
Cody Shelley	....	office production assistant
Jessica Silva	....	office production assistant
Mike Staheli	....	set medic
Bonnie Story	....	choreographer
Tommy Woodard	....	film commission specialist: Utah

Production Companies

• Music Television (MTV)
• T&C Pictures

Distributors

• Music Television (MTV) (2008) (USA) (TV)
• Nickelodeon (2009) (Netherlands) (TV)

Other Companies

• Craze Agency, The  talent agency and representative
• Doyle & Miller  production legal
• Gork Enterprises  titles
• Gork Enterprises  visual effects facility
• Micdi Productions  music editorial
• Redman Movies and Stories  camera crane
• Redman Movies and Stories  camera dolly
• Redman Movies and Stories  camera jib
• Redman Movies and Stories  camera remote head
• Redman Movies and Stories  expendables
• Redman Movies and Stories  grip equipment
• Redman Movies and Stories  trailers
• Redman Movies and Stories  trucks
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Studio 8 Sound  sound post-production
• Wow & Flutter  ADR recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Provo, Utah, USA

Company:

Music Television (MTV)

Movie Connections:

References "Hello Kitty" (1993)

Soundtrack:

A Little Bit of Heart Somewhere

Not all musicals need to be that cheesy, but I'll accept this as a treasure

I love watching musicals, especially my all-time favorite "Grease", but when it comes to the Disney Channel-type musicals like the "High School Musical" saga, cheesy and forgivable is in my library. This comes in handy with the MTV musical treasure, "The American Mall" which is not a Disney Channel-type of musical. The plot involves Ally (Nina Dobrev from Degrassi: The Next Generation and The Vampire Diaries) who is a singer/songwriter who is (a) trying to fit in with her music career, (b) trying to get into a musical symposium and (c) stuck with her mother while working in a music shop. That all changes when the handsome janitor/musician named Joey (Rob Mayes) hears one of her songs and is amazed by the songs she writes. Ally and Joey do have eyes for each other and they do fall in love but love is so not a sales item when the bitchy Madison (Autumn Reeser) interruptly snatches Joey from Ally and turns him into a sensation for Madison's new store. Director Shawn Ku and telewriter Margaret Oberman takes some time with the clichés, but the musical numbers and the cast sometimes hits it home. They don't exactly standout when it comes to 20somethings playing teenagers but mostly, I didn't care. Add some funny janitors, some wacky assistants, an token Asian-American guy who is funny for anything and the result is a cheesy but likable and charismatic treasure that is worth checking out to the pre-teens and teenagers. P.S: Good performances from Dobrev and Mayes as the two leads.