Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal (2008) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Tom McLoughlin

Writer:

Teena Booth (written by)

Release Date:

2 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Five high school cheerleaders, including the daughter of the school principal, run amok -- and teachers...

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 19

7:00 PM

LIFE

Cast

Tatum O'Neal	...	Lorene Tippit
Ashley Benson	...	Brooke Tippit
Jenna Dewan	...	Emma Carr
Daniel Newman	...	Trevor
Dameon Clarke	...	Coach Adam Reeve
Jessica Heap	...	Jeri Blackburn
Aimee Spring Fortier	...	Lisa Toledo
Stephanie Honore	...	Ashley
Ashlynn Ross	...	Tabitha Doering
Carissa Capobianco	...	Cindy Harper
Hailey Wist	...	Meagan Harper
Karan Kendrick	...	Helen Durant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Natasha "Sasha" Angelety	...	High School Student
Leigh Brumley	...	Paparazzi Reporter
Daurice Cummings	...	Parent
Miko DeFoor	...	Joe
Corey Flaspoehler	...	The Jock
Keith Flippen	...	Mr. Spretnak
Geraldine Glenn	...	Secretary
Lara Grice	...	Reporter
Rhoda Griffis	...	Pamela Blackburn
Russell M. Haeuser	...	School Board Member
Rodney Hebert	...	Teacher
Taylor Kowalski	...	Jason
Tiffany Lynn Land	...	Student
Zack Leath	...	Middle Schooler
James Loetzerich	...	Student
Caroline McKinley	...	Janice Harper
Nancy McLoughlin	...	Coach Hanley
Anne Palermo	...	School Teacher
Lyssa Prine	...	Secretary
Jonathan Reynolds	...	Terrance Foster
Michael Roth	...	Student
Travis Sanzone	...	Eddie the bully
Carl Savering	...	Investigator
Antoine Spillers	...	Student
Defecio Stoglin	...	Security Guard
Jearl Vinot	...	Paparazzi Camera Man

Runtime:

USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Fox Television Studios

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The Texas flag in the principal's office is upside down.

"Pump, pump, pump it up/Pump that spirit, keep it up!"

Relentlessly malicious mash-up of teen-clique melodrama and exploitation flick, featuring the usual barrage of lollipop-licking Lolitas and well-intentioned but ineffectual adults. New cheerleading coach at a Texas high school quickly learns she's just done a High V into the lion's den after five of the kids in her squad turn the tide against her. These girls, who throw mischievous looks at each other over their shoulders whenever they've been naughty, fight with their peer groups somewhat realistically, but also go after authority figures with such professional élan one might think this TV-movie was written by dirty politicians. Still, the rebellious teens-vs.-desperate teachers theme never quite blooms because the filmmakers are too intent on recycling babysitter/big sister/jailbait clichés. The formula may work here for about 30 minutes, but most viewers should be satisfied by then. Based on a true incident that sprung from a school in Dallas, Tatum O'Neal plays the principal--and mother to the ringleader of the girls--who welcomes the new coach without a word about the other sacrificial lambs who had previously held the position (O'Neal's pained expression becomes a running joke, and she seems to have no more authority over the rest of her duties as she does over this group). B-movies from the days of the drive-ins did this type of thing with a lot more humor. Here, the sneering and backbiting are meant to be the stuff of Herculean drama--Shakespeare with handsprings and herkies. It's barely enough to cover a couple of dull hours on a weeknight, and most of the grown-ups in the cast instantly appear to recognize this.