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The new kid in Cradle Bay, Washington stumbles across something sinister about the town's method of transforming its unruly teens into upstanding citizens.

Director:

David Nutter

Writer:

Scott Rosenberg
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Popularity
4,850 ( 650)
1 win & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Marsden ... Steve Clark
Katie Holmes ... Rachel Wagner
Tobias Mehler ... Andy Effkin
Nick Stahl ... Gavin Strick
Steve Railsback ... Officer Cox
Bruce Greenwood ... Dr. Edgar Caldicott
Katharine Isabelle ... Lindsay Clark
William Sadler ... Dorian Newberry
Ethan Embry ... Allen Clark
Terry David Mulligan ... Nathan Clark
Susan Hogan ... Cynthia Clark
A.J. Buckley ... Charles 'Chug' Roman
Robert Moloney ... Ferry Guy
Derek Hamilton ... Trent Whalen
Dan Zukovic ... Mr. Rooney
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Storyline

After the suicide of the teenager Allen Clark, his family decides to move from Chicago to the quiet Cradle Bay Island seeking a peaceful life for the siblings Steve and Lindsay Clark. When Steve joins the local high-school, the outcast Gavin Strick befriends Steve and introduces his also rejected friend Rachel Wagner to the newcomer. Gavin exposes to Steve in the refectory the punks, the nerds and the different tribes of the school and he defends the weird theory that a sinister force changes the behavior of the annoyingly perfect "Blue Ribbons", a group of good students that wear identical jackets and gather in the Yogurt Shoppe. Further he tells that he had witnessed the blue ribbon Andy Efkin killing their schoolmate Mary Jo that is missing and the local Officer Cox covering the murder. Steve does not believe on Gavin words, but when his friend is submitted to the treatment of Dr. Edgar Caldicott and immediately changes his behavior, joining the Blue Ribbons, Steve and Rachel ... Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Perfection is every teenage student's co-pilot. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality, language, and drug content | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Flagpole Sitta, by Harvey Danger, is the song that plays as James Marsden and Katie Holmes escape the asylum; this is also the theme tune to the British comedy series Peep Show. See more »

Goofs

At the beginning of the movie, at 6 minutes 47-48 seconds, after Andy shoots Officer Kramer, he moves his body from the car. As soon as his head touches the ground, you can see that his right arm moves toward his lower body/knee for a couple of millisecond by itself.

The position of the right arm changed again after Andy pulls out the body of Mary Jo from the car and puts it on top of Kramer's one. See more »

Quotes

Betty Caldicott: Meet the musical little creatures that hide among the flowers.
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Crazy Credits

Voices at the end of the credits say Main Commands of Dr. Caldicott's Program: "Let the light get into you... yes, slowly". BETTY CALDICOTT: "Meet the musical little creatures that hide among the flowers". LORNA LONGLEY: "Treat yourself". See more »

Alternate Versions

DVD version features 11 deleted scenes, including an alternate ending where Gavin meets a different fate than the theatrical ending. See more »

Connections

References Fire in the Sky (1993) See more »

Soundtracks

Another Brick In The Wall
Written by Roger Waters
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User Reviews

AM I THE ONLY ONE?
19 January 1999 | by J DRECKSee all my reviews

I thought the movie was very entertaining, even with the similarities to several other movies in mind. I thought the acting was very good, and we should expect to see a lot more of the young actors/actresses in this film, especially Katie Holmes. I can't wait to see more work from her.


5 of 6 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

MGM | MGM

Country:

Australia | USA | Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 1998 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Disturbing Behavior See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,007,714, 26 July 1998

Gross USA:

$17,514,980

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,514,980
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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