Lemonade Mouth (film)

Lemonade Mouth is a 2011 American teen musical drama television film,[2][3] based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Mark Peter Hughes.[4] The film was directed by Patricia Riggen and written by April Blair, and stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Naomi Scott, Hayley Kiyoko and Blake Michael. The film tells the story of five high school students who meet in detention and form a band to stand up for their beliefs and to overcome their individual and collective struggles.

Lemonade Mouth
Extended edition US DVD cover
Genre
Based onLemonade Mouth
by Mark Peter Hughes
Teleplay byApril Blair
Directed byPatricia Riggen
Starring
Music byChristopher Lennertz
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerDebra Martin Chase
ProducerMatias Alvarez
CinematographyChecco Varese
EditorGirish Bhargava
Running time106 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkDisney Channel
Original release
  • April 15, 2011 (2011-04-15)[1]

The film premiered on April 15, 2011, on Disney Channel as a Disney Channel Original Movie.[1] It received over 7 million views on its premiere night, and has been met with generally positive reviews, with praise going towards the acting ensemble, the script, Riggen's direction, and themes of honesty, integrity, and self-expression.[2] The film won the Popstar Award for Favorite TV Movie in 2011, and was also nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award and a Motion Picture Sound Editors Award.

The soundtrack of the same name was released in April 2011 to significant commercial success peaking at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the US Top Digital Albums. Alike to the film, it was received positively by critics, who particularly praised its originality. The single "Determinate" received a JanNEWary Award for Best iTunes Song.

Plot

High school freshmen Olivia White, Mohini "Mo" Banjaree, Charles "Charlie" Delgado, Stella Yamada, and Wendell "Wen" Gifford meet while in detention. When Miss Reznick, the music teacher supervising detention, leaves briefly, they tap out a beat and play instruments, with Olivia singing along. Miss Reznick returns and encourages them to enter the upcoming Rising Star music competition, which popular band Mudslide Crush is also slated to perform in.

The band forms with Olivia on lead vocals, Stella on lead guitar and backing vocals, Mo on bass and backing vocals, Wen on keyboards, keytar, and rapping vocals, and Charlie on drums. At school, Stella spits lemonade on Ray Beech, lead singer of Mudslide Crush, when he ridicules Olivia for her stage fright. He refers to her as "Lemonade Mouth", giving the band its name. The band later discovers the school's lemonade machine is being removed, to their horror. Stella enters the band in Rising Star as well as the upcoming Halloween Bash, much to Olivia's chagrin and begins to feel anxious.

Mo breaks up with her boyfriend Scott Picket, Mudslide Crush's guitarist, after she catches him flirting with a cheerleader. Prior to performing at the Halloween Bash, Olivia disappears. The band eventually finds her in the bathroom, where she is feeling nauseous and suffering a panic attack. They tell her that they all believe in her. This encourages her to perform, after which Stella speaks to the crowd, objecting to the removal of the lemonade machine and encouraging her fellow students to freely express themselves. The principal, Stan Brenigan, angrily bans them from playing at school again. The next day, banners in support of Lemonade Mouth are posted around the school, raising their spirits.

When Olivia is absent from school one day, the band gets worried. They later visit her and learn that her cat Nancy, her only remaining memory of her late mother, has died, which has left her in a depressed state. They begin to grow closer to one another, opening up about each of their struggles. They also learn that their song "Determinate" is being played on the local radio. Shortly after, however, things begin to go downhill for the group; Mo contracts the flu, Charlie breaks his fingers, Wen injures his eye, and Olivia loses her voice during an argument with Wen.

The members of Lemonade Mouth join at the school to protest the removal of the lemonade machine. After being detained by police and contemplating the future of the band, they agree to perform at Rising Star. As each of their parents and guardians come to retrieve from the police station, they reconcile their individual problems at home; Wen finally accepts his dad's girlfriend, Olivia gains the courage to send a letter to her incarcerated father, Mo gets her dad to accept her for who she is, Charlie realizes he doesn't have to live up to his older brother's prowess, and Stella realizes she doesn't have to be a genius to fit in with her family.

While performing at Rising Star, Olivia and Mo's respective injuries begin to resurface in the middle of their performance. Dejected, the band is about to exit the stage when the audience begins to sing their song to support them. Scott, fed up with Ray's hostile treatment towards Lemonade Mouth, leaves Mudslide Crush and plays his guitar alongside the audience, bringing Lemonade Mouth back onto the stage to successfully finish their performance.

Some time later, things get better for the band: Mo and Scott have gotten back together, Charlie (who had developed a crush on Mo while forming the band) takes an interest in a new girl, Wen accepts Sydney, Stella meets Mel, the original owner of the organic lemonade machine, who helps donates an new music auditorium to the band's school with Principal Brenigan's approval, and Olivia regains her voice. Wen also gives her a new kitten and apologizes to her about their fight. This gesture touches Olivia and the two reconcile. Later, Olivia mails the entire story to her father. The film closes with Lemonade Mouth performing at Madison Square Garden, with Scott as their new rhythm guitarist.

Cast
Actress Bridgit Mendler (pictured in 2015) portrays the role of Olivia White, one of five central characters in the film.
  • Bridgit Mendler as Olivia White, the lead singer of Lemonade Mouth, and struggles with anxiety.[5]
  • Adam Hicks as Wendell "Wen" Gifford, the pianist and also a rapper for Lemonade Mouth[5]
  • Hayley Kiyoko as Stella Yamada, the lead guitarist for Lemonade Mouth[5]
  • Naomi Scott as Mohini "Mo" Banjaree, the bassist and singer for Lemonade Mouth[5]
  • Blake Michael as Charles "Charlie" Delgado, the drummer for Lemonade Mouth[5]
  • Nick Roux as Scott Pickett, Mo's boyfriend[5] Singer and rhythm guitarist for Mudslide Crush, later rhythm guitarist for Lemonade Mouth.
  • Chris Brochu as Ray Beech. Lead singer for Mudslide Crush, who also frequently bullies Olivia [5]
  • Tisha Campbell as Miss Jenny Reznick[5]
  • Christopher McDonald as Principal Stanley Brenigan[5]
  • Scott Takeda as Stella's Father
  • Ariana Smythe as Sydney
  • Judith Rane as Brenda
  • Isaac Kappy as Mel
  • Ryan Montano as Tommy Delgado
  • Lauren Poole as Moxie Morris
  • Bob Jesser as Mr. Gifford
  • Leedy Corbin as Georgie Gifford
  • Lance Capaldi as Ticket Taker
  • Shishir Kurup as Mr. Banjaree, Mo's Dad
  • Thomas Sanchez as Cop
  • Johnie Hector as Coach
  • Paul Clark as Andrew
  • Caitlin Ribbans as Jules
  • Phil Luna as Charlie's Dad
  • Chiara Brokaw as Alex
  • Lora Martinez-Cunningham as Charlie's Mom
  • Jayna Sweet as Victoria
  • Nicholas Martinez as Freshman Singer (Nick Martinez)
  • Tom Romero as Mr. Prichard

Author Mark Peter Hughes makes a cameo appearance as an extra dressed as a bee at the Halloween Bash.[6]

Production

Production

In 2010, Lemonade Mouth was announced by Disney Channel initially as an upcoming musical franchise (though it was released as a standalone film), and it was announced that Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott were cast in the film, as well as actress Tisha Campbell-Martin and actor Christopher McDonald, were cast in the film.[7] The names of eight characters in the book were changed for the film; the character of "Olivia Whitehead" was changed to "Olivia White", "Wendel Gifford" was changed to "Wendell Gifford", "Stella Penn" was changed to "Stella Yamada", "Mohini Banerjee" was changed to "Mohini Banjaree", and "Charlie Hirsh" was changed to "Charlie Delgado".[8] Production began in August 2010,[9] and filming took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[10]

The extended edition of the DVD includes an interview with Moxie Morris on "All Things Musical", in which Mo and Scott's relationship is nearly exposed by Moxie in front of Mo's father, but is stopped by Olivia, who says that she and Wen are dating. The band then performs "Livin On A High Wire".

Music
Main article: Lemonade Mouth (soundtrack)

The movie features ten original songs, and was released by Walt Disney Records as a soundtrack album on April 12, 2011.[11]

Release

Ratings and reception
Lemonade Mouth's premiere was watched by over 7 million viewers, and introduced singer-songwriters Hayley Kiyoko (left) and Naomi Scott (right) to a wider audience.

Lemonade Mouth was watched by 5.7 million viewers on its premiere night,[12] ranking as the No. 1 TV Telecast among Kids 7–11 (2.3 million/9.4 rating) and Teens (2.1 million/8.5 rating), and cable's No. 1 original movie of 2011 among Total Viewers.[13][14] With DVR viewing included, its total was 7.1 million viewers.[15] A local premiere was held in the author Mark Peter Hughes's town of Wayland, Massachusetts. It was broadcast live by the town public access station, WayCAM.TV, by local students.[16]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of reviews are positive.[17] Family-oriented reviewers at Common Sense Media praised the film for its themes of honesty, empowerment, overcoming adversity, self-expression, standing up for what one believes in, and for its emphasis on the importance of the arts and of friendship and family.[2] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media wrote: "... Lemonade Mouth" is an uplifting celebration of the human spirit."[2]

Online publishing-platform Medium wrote "Superb music, talented cast, good script, a well used production design budget — this one hit the nail on the head. More than that, we love the spirit of Lemonade Mouth. The outcasts fight for equality with the cool crowd and stand up against the powers that be with music."[18] Reviewing site Plugged In wrote: "The message is as clear as the Disney castle is colorful: Stand up for what you believe in—no matter what that may be. (And get famous in the process!)"[19]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2011 Popstar Awards Favorite TV Movie Lemonade Mouth Won [20]
JaNEWary Awards Best iTunes Song "Determinate" Won [21]
2012 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs Patricia Riggen Nominated [22]
2013 Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards Best Sound Editing - Long Form Musical in Television Amber Funk Nominated [23]

Cancelled sequel

In 2011, the author of Lemonade Mouth said that he had been working on a sequel.[24] Actor Blake Michael said: "It's all up to the fans, it's in their hands. If people enjoy it and they love it and they want more, they'll get it. I think Disney is just a great organization in general and they're always one step ahead of the game. So you never really know what's gonna happen."[25] On June 15, 2011, it was announced during the 2011 Licensing International Expo that Lemonade Mouth 2 was in the works.[26]

On April 6, 2012, Chris Brochu announced on his Twitter account that the sequel was no longer going into production.[27] In interviews with Kidzworld Media and BSCKids in May 2012, Bridgit Mendler confirmed that a sequel would not be produced, noting that "they tried to figure something out for a sequel, but everyone at Disney felt like the movie had completed its story in the first movie."[28][29]

See also

References
  1. Lemonade Mouth Archived May 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Disney Channel Medianet. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  2. "Lemonade Mouth – Television Review". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  3. "Lemonade Mouth (TV 2011)". IMDb. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  4. Disney preps next high school musical Archived May 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  5. ""Lemonade Mouth", A Disney Channel Original Movie Set To Premiere Friday, April 15 on a Disney Channel". Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
  6. Bob Tremblay (April 3, 2011). Film: Wayland author's 'Lemonade Mouth' opens wide Archived October 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Metro West Daily News. Accessed January 16, 2012.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (August 4, 2010). "Disney Channel Casts Its Next Big Musical". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  8. "Disney Channel Casts Its Next Big Musical". Deadline Hollywood. August 4, 2010. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  9. "Breaking News - Production Has Begun on "Lemonade Mouth," a Disney Channel Original Movie | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  10. "Lemonade Mouth, A Disney Channel Original Movie, Set to Premiere Friday, March 25 on Disney Channel". TheFutonCritic.com. January 10, 2011.
  11. "Production Has Begun on "Lemonade Mouth," a Disney Channel Original Movie". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  12. "Friday Cable Ratings: History's "American Restoration" Leads Demo; Disney's "Lemonade Mouth" Tops Viewing + "Sanctuary," "Smackdown" and More". TV by the Numbers. April 18, 2011. Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  13. "Disney Channel Squeezes Sweet Success with "Lemonade Mouth"" (Press release). Disney Channel. April 18, 2011. Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via TV by the Numbers.
  14. "USA's 'Burn Notice' Telefilm Does OK, Disney's 'Lemonade Mouth' Strong | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. April 18, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  15. "Disney Channel's 'Lemonade Mouth' Gains an Additional 1.5 Million Viewers with a Week of DVR Playback" (Press release). Disney Channel. May 4, 2011. Archived from the original on May 6, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2016 – via TV by the Numbers.
  16. Tremblay, Bob. "Film: Wayland author's 'Lemonade Mouth' opens wide". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA. Archived from the original on August 23, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  17. "Lemonade Mouth (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  18. Productions, Red Summit (April 25, 2019). ""Lemonade Mouth" Lied to Us, Or: You're Hypersensitized, Not Desensitized". Medium. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  19. "Lemonade Mouth". Plugged In. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  20. "What Should Be The Poptastic TV Movie of the Year?". Popstar Awards. June 28, 2010. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  21. "Lemonade Mouth on JaNEWary". bridgitbrasil.com. June 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  22. "DGA Announces TV & Commericals [sic] Nominees". Deadline. January 10, 2012. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  23. "Motion Picture Sound Editors Announce 2013 Golden Reel Nominees". Mixonline. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  24. ""Lemonade Mouth" author Mark Peter Hughes already working on sequel to this Disney Channel Original Movie". Jimhillmedia.com. April 10, 2011. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  25. "Disney Channel "Lemonade Mouth 2"". Disnology. May 5, 2011. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  26. "Disney Channel Original Movie "Lemonade Mouth 2" and "Shake It Up" In Development". Disney Channel Medianet. June 16, 2011. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  27. See
  28. Kidzworld Media: Bridgit Mendler is "Arrietty" Archived May 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine May 22, 2012. Accessed June 10, 2012.
  29. BSCKids: Bridgit Mendler - Lemonade Month Won't Make a Sequel Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine May 17, 2012. Accessed June 10, 2012.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Lemonade Mouth (film).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.