Sydney White

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Sydney White

Poster of the film Sydney White.
Directed by Joe Nussbaum
Produced by James G. Robinson
David C. Robinson
Clifford Werber
Written by Chad Creasey
Narrated by Amanda Bynes
Starring Amanda Bynes
Sara Paxton
Matt Long
John Schneider
Crystal Hunt
Cinematography Mark Irwin
Editing by Danny Saphire
Studio Morgan Creek
Distributed by Universal Studios
Release date(s) September 21, 2007
Running time 1 hour 47 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $13,620,075[1]

Sydney White also known as Sydney White and the Seven Dorks is a 2007 teen comedy film starring Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and Matt Long, and based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Sydney White (Amanda Bynes) is the daughter of a plumber, and has grown up among construction workers ever since her mother died when she was nine. Sydney earns a scholarship for college and hopes to follow the legacy of her mother and enter the Kappa Phi Nu sorority. Shortly after arriving at Southern Atlantic University, Sydney clashes with the sorority president Rachel Witchburn (Sara Paxton), after Rachel sees Sydney talking to her ex-boyfriend (although according to Rachel and those who speak on her behalf, he is her on-off boyfriend) Tyler Prince. Rachel tries to deny Sydney's bid for membership in the sorority, but cannot because Sydney's mother was a member. Despite Rachel's hazing, Sydney successfully meets all of the requirements during her time as a Kappa pledge.

Rachel schemes to keep Sydney out of the sorority and uses her presidential authority to declare Sydney unfit to be a Kappa. Humiliated, Sydney immediately leaves the Kappa house. With no place to go, Sydney is taken in by seven outcast students who live in "The Vortex" (which is called The Vortex because "it sucks in losers"), a house on Greek Row for people who don't belong. In the house, she befriends all the guys ("the dorks"), especially Lenny, (Jack Carpenter) who falls for Dinky Hodgekiss (Crystal Hunt), one of Sydney's popular friends.

The Vortex, however, is badly in need of repairs, and the Greeks will not pay for it. Rachel tries to get it condemned so she can build a Greek Centre in its place. An angry Sydney convinces one of her housemates, Terrance, to run for Student Body President on the "Freedom to the 7th Power" ticket in order to take back what the Greeks have had for so long. But he is disqualified because he graduated 6 years before but did not leave the Vortex and the "Dorks" are kicked out of the Vortex by the Health Department. Sydney then runs for president herself. She reaches out to all the campus clubs and organizations in a broadbased campaign reminiscent of the successful campaign waged by John F. Kennedy in the 1960 U.S. Presidential election.

Meanwhile, Sydney's Hot or Not ranking on the school's website gradually rises to overtake Rachel's #1 position, which infuriates her. It is part of Rachel's daily routine to consult her computer ("mirror mirror on the wall") to see "who is the fairest of them all." Enraged, Rachel visits a hacker who remotely infects Sydney's computer (a "poisoned Apple"), which erases an important paper due the next day. Sydney studies all night at the library, and fails to awake in time for the presidential debate. Tyler (who has by now fallen for Sydney) finds her, tells her she must wake up, and kisses her, which, "breaks the spell". Together, they rush to the debate (which is moderated by Sydney's Political Science professor) and Sydney gives a triumphant speech. Many members of various "dorky" groups on campus arrive to show their support. An angry Rachel is stripped of her presidency by her sorority sisters and is then drummed out of the sorority altogether, "killing" her.

In the end, Sydney's dad and his colleagues repair the Vortex and Sydney White gets her prince.

[edit] Cast

Cast Role Character Based on
Amanda Bynes Sydney White Snow White
Matt Long Tyler Prince The Prince
Sara Paxton Rachel Witchburn The Evil Queen
Jack Carpenter Lenny Sneezy
Jeremy Howard Terrence Doc
Danny Strong Gurkin Grumpy
Samm Levine Spanky Happy
Adam Hendershott Jeremy Bashful
Donté Bonner Embele Sleepy
Arnie Pantoja George Dopey
Crystal Hunt Demetria "Dinky" Rosemead Hodgekiss Rose Red
Laptop Virus Attack on Sydney's Apple Laptop The Poisoned Apple
List on computer Hot or Not list The Queen's Magic Mirror
Kappa Phi Nu Sorority The Queen's Kingdom
The Vortex Dorks' house The Dwarves' Cottage

Additional Characters:

[edit] Critical reception

"Sydney White" has received mixed reviews. As of September 21, 2007 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 37% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 75 reviews (a movie is considered "rotten" when it receives less than 60% positive reviews).[3] Film critic Laura Kern of the New York Times said: "Ms. Bynes, with her cherubic face, expressive eyes and comic timing, helps create a positive, pleasing diversion that caters to the geek in all of us."[4]

A top critic on Rotten Tomatoes stated: "...should satisfy Bynes fans looking for a pleasant, innocuous follow-up to her last vehicle."

On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 44 out of 100, based on 19 reviews.[5]

"Sydney White's message of embracing all kinds of people and not quaking in fear of the elite and popular is a sound one, but each twist and turn is so telegraphed and expected that the story feels wan and the comedy feeble." —Claudia Puig, USA Today[cite this quote]

[edit] Production notes

Filming took place in and around Orlando from February 14, 2007 to April 4, 2007. Filming locations included the University of Central Florida, Rollins College, and University High School (Orlando).

[edit] Box office

The film opened at #6 at the U.S. Box office raking in $5,196,380 USD in its first opening weekend.

[edit] Rating

The film was rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some language, sexual humor, and partying.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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