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The Even Stevens Movie

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The Even Stevens Movie
Promotional poster
GenreAdventure comedy
Based onEven Stevens
by Matt Dearborn
Written by
Directed bySean McNamara
Starring
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
ProducerDavid Grace
CinematographyChristian Sebaldt
EditorGregory Hobson
Running time93 minutes
Production companyBrookwell McNamara Entertainment
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel
ReleaseJune 13, 2003 (2003-06-13)
Related
Even Stevens

The Even Stevens Movie is a 2003 American comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie that is based on the Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. It premiered on June 13, 2003, serving as the series finale. The movie drew an audience of 5.1 million viewers.[1]

Plot

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Eileen and Steve Stevens want their family to spend a memorable summer vacation together, it being the last time they will all be together before their oldest son Donnie leaves for college. While their younger son Louis is happy to spend the summer lounging, their daughter Ren is heartbroken when her aloof boyfriend Gill breaks up with her. To take her mind off him, she accepts a job babysitting Bernard "Beans" Aranguren, who moves in with the family for three weeks while his parents are in Helsinki.

Miles McDermott, a man claiming to be from the state department, visits the Stevens family and informs them they have won a trip to the South Pacific island of Mandelino, where they will serve as goodwill ambassadors. With all except Louis excited by the prospect, the family and Beans fly out to Mandelino. Though they are at first welcomed by the locals, Louis accidentally destroys the island's sacred palace, and the locals shun them.

Facing a two-week wait before they can return home, tensions start to rise within the group. Unbeknownst to them, this is by design: they are in fact on a reality TV series called Family Fakeout, hosted by Miles, who is determined to make the show a success after being ousted as producer of another hidden camera show called Gotcha!. Miles creates more tensions within the family, which splits into two factions: Steve, Ren and Beans vs. Eileen, Donnie and Louis. Ren seeks solace with Jason, an actor playing a local called Mootai, who is told to romance her to boost ratings.

Louis's friend Alan Twitty, being the one who set up the Stevens, is overcome with guilt after seeing how they are treated on the show. After he and Louis's girlfriend Tawny Dean learn the family is actually on nearby Catalona Island, they sail out to rescue them. Shortly after arriving, they are separated, and Twitty is intercepted by the show staff but escapes by posing as an actor. Jason breaks character and almost tells Ren the truth when he is stopped by other native actors. After Miles has them tell Ren that Louis informed them about her and Mootai, Ren vows vengeance on her brother.

Twitty cuts the live feed, and while technicians work to get it running again, he and Tawny find the family and tell them the truth. When the feed comes back, an enraged Ren begins pursuing Louis, threatening to kill him. She corners Louis on a cliff, and despite pleas to stop from the family and Miles, who confesses the truth, she pushes Louis off the edge. As Miles breaks down in guilt, Lance LeBow, the host of Gotcha!, appears in a helicopter with Louis safely in tow. While the feed was out, the family planned the prank to get back at Miles, ending his show and career in the process.

Louis tells Ren that while he may play pranks on her, he would never do anything to hurt her. Jason apologizes to Ren for leading her on and confesses that his feelings for her were real. The family returns home to Sacramento, where Ren and Jason begin a relationship, Donnie goes to college, Steve accepts a new job and Louis goes back to lounging. The film ends with the cast dancing to "Dream Vacation".

Cast

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  • Shia LaBeouf as Louis Stevens, the family's prank-loving youngest son
  • Christy Carlson Romano as Ren Stevens, the family's studious and well-behaved middle daughter
  • Donna Pescow as Eileen Stevens, a California senator and the family matriarch
  • Tom Virtue as Steve Stevens, the family patriarch
  • Nick Spano as Donnie Stevens, the family's athletic oldest son
  • Steven Anthony Lawrence as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren, Louis's young sidekick
  • Tim Meadows as Miles McDermott, the host of Family Fakeout
  • A.J. Trauth as Alan Twitty, Louis's best friend
  • Margo Harshman as Tawny Dean, Louis's girlfriend
  • Fred Meyers as Tom Gribalski, Louis's intelligent friend
  • Dave Coulier as Lance LeBow, the host of Gotcha
  • Keone Young as "Chief Tuka", an actor who portrays the chief elder of Mandelino
  • Lauren Frost as Ruby Mendel, one of Ren's friends
  • Kenya Williams as Monique Taylor, one of Ren's friends
  • Jim Wise as Coach Tugnut, Lawrence Junior High School's gym teacher
  • Eric “Ty” Hodges as Larry Beale, Ren's rival classmate
  • Walker Howard as "Laylo" / Patrick Green, an actor who portrays an island native and Donnie's former classmate
  • Josh Keaton as "Mootai" / Jason Holdstead, an actor who portrays a Mandelino native
  • Kyle Gibson as Gill
  • George Anthony Bell as Principal Conrad Wexler, the head of Lawrence Junior High
  • Toni Dugan as Keith
  • Matthew Yang King as Scott
  • Daniele O’Loughlin as Brooke
  • Jody Howard as Cynthia Mills

Reception

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The Even Stevens Movie was the most-watched cable program on June 13, 2003, including dominating among children ages 6–11 and tweens 9–14, and drawing 5.1 million total viewers.[2]

Home media

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The Even Stevens Movie was released on DVD and VHS on June 28, 2005, in Region 1 countries.

The film is available for purchase on iTunes store in non-cropped Widescreen.

As of November 12, 2019, the film, along with the series, are available to stream on Disney+

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kessler, Kelly. "The Even Stevens Movie Movie Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  2. ^ Rick Kissell (June 17, 2003). "NBA Finals don't awe". Variety. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
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