19 years ago, High School Musical premiered on Disney Channel. The film became a global phenomenon, and is the shining artifact of the Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) golden age.
From the release of Brink in 1998 to Camp Rock in 2008, DCOMs were at their best over that illustrious decade. Why? Yes, they followed a standard cookie cutter formula. But it’s clear the producers and story creators were given a high degree of latitude (for better or worse) to throw crazy ideas at the wall and see what stuck. That’s a far cry from the sequel and IP-driven content we’re inundated with today.
True to its name (Disney Channel Original Movie), originality makes these movies memorable. If you’re a millennial who watched TV as a kid, there’s a solid chance you’re hit with a tidal wave of nostalgia at the mention of Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook Off or listening to the DCOM theme song.
In celebration of High School Musical’s final year as a teenager, we compiled a list of golden era Disney Channel Original Movies that are worth rewatching–for the laughs, tears, smash singles, memes, and WTFs.
2 / 11
There’s a common formula for DCOM sports movies: a protagonist with a passion; a pushy, emotionally dense (and often misogynistic) dad who doesn’t understand it; a secret the protagonist keeps from friends and/or family in pursuit of this passion; a pivotal moment where the dad finally understands and supports their child; and the hero achieving ultimate victory over the villain, made possible by their dad’s eventual support.
Brink is the first DCOM to assemble these ingredients–making it the mother of all DCOM sports films–and it may have very well cooked the best dish out of them. Capitalizing on the massive popularity of Tony Hawk and extreme sports in the 1990s, the story centers around Andy “Brink” Brinker and his friends who deem themselves “Soul Skaters.” The SoCal squad is driven by their love of the game, which is why they find a natural rival in Team X-Bladz, a skate crew that shreds for money and fame. Val, the leader of X-Bladz played by Sam Horrigan, excels as the underhanded, detestable, and at times VERY unserious villain. In a heated confrontation, he tells the Soul Skaters, “It’s like open season on your butts.”
Much worse, he almost kills (yes, kills) Brink’s friend Gabriella when she speed races Brink down a huge hill. Val secretly tosses gravel onto the road, which she trips on and proceeds to slow-motion roll for 15 seconds of movie time. Ouch. It’s giving the Ricky Bobby-Jean Girard crash in Talladega Nights, unironically.
The image that social media remembers most from this movie is when the camera pans to X-Bladz team member Boomer (Walter Emanuel Jones) after a standoff with Brink and crew, revealing his comically bad hairline. But that’s not even the best Boomer moment! Later, Brink confronts Val about what he did to Gabriella while he’s eating lunch with the X-Bladz. After Brink throws a chocolate shake in Val’s face, Boomer pulls a “Supa Hot Fire” and switches sides, leaving with his former adversary.
Brink is cornball, sentimental, and concludes with an epic race between Brink and Val. It lands all the right tricks and is definitely worth a re-watch.
3 / 11
Smart House walked so Black Mirror could run. I’m being serious.
The iconic DCOM centers around teenager Ben Cooper (Ryan Merriman), who wins a contest to move him and his family into a new home dubbed “the Smart House.” It comes with state of the art smart technology, headlined by PAT, a virtual assistant that can make any food you want, write the school bully’s paper for you, create an impromptu dance moment to “Slam Dunk (Da Funk)” with your buddies, and throw the ultimate party to impress your crush. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, a lot.
As Ben’s dad slowly falls for the creator of the home, Sara Barnes (Jessica Steen), PAT becomes too smart for anyone’s benefit, and evolves into a sinister maternal figure. She comes to life as a hologram, and at one point locks and bolts the family into the home for their “protection.” In a truly terrifying scene, a giant-sized version of PAT appears in the living room, whips up a tornado-hurricane and eerily sings “Hush Little Baby” to the family. To make it creepier, that lullaby stems from a much sweeter home video of the kids’ (now deceased) mother doing the same.
Smart House is a quarter of a century ahead of its time, and a cautionary tale for humans relying too much on technology to power their lives that still feels pretty poignant today.,
4 / 11
In the 1970s, a white South African named Mahree Bok (Lindsey Haun) girl goes to America to stay with a Black family as part of an exchange program and is surprised to learn that apartheid doesn’t exist there. You can’t help but cringe at the premise of The Color of Friendship, especially given that it’s a DCOM that was released in 2000. That’s what you’d be surprised by how Black director Kevin Hooks and Black writer Paris Quallers are willing to go all the way there by refusing to pull any punches in its effective depiction of race relations in this movie that’s based on a true story.
When Mahree arrives in America, she awkwardly refuses to shake hands with her homestay mom Roscoe Dellums (Penny Johnson Jerald), and laughs in uncomfortable hysterics when she meets her Congressman homestay father Ron Dellums (Carl Lumbly), shocked that someone in power can be Black. Through a series of events, which includes a young Black girl named Piper Dellums (Shadia Simmons) offering a self-sequestered Mahree food, the veil of Mahree’s ignorance slowly lifts, and the two realize they have a lot in common. One of the more impactful scenes features Mahree teaching Piper the various classifications for black people in South Africa. In it, the N-word is mentioned twice in a TV-G rated DCOM!
Shit gets really real when Steve Biko, an actual South African anti-apartheid activist, is killed by the police. Mahree responds: “Who cares? Just some crazy terrorist who killed himself.” Piper flips out, rightfully so, and Congressman Dellums teaches her about the vicious cycle of apartheid. It is then that Mahree understands how the system oppresses Black people and what the Black liberation movement in South Africa is fighting for.
Not your average Disney movie, huh?
Just look at Remember The Titans: Another Disney movie about desegregation in 1970s America that came out in 2000 and is based on a true story. Unlike The Color of Friendship, Remember The Titans stars one of the greatest actors ever (Denzel Washington), and is widely considered a classic. However, it’s impossible to ignore how Gary Bertier and Julius Campbell simply “solve” racism at a late night practice when they yell “left side, strong side” to each other. From there, racial tensions dissipate.
The Color of Friendship ends with Mahree heading home to her racist parents in South Africa, revealing to the famly’s Black maid Florathat she secretly embroidered the Black liberation flag in her jacket. Racism isn’t solved. In fact, it’s very much still present and Mahree may find herself in danger if she expresses her new viewpoints.
The Color of Friendship is the most un-Disney Disney movie on this list, which was perhaps made possible by being hidden away on the smaller screen. While the film does imply racism is a thing of the past in America, the way it demonstrates how ignorance is developed, educates young viewers on apartheid, and showcases the commonalities between all people (regardless of the color of their skin) makes The Color of Friendship a fascinating re-watch.
5 / 11
If you’re searching for a good-bad movie, Luck of the Irish is for you. It’s got basketball, lucky coins, evil leprechauns, good leprechauns, a slavery joke (yikes), and a rendition of “This Land Is Your Land” performed by the entire school to put a button on this 86 minute-long roller coaster ride.
While the film is seemingly designed to celebrate Irish culture, its means for getting there are questionable. With Heritage Day approaching, the luckiest kid in the neighborhood Kyle (played by Smart House’s Ryan Merriman) asks his parents about their ancestry over dinner. They’re suspiciously dodgy, refusing to provide a straightforward answer. Meanwhile the walls of the dining room are painted a ludicrously green color, his dad dons a green flannel, and the salad his mom serves is one giant green lettuce leaf. Kyle really can’t take a hint.
When Kyle loses his lucky coin, his world turns upside down. His mom shrinks into a tiny leprechaun and assumes an accent, revealing their Irish heritage in the process. Why were his parents so keen on hiding it? Apparently, it’s because Irish people in America are oppressed. Were they oppressed? It’s unclear exactly.
One thing that is clear: Luck of the Irish is a pot of gold at the end of our DCOM rewatch list rainbow.
6 / 11
Based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the film follows Andrea, a teenage motorcross enthusiast who secretly suits up as her injured brother Andy to pursue her motocross dreams. A tale as old as time.
Along the way, the best and hunkiest rider on the circuit, Dean, makes a deal with Andrea to help her improve on the bike in exchange for putting in a good word with his crush Faryn. Andrea then likes Dean, and after the final race, it is revealed that Andrea is actually pretending to be her brother. Sound familiar? Well, that’s because the plot is pretty much the exact same as She’s The Man with a different sport. Only, Motocrossed came first.
Watching the will-they-won’t-they dynamic unfold between Andrea and Dean (in a strictly heteronormative DCOM universe) is just as entertaining as any big jump on the bike. The sexual tension is palpable when Dean is training her and utters: “I’m gonna work you until you can’t get out of bed.”
Andrea outmaneuvering Cartier—the physically abusive French villain with a name that prevents you from ever forgetting he’s French—in the final race is espresso powder atop the creme brulee (we see you Zeke from High School Musical).
7 / 11
Eddie Ogden (Taylor Ball) is the Ken Griffey Jr. of the lowly Groundhogs little league team in this DCOM staple, and he’s got the backwards cap and lefty power swing to prove it. Unfortunately for him, his cooking and baking interest is which he is constantly derided for by his stereotypically browbeating Disney dad Hank Ogden (Mark L. Taylor) and best friend DB (Orlando Brown). In fact, during the second of two(!) food fights that occur, DB wrestles Eddie to the ground and yells “I’d rather play ball like a man than cook like a girl.” Sheesh. Eddie does find support from his mom and the home economics teacher Mrs. Hadley (Rose McIver), whose sarcasm and comedic timing rival that of a young Chandler Bing.
The biggest fork in the road moment comes when Eddie must choose between playing in the championship game and competing in the Bobby Flay-hosted cook off. He initially elects baseball but ultimately decides to bolt for the kitchen (with some coaxing from a supportive DB).
Amidst the insanity of the best hitter in the league taking his talents elsewhere, Hannah, the Groundhogs’ gold glove shortstop, is caught in the on-deck circle by her mom who had assumed she was cheerleading the entire time. Rather than ream her out for playing a “boy’s” sport on a “boy’s” team, she accepts Hannah, which causes Eddie’s dad to rethink his, er, bigotry. He intentionally gets himself thrown out of the game for arguing with the umpire and joins his son at the cook off.
Eddie winds up losing, but he wins something a lot more valuable: a dad who can show him how to crack an egg with one hand.
It’s worth noting that Ball knocks it out the park with a confident, charismatic, and surprisingly composed performance for a teenager called on to display a high level of physicality. Ball never became a big acting star because he apparently decided to leave the profession and focus on playing drums for the band Tragic Forms. If you ask me, he pulled a real Eddie Ogden.
8 / 11
Riding the wave of the popularity of early aughts boy and girl bands like ‘Nsync and Destiny’s Child, The Cheetah Girls (and its sequels) contains some of the best music you’ll find in the DCOM universe. Alongside Raven-Symoné and Sabrina Bryan, established pop stars Adrienne Bailón and Keely Williams (members of 3LW) comprise the group, providing significant credibility… and vocal range. Not to mention, the legendary Whitney Houston is a producer on the film.
“Cinderella” is a certified banger, and ironically enough, is about how the Cheetah Girls don’t want to be like the famed Disney princess by waiting around for love. They want to go out and find it themselves. This subversion of the typical Disney tale is appropriate given the diversity of the cast and their characters’ backstories: Galleria (Raven-Symoné) is the daughter of a black woman and Italian man; Chanel (Bailón) is Latina and the daughter of a single mother; Dorinda (Bryan) is white and grew up in a New York City foster home; and Aqua (Williams) is a black girl from Texas.
The authenticity of the dialogue is notable and the singing numbers feel especially spectacular, seeing as they’re shot like 90s/early aughts music videos. The Cheetah Girls is a fun artifact to re-examine and it makes one long for an era when the biggest news story is a dog trapped in an NYC manhole. Don’t worry! Toto is saved by singing, of course.
9 / 11
Similar to Smart House, in that it’s way ahead of its time technologically, and grapples with the philosophical questions surrounding the use of said tech, Pixel Perfect has a depth seldom reached by a DCOM.
The movie’s teenage protagonist Roscoe (Raviv Ullman) sets out to find a new lead singer for his best friend Sam’s (Leah Pipes) band that can dance. He takes an unconventional route in casually creating Loretta Modern (Spencer Redford), an artificially intelligent hologram. She’s composed of the looks, voices, and dance moves of the world’s most renowned musicians, as well as Sam’s ears. Weird.
As Roscoe upgrades and takes care of Loretta, it becomes clear that he loves her (sparking jealousy in Sam), and she has real desires and feelings. She wants to feel the rain on her skin. She grows angry at Sam when the two argue over whether or not she’s real. She desperately asks Roscoe, “Why am I never good enough for you?”
The line between consciousness and unconsciousness (from a sentient standpoint) is blurred in Pixel Perfect, in a way that mirrors certain AI technology today. That alone makes this DCOM classic worthy of careful consideration.
Still, the film’s core argument is about love. Roscoe’s dad poignantly asserts that “the more you try to find that kind of perfection in people, the more meals you will eat alone.” While AI can help us tremendously, there’s something innately human (and loveable) about our imperfections.
10 / 11
My favorite random Disney fact: In 2016, Corbin Bleu, who portrays Troy Bolton’s bestie Chad Danforth in High School Musical, had the 3rd most translated Wikipedia page in the world. He only trailed Barack Obama and Jesus Christ.
Is this why High School Musical is worth a rewatch? No, but it does speak to just how much of a global phenomenon the movie is, spawning sequels, a concert tour, a TV show series on Disney Plus, and super duper star talent (see: Zac Efron and Olivia Rodrigo).
Most great DCOMs have either a compelling story, magnetic characters, or catchy music. Sometimes, they exhibit two of these qualities. High School Musical captures all three. Troy and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) meet on vacation and tear the cabin down with a karaoke rendition of “Start of Something New.” They then go their separate ways and unexpectedly reunite when Gabriella transfers to Troy’s school.
In many aspects, the film is an homage to Grease, as it depicts the protagonists connecting away from home (and judgement) and leaving their perceived social boxes to pursue something different. Gabriella’s solo performance of “When There Was Me And You” as she winds the East High halls is Sandy’s (Olivia Newton-John) “Hopelessly Devoted To You” from the 1978 classic film. And the final epic ballad “We’re All In This Together” is analogous to “We Go Together” in both name and spirit.
“Stick To The Status Quo” captures the mind of a high schooler to a tee: the nightmare scenario of revealing a secret to friends and being rejected for it. What’s great about High School Musical (one of the things, at least) is that there isn’t a clear-cut best song. Upon rewatch, “What I’ve Been Looking For (Reprise)” resonated with me most. The lyrics are simple, but they adequately capture what it means to find your person. You’ve searched for a while, and finally they show up when and where you least expect it (like at a rustic ski lodge in Utah on New Year’s Eve), and the rest is history. Nothing beats that.
19 years following its release, High School Musical still hits like Coach Bolton’s (Bart Johnson) viral line read. Also, shout out to Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay, because you can’t write about HSM without mentioning her.
11 / 11