The Quill #5: Movie Recs #3

What’s better than a totally chill movie about a surfer teen couple whose only worries involve having to break up? A surfer teen couple worried about having to break up who get trapped in a movie musical! I know what you’re thinking: what in the world am I talking about? But trust me when I say that Teen Beach Movie (2013) is one of the last few iconic Disney Channel Originals that deserves a watch. We meet the main couple Brady (Ross Lynch) and Mack (Maia Mitchell) after finding out that Mack has to move away in order to fulfill her mother’s dying wish of becoming successful in life. However, hours before Mack is set to leave, the couple finds themselves trapped in Brady’s favorite movie, Wet Side Story, which follows the Romeo and Juliet archetype with a rivalry between bikers and surfers. Brady and Mack not only have to find a way home but also find themselves.

When Mack takes an old, flower-marked board out to surf the surge, she gets swept up in the waves, leading Brady to go after her. They make it back to shore to find that something isn’t right. Their normal modern world is replaced by surfers in ’60s clothing singing a musical number. Some of the singing surfers include Giggles (Mollee Gray), Seacat (Jordan Fisher), and Tanner (Garrett Clayton), the latter being the Romeo-type character from Brady’s favorite movie. Quickly after, another song begins, following the introduction to the bikers, aka The Rodents: Cheechee (Chrissie Fit), Butchy (John DeLuca), and his little sister — also Tanner’s love interest — Lela (Gracie Gillam).

Brady, at first ecstatic to be stuck in his favorite movie, quickly joins Mack’s worries after Tanner and Lela fall in love with Mack and Brady rather than each other, during the iconic “Falling For Ya” — very on the nose. This alters the original timeline and stops the rivalry between bikers and surfers from worsening, thereby eliminating the film’s conflict. On top of that problem, Brady and Mack notice that any remnants they brought from their world are beginning to disappear from the movie, quickly bringing them to the realization that if they don’t make it home, they, too, might disappear from existence.

While this is all bad news for the characters, it’s great news for us viewers because they continue to give us these hit songs “Like Me,” “Meant to Be,’ and more. Teen Beach Movie, while targeted towards a younger group, is a great summertime film for all with a mix of goofy humor, fun music, and incredible clothes. Also teaching a great life lesson to listen to your heart and do what feels right to you … like watching this movie.

Available on Disney+.