Minutemen (film)
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''Minutemen'' is a 2008
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner na ...
. The movie was the most viewed program on American cable TV for the week ending January 27, 2008, with 6.48 million viewers. The film was written by John Killoran (writing the teleplay) and David Diamond and David Weissman (writing the story) and directed by Lev L. Spiro, who received a Directors Guild nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programs for it. Andrew Gunn, Ann Marie Sanderlin and Doug Sloan are the executive producers. The movie was originally slated for release in March 2008, but the film premiered on Disney Channel in United States on January 25.Cable Nielsens (January 31, 2008)
It premiered with 6.48 million viewers.


Plot

On the first day of high school, best friends Virgil (Jason Dolley), Derek (Steven R. McQueen), and Stephanie (Chelsea Kane) each decide to try out various activities around the school. However, while Derek tries football and Stephanie tries cheerleading, Virgil's high school career takes a turn when young genius Charlie Tuttle (Luke Benward) interrupts football practice as he tears across the field on a rocket car. As the football team begins harassing Charlie, Virgil comes to his defense only to get bullied as well. Virgil and Charlie are forced to dress like cheerleaders and are hung from the school mascot's statue by their underwear. Three years later, Virgil and Charlie are outcasts because of the incident despite Derek claiming that he had tried to stop the bullies from humiliating them. Charlie informs Virgil that he has invented a time machine. After enlisting grease junky Zeke (Nicholas Braun) for his mechanical skills, the time machine is built, and they test it out by attempting to purchase a winning lottery ticket in the past. Forgetting that they are underage, they ask a local street performer to buy it for them but are forced to return to the present early. This, in turn, causes the street performer to win the lottery using the numbers they provided. After this failure, Charlie comes up with a plan to only use the machine to undo embarrassing mistakes made by their classmates. The group asks classmate Jeanette (Kara Crane), who has a one-sided crush on Charlie, to oversee the time machine whenever they travel to the past, and she provides them with white snowsuits to protect them from the portal's freezing temperatures. The trio soon become known as the "Snowsuit Guys" (though they themselves prefer to be called the "Minutemen") and are named local heroes by the students, but labeled as troublemakers by the vice principal (J.P. Manoux) because of them accidentally breaking his diorama of the school. Virgil, Zeke, and Charlie soon realize that the behavior of the teenagers they saved have changed, as the formerly bullied have become bullies themselves. Charlie reveals that in order to get the time machine to work, he had to hack and steal files from NASA. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, Charlie warns Zeke and Virgil to refrain from using the time machine for a while. Virgil later sees Stephanie with a broken leg due to a cheerleading injury that caused her to lose her scholarship to her dream college. Despite Charlie's protests, Virgil convinces the group to travel back in time and prevent Stephanie from getting injured, revealing his identity to her in the process. After Derek experiences a humiliating loss at the state championship, Stephanie asks Virgil to change the past so Derek can win; in turn, the former friends are reunited. After hanging with the popular kids, Virgil begins to abandon Charlie and Zeke in favor of Stephanie and Derek. However, Stephanie eventually learns that Derek is cheating on her with his tutor Jocelyn. Derek pleads with Virgil to change the past so Stephanie never finds out, but Virgil is reluctant, having realized he has his own feelings for her. The FBI comes to town after monitoring suspicious activity and interrogates Charlie, Zeke, and Virgil. The trio bitterly disbands due to Virgil's repeated use of the time machine to help his own popularity. After consulting with the government's top scientists, Charlie learns that their trips to the past have damaged the space-time continuum, thus creating a black hole. With only hours to live, the trio reunites and is forced to venture into the hole and close it. Once they have entered the black hole, they are transported back to their first day of high school, as the key component from the time machine was in Charlie's rocket cart. Virgil realizes that he can undo the events that caused him to lose his popularity. Charlie admits that although Virgil hates this day, it's his favorite as it's the day he finally got a real friend. Charlie and Zeke leave Virgil to make a decision, but as Virgil watches the incident unfold, he discovers that Derek didn’t defend him at all. Instead, he had betrayed him in favor of gaining popularity by suggesting to also put lipstick on the two. Having come to his senses, Virgil picks up the rocket car and reunites with Charlie and Zeke. The trio race back to the black hole just as it closes. They are then thrown back in time to the day they first time traveled. As they walk through the school, nobody suspects a thing and have no clue of the group’s heroic actions. Virgil stands up to Derek for his treachery and wins Stephanie's heart, while Charlie reciprocates Jeanette's feelings for him. Charlie comes up with a new scientific idea involving teleportation and Virgil and Zeke drag him away as he rambles about his plan.


Cast

*
Jason Dolley Jason Scott Dolley (born July 5, 1991) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in Disney Channel shows and movies. These include Newton "Newt" Livingston III on ''Cory in the House'', Virgil Fox in '' Minutemen'', Connor Kennedy ...
as Virgil Fox, a social outcast after an embarrassing event *
Luke Benward Luke Aaron Benward (born May 12, 1995) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Will in the Disney film '' Cloud 9'' (2014). His first starring role was Billy Forrester in ''How to Eat Fried Worms'' (2006), and as Char ...
as Charlie Tuttle, a young genius and outcast who is Virgil and Zeke's best friend *
Nicholas Braun Nicholas Joseph Braun (born May 1, 1988) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Hirsch in the HBO series ''Succession'' (2018–present), for which he has received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...
as Zeke Thompson, a "bad boy" outcast who is Charlie and Virgil's best friend * Chelsea Staub as Stephanie Jameson, Virgil's only former friend who still likes him. Virgil has a crush on her * J. P. Manoux as Vice Principal Tolkan * Steven R. McQueen as Derek Beaugard, Virgil's former best friend who is now dating Stephanie. He chose popularity over Virgil, but once he finds out about Virgil's time-travelling, he starts to use him for his own advantage. * Kara Crane as Jeanette Pachelewski, a quirky girl who harbors a crush on Charlie * Dexter Darden as Chester, an outcast who becomes popular due to the actions of the "Snowsuit Guys" * Kellie Cockrell as Jocelyn Lee, a stuck-up popular girl who Derek cheated on Stephanie with * Molly Jepson as Amy Fox, Virgil's annoying younger sister * Larry Filion as FBI Agent (uncredited) * Dwayne Hackett as Store Manager (uncredited)


Production

Disney Channel first released an official press via its press release website DisneyChannelMedianet.com on July 14, 2007 to confirm the production of ''Minutemen''. The lead star, plot, writers, director and executive producers of this movie were revealed in this press. In addition, another 2008 DCOM named ''
Camp Rock ''Camp Rock'' is a 2008 American musical television film directed by Matthew Diamond from a screenplay by Karin Gist, Regina Hicks, Julie Brown, and Paul Brown. The 73rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), the film stars Demi Lovato, Joe Jo ...
'', scheduled to begin production in September 2007, was also confirmed in the same press.


Location

''Minutemen'' was filmed at Murray High School. Murray High School was also the set of: '' Take Down'' (1978), ''
Read It and Weep ''Read It and Weep'' is a 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered on July 21, 2006. It is based on the novel ''How My Private, Personal Journal Became A Bestseller'' by Julia DeVillers. Sisters Kay and Danielle Panabaker star as Jamie B ...
'' (2006), the auditorium scene of ''
High School Musical ''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American musical television film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The 63rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) and first installment of the ''High School Musical'' film series, ...
'' (2006), and '' High School Musical: Get in the Picture'' (2008). Filming also took place at Highland High School located in
Sugar House A sugar shack (french: cabane à sucre), also known as sap house, sugar house, sugar shanty or sugar cabin is a commercial establishment, primarily found in Eastern Canada and northern New England. Sugar shacks are small cabins or groups of cab ...
.


Featured music

The first single of the movie, "Run It Back Again" by
Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Reivers (; born February 21, 1989), known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the 2004 adventure comedy film '' Catch That Kid''. He has since appeared in the Discovery Kids d ...
was released January 22, 2008 on '' Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 10'' and its music video premiered on Disney Channel. Another single titled "
Like Whoa "Like Whoa" is a song by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ, written and recorded by the duo for their second studio album, ''Insomniatic''. It is the second and final single from the album, released in 2008. The single release in the UK was cancelle ...
" from
Aly & AJ Aly & AJ are an American pop rock duo that consists of sisters Alyson (Aly) and Amanda Joy Michalka (AJ) and signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records in 2004. Their debut album, '' Into the Rush'', debuted at number 36 on the US ''B ...
began airing January 19 around the world, as a music video on Disney Channel. The song could be purchased on album, ''
Insomniatic ''Insomniatic'' is the third studio album by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ, released on July 10, 2007 by Hollywood Records. The album features an electronic based sound, differing from their previous pop-rock and acoustic releases, that was acce ...
''.


Reception

''Minutemen'' premiered on Disney Channel on January 25, 2008 with 6.48 million views.


References


External links

* {{Lev L. Spiro 2008 television films 2008 films 2008 comedy films 2000s adventure comedy films 2000s science fiction adventure films 2000s science fiction comedy films 2000s teen comedy films Adventure television films American adventure comedy films American comedy television films American science fiction adventure films American science fiction comedy films American science fiction television films American teen comedy films Disney Channel Original Movie films Films about time travel Films directed by Lev L. Spiro Films scored by Nathan Wang Films set in 2005 Films set in 2008 Films shot in Salt Lake City 2000s American films