The childhood of the average Staples student can be defined in different ways: Tamagotchis, the mustard yellow Westport Soccer Association’s recreational jerseys, or even the smell of popcorn and cotton candy at the Yankee Doodle Fair. But nothing brings a teenager back to the good old days before homework and standardized testing faster than the Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) theme song. Such classics as “The Even Stevens Movie,” “Cadet Kelly,” and “The Luck of the Irish” spark fond memories of a Disney channel before it became consumed by Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato. Rather, our screens were graced by the innocent Hilary Duff, the hilarious Raven Symone, and a pre-Transformers Shia Labeof. These are the top three DCOM favorites of students at Staples.
Although this Disney Channel classic definitely got more air time in October, it remains a year round classic for many students who grew up in the DCOM era. Halloweentown, which originally aired in 1998, tells the story of Marnie Piper who, with the help of her grandmother Aggie, uses secret powers to defeat evil forces in a town populated by witches, warlocks, and monsters. Dayna Gelman ‘14 recalls Halloweentown as being her favorite Disney Channel movie and often fantasized about what life was like as the leading character, Marny. “There’s something about the first Halloweentown movie that will always make it my absolute favorite,” she said. “It’s timeless and has such an original story line. As Paris Hilton would say, this movie is hot.”
2) “The Lizzie McGuire Movie:”
Hilary Duff will no doubt go down in history as one of the only Disney starlets to emerge from the company without performing at least one stint in rehab. And of course, the Lizzie McGuire Movie was the undoubtable peak of the Metamorphosis singer’s Disney Channel career. Lilly Howes ‘17 recalls the film as being her favorite. “When I was younger it made me want to go to Rome so bad,” she said. Fellow student Lexy Iannacone ‘15 also has a soft spot in her heart for the movie. “It was the best because of the realistic beginning, the love story, and of course the music,” she said. “It was all intriguing.”
3) “Smart House:”
Undoubtedly one of the most underrated Disney Channel movies of all time, Smart House, tells the story of a father and his two children who move into a futuristic, state-of-the-art home appropriately dubbed the “smart house” after the untimely passing of his wife. While it starts as fun and games with holographic walls and on-demand smoothies, the operating system forcibly tries to assume a maternal position within the family, much to the dismay of the children. Julian Brooks ‘14 is the self-proclaimed biggest fan of the film. “The part where the house turns into a spiraling tornado mom always freaked me out, but who wouldn’t want a house that can make you milkshakes?” he said.
