Disney Channel was in it’s prime circa 2007 and if you think I’m wrong, I think you’re wrong. There was no better time for a cheesy, happy-go-lucky, singing and dancing DCOM than the early 2000s. If you’re a millennial and enjoy smiling, these movies are sure to bring back happy memories.
1. High School Musical
I mean, this one is pretty self-explanatory. I still remember sitting on my friend’s couch waiting for a movie I had no idea would explode. I was obsessed (... I still am, it’s fine)! Troy Bolton was the heartthrob hunk that every girl was in love with and Gabriella Montez was the envy. HSM was the movie that could cure a bad case of the “I lost my animal-shaped erasers and my Silly Bandz broke”. Today, the gods have blessed us with our favorite tweens by giving them a coveted spot in the Netflix lineup. Now you can “break free” and relive those good ol’ elementary school days by watching the [arguably] best high school family friendly-teenage love story- drama filled movie of all time.
2. Camp Rock
I’ve got two names for you: JOE JONAS. NICK JONAS. Sorry, Kevin, I love your brothers more. I am not ashamed to say that after seeing this movie, I begged my mom to take me to see the Jonas Brothers with Jordin Sparks concert. I then proceeded to beg to go to sleepaway camp because, obviously, I wanted to fall in love with a rockstar while becoming an independent triple threat woman, duh. Camp Rock put Demi and the Jonas Brothers on the map. Without the greatness that is “This is Me” and “Play My Music”, us millennials wouldn’t have those summer jams to rock out to at our back to school picnics.
3. Halloweentown
It is with deep shame that I admit I had no idea Debbie Reynolds was Aggie. I love her so much and, it’s not just that. This movie is definitely an October 31st classic. It’s an ABC Family (I refuse to call it Freeform) tradition to watch all of the Halloweentown movies on Halloween. Marnie Piper had me wishing I was a witch and really praying that somewhere somehow papers got lost and Debbie Reynolds is actually my grandma too.
4. The Cheetah Girls 2
You may be asking yourself, “why doesn’t she like the first one?” Here’s my answer: because even in 2017, it kind of sucks to be honest. Aside from the catchy af music, the plot is meh, and that’s coming from tween me too. TCG 2, on the other hand, is freaking fantastic. As far as I know, it is literally every person’s dream to go to Spain and break out in song and dance on the beautiful cobblestone streets and dancing with a then cute* (*referring to the time period in which gel-spiked hair and lanky-ness was attractive to pre-teen children) Spaniard. “Strut” is always my go-to song to listen to when I really need to push myself at the gym so I can eat pizza after.
5. Life Size
Tyra Banks before ANTM is the Tyra this world needs. It’s only fitting that she play a doll in a movie because she is definitely one in real life. Who knew that a pre-pubescent Lindsay Lohan bringing a Tyra doll to life instead of mom would make for great television. In fact, there was talk in the last few months of a glorious and long-awaited sequel to this 2000s classic. Life Size was basically every girl’s dream: having one of their dolls come to life. Lohan was already on the map from Parent Trap and Tyra, well, she’s Tyra and she was already super famous. In 2017, Life Size is that movie that every millennial wants to bring back because of how ingrained in our childhoods it is.
Honorable mentions include (and are definitely not limited too*) : Johnny Tsunami, Cadet Kelly, Zenon: The 21st Century Girl, and Stuck in the Suburbs.
* See what I did there?
