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3 Disney Channel Original Movies That Changed My Life Before 'High School Musical'

No shade to my parents, but I have to give some credit to DCOM's for helping to shape the person I am today.

Colin Christian

Jul 30, 2018

University of Central Florida

66

3 Disney Channel Original Movies That Changed My Life Before 'High School Musical'

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Ever since 1997, Disney Channel has been producing quality, family-friendly movies to be enjoyed by kids and pre-teens around the globe. Because I was born in 1998, I've been watching DCOM's since I was born. So, I think I know what I'm talking about when it pertains to Disney Channel movies (especially before 2012). No shade to my parents, but I have to give some credit to DCOM's for helping to shape the person I am today. So, I have decided to list three of the Disney Channel Original Movies that have changed my life for the better.

Note: I did say pre-"High School Musical" because before this franchise came out, DCOM's had real-life issues and lessons to teach its audience. After the impact "High School Musical" had, I feel that DCOM's shifted to be more for entertaining and less for teaching a lesson. I'm not bashing on the franchise or the movies that came after it at all, "High School Musical" was one of my favorite franchises and some of my favorite movies came after "High School Musical" like, "Camp Rock", "Read It and Weep", and "Lemonade Mouth."

3. "Cadet Kelly" (2002)

Now you may be thinking, "Really? Cadet Kelly changed your life?" The answer is yes. In this movie, we follow inner-city pre-teen Kelly Collins who finds herself in a military school because her mom marries the Commandant of the school. She is faced with many obstacles along her journey, like a verbally abusive Cadet Captain, a never-ending list of rules and regulations, and an unsupportive family at home. She then comes to join the drill team where she feels welcome and comes to find a place where she feels comfortable. "Cadet Kelly" teaches us that no matter what obstacles may come about in life, they make us stronger and our journey will always see a brighter day.

2. "The Even Stevens Movie" (2003)

Serving as the series finale for the beloved show "Even Stevens," "The Even Stevens Movie" follows the Stevens family as they go on a family vacation that ends up to be a televised game show. Louis 'destroys' the house his family was supposed to live in, and this causes the islanders to shun the entire family, forcing them to live on their own on the island. Through facing starvation, islanders, and the animals of the island, the family splits up and is pitted against each other. As Louis' and Ren's friends realize that the Stevens family is on a TV show, they plan to rescue them. All this climaxes to Ren cornering Louis on a cliff and 'pushes' him off, then revealing that a second reality-prank show was summoned to prank the producers of the first show. This movie showcases the importance of family. Even though families go through tough times and fight with each other, they are still a family at the end of the day and will find common ground to get along with one another.

1. "The Cheetah Girls" (2003)

"The Cheetah Girls" is one of my favorite movie series to ever grace my television. With style, grace, and attitude, Galleria, Dorinda, Chanel, and Aqua teach us to stick with our best of friends, no matter what issues may arise within the group. This first movie of the series follows four high school freshmen who happen to have their own girl group. They eventually get discovered by a "hot shot" music producer, Jackal Johnson, while rehearsing for their school talent show. They meet and perform for Jackal Johnson and his team, where they are offered a contract to the record label. As it turns out, Jackal Johnson and his team want to change the Cheetah Girls' image completely. The group complies, except for Galleria, who wants to stick with the original image of the group. The other girls see this as Galleria wanting to take control over the group, thus forcing Galleria to leave the group. It's up until Galleria's dog, Toto, gets stuck in a construction site. This gains a lot of attention, including news coverage. We then see the Cheetah Girls reunite to save Toto and end up forgiving each other and declining Jackal Johnson's offer. Seeing this sense of 'sisterhood' taught me at a very young age that the value of friendship is priceless and should be cherished and valued to the highest degree.

We can see that DCOM's really teach us life lessons that can be applied to our adult life. Whether it be a journey within the self, with your family, or with your friends, we apply the lessons Disney Channel Movies taught us at very young ages. This is why I personally credit and thank Disney Channel for teaching me some useful life lessons I wouldn't have been taught any other way.

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