If, like me, you grew up watching the Disney Channel, DCOMs (Disney Channel Original Movies) were a perfect way of spending an evening during the grade school years. Since 1997, Disney has released a few original films every year, providing entertainment for our generation. I was an avid watcher until around 2006, which gave me plenty of time to become a DCOM aficionado, of sorts. Below is a ranking of what I believe were the five best DCOMs that Disney ever produced. Sure, everyone has their own favorite -- but the best of the best are simply non-negotiable.
#5: The Even Stevens Movie (2003)
As a huge fan of the original series, which ran from 2000 to 2003, this movie was always such a joy to watch, and was the perfect ending cap for the franchise. After the Stevens family is convinced they're going on a free island vacation -- which ends up being the set of a reality show -- chaos ensues as each family member (and Beans) runs into different outrageous obstacles. The movie is just ridiculous enough that it never seemed tacky, and the warm and fuzzy ending between Ren and Louis always made me smile. [As an aside, I always was fascinated by Ren's name. I never knew a Ren, and still don't to this day.]
#4: Go Figure (2005)
This movie gave me LIFE. Perhaps my passionate love for this movie came from the fact that I was utterly hopeless at ice-skating as a child and admired Katelin for her mad skills. But anyone who watches this movie ends up rooting for the strong protagonist. She manages to balance ice skating, hockey practice, and schoolwork, and by the end of the movie she's won the support of her hockey team and a place on the U.S. Olympic figure skating team. Lets be real, this girl definitely could've gotten into WashU.
#3: Double Teamed (2002)
Based on the lives of professional women's basketball players (and twins) Heather and Heidi Burge, Double Teamed was a down-to-earth yet inspirational little film that addressed a complex family relationship, high school sports dreams, and everlasting sibling support. Also, props to Heather for helping her team win the last game, even with a sprained ankle. I sprained my ankle in May and couldn't walk to the kitchen to feed myself.
#2: Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, you make my heart go boom boom..." I still catch myself humming that Proto Zoa hit to this day; it's definitely been burned in my brain from all the times I've seen this movie. With its impeccable plot, Zenon proved to be a terrifically popular DCOM, and it inspired two sequels. The film follows Zenon and her friend Nebula (Raven, before she was so Raven) and their lives on a space station. When Zenon is "grounded" (quite literally) by her parents, she has to figure out how to adjust to life on Earth -- but while she's there, manages to bust Parker Wyndham for scheming to crash the computers of the space station. You're lying if you try to tell me that the last five minutes of Zenon aren't the best. Wyndham and his assistant are gloriously arrested right before the Proto Zoa concert. Zetus lapetus! (Still not sure about those frosted tips, though).
#1: Halloweentown (1998)
I truly love everything about this movie -- a distinction that earned it the top spot in this competition. First of all, Marnie was the bold, confident teenager that all of us aspired to be. She was going to be a witch if it was the last thing she did. The moment she snuck onto the Halloweentown bus with her siblings was, at that age, the most rebellious thing I could imagine.
Secondly, Debbie Reynolds (playing Marnie's grandmother, Aggie) MAKES this movie. She was the embodiment of the most magical, quirky, cool, and loving grandmother. She let Marnie embrace her true identity! She taught her to fly! But she also taught her responsibility and respect. Legitimately, I wanted her as my honorary third grandmother.
Yes, the props and costumes were certainly corny looking back, but were so convincing and fascinating in 1998. And, you can't deny that taking cabs would be so much more enjoyable if every driver was like Benny, the skeleton with the terrible jokes.
Finally, I adore the fact that people at every age could enjoy this movie. As a child I loved it for it's story and suspense: Kalabar, the wicked mayor of Halloweentown, is determined to petrify all the residents of the city -- and it's up to Marnie and her siblings to save her family and the entire town that her grandmother loves so much (spoiler alert: they do). Nowadays, aside from timeless nostalgia, it always makes me laugh that this movie is essentially about a really bitter ex (Kalabar had once dated Marnie's mom) who is so hung up on the fact that he got rejected 20 years ago, so he attempts to ruin his entire city. That's desperate. And you thought your ex ignoring you in the taco salad line at the DUC was awkward.
