Cloud 9 (2014 film)

Last updated

Cloud 9
Cloud 9 - 2014 film.jpg
DVD cover
Genre Sports
Drama
Romance
Teen
Written byJustin Ware
Directed by Paul Hoen
Starring
Music by Alex Wurman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers Ashley Tisdale
Jessica Rhodes
Kirkland Tibbels
Shaun White [1]
CinematographySuki Medencevic
EditorGirish Bhargava
Running time85 minutes
Production companies Salty Pictures, Inc
Blondie Girl Productions
Original release
Network Disney Channel
ReleaseJanuary 17, 2014 (2014-01-17)

Cloud 9 is a 2014 American romantic sports drama television film directed by Paul Hoen and written by Justin Ware. It stars Dove Cameron, Luke Benward, Kiersey Clemons and Mike C. Manning. [2] The film is set in the world of competitive snowboarding. [3] [4] The first promo aired on November 29, 2013 during the premiere of "Good Luck Jessie: NYC Christmas". The film premiered on January 17, 2014 as a Disney Channel Original Movie.

Contents

Plot

In Summit Valley, Colorado, Kayla Morgan begins training to win the "Fire and Ice" snowboarding competition alongside her boyfriend Nick Swift, the son of team coach Sebastian Swift. The previous year, a video went viral of famous snowboarder Will Cloud failing to perform a move he created called “Cloud 9,” causing Will to end his snowboarding career and find work at his family's dog kennel. While riding Will’s sled, Kayla crashes into a mountain lodge sign, demolishing it and the sled in the process.

Her parents, Richard and Madeline, offer to fix the sign, but Kayla has to work at the kennel to replace Will’s sled. Will tells Kayla that she only made the team because of her dad’s donations to them. Kayla is later kicked off the team due to the accident. She confronts Nick about his unwillingness to defend her, and Nick eventually admits that she isn’t good enough to win Fire and Ice.

The next day, Will arrives at the kennel with his friends, Dink and Sam. When Kayla overhears Will lecturing Sam about his snowboarding technique, she realizes Will is a more talented snowboarder than he is given credit for. Nick breaks up with Kayla, believing she is distracting him from the competition.

Kayla asks Will to train her for Fire and Ice, offering to remodel the kennel in exchange, but Will refuses. Will says there would be no point since she doesn’t have a team to train with, but Kayla decides to form a team with Will’s old teammates, calling them the Hot Doggers. She then learns that the Swifts have replaced her with famous snowboarder Skye Sailor. Will eventually agrees to train Kayla. Under Will’s guidance, her performance greatly improves, though Nick grows jealous at the budding friendship between the two.

Impressed by the remodeled kennel and grateful towards Kayla for restoring Will’s former passion, Andrea agrees to give the two a day off. While out with Will, Kayla asks him to join the Hot Doggers. The next morning, Kayla overhears her father worrying that she will lose to the Swifts, which strengthens her resolve.

Later, Kayla asks Will to teach her the Cloud 9, but Will says she is not ready. Determined, Kayla takes a helicopter to the top of the notoriously tall Tyson's Peak and bravely snowboards down the mountain, unaware that she is being broadcast on TV from the helicopter. On the way down, she causes an avalanche that buries her under the snow. When Will and Donald rescue her, Kayla admits that she boarded down the peak to impress Will into teaching her the Cloud 9.

After being ridiculed by Nick for taking a fall while boarding, Will finally agrees to teach Kayla the Cloud 9. After a few failed attempts, Nick arrives and tells Will that he would be at fault if Kayla were to injure herself. Will accuses Kayla of being obsessed with winning Nick back, and the ensuing argument culminates in a kiss. Later, after Skye tells Sebastian that she can be a serious competition, he invites Kayla to rejoin the Swifts, and she accepts.

However, Kayla changes her mind and rejoins the Hot Doggers before the competition. Nick wins the men’s title at Fire and Ice, making Kayla the only chance the Hot Doggers have left against the Swift team. Skye delivers an impressive performance, ensuring Kayla can only beat her with a near-perfect score. Right before her round in Run 2, Richard apologizes to Kayla for not believing in her. Nick, tired of the constant pressure from his father, then reveals to Kayla that he was forced by Sebastian to comply in kicking Kayla off the team. Kayla, now more determined than ever to beat the Swifts, decides she will perform the Cloud 9. She successfully lands the Cloud 9, scoring perfect 10 points from all the judges and making the Hot Doggers overall winners of Fire and Ice. Kayla and her friends celebrate her victory, and even Sebastian applauds her, now regretting his decision to remove her from the team.

Cast

Production

Cloud 9 was directed by Paul Hoen, produced by Salty Pictures and Blondie Girl Productions, and written by Justin Ware, Don D. Scott, and Katie Wech. [4] It was executive produced by Ashley Tisdale. [5] Much of the filming for the movie took place at ski resorts in Utah. [6]

Songs

Release

Cloud 9 premiered on January 17, 2014, along with the series premiere of I Didn't Do It and a special preview of Win, Lose or Draw . The film originally premiered on January 17, 2014 on Disney Channel and Family Channel. [7] It premiered on February 20, 2014 on Disney Channel (Israel), [8] on February 28, 2014 on Disney Channel (UK and Ireland), [9] on March 23, 2014 on Disney Channel (Southeast Asia), [10] and in mid-2014 on Disney Channel (Australia and New Zealand). [11] Other Disney Channel networks premiered it throughout March and April, with Russia airing it March 1, Italy on March 8, the Eastern European networks on March 15, Spain, Scandinavia and the Netherlands on April 11, France on April 22, and Brazil on May 11. [12] It premiered on June 28 in Australia and on June 26 on Disney Channel (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The movie premiered in Germany in April on Disney Cinemagic.

Reception

Critical response

David Hiltbrand of The Philadelphia Inquirer described Cloud 9 as a quintessential Disney Channel TV movie, saying it is designed to appeal to tweens with its aspirational, romantic storyline. They noted that while Cloud 9 features exciting slow-motion action scenes, it remains engaging due to its picturesque snowy setting and the inclusion of real athletic performances behind the scenes. Hiltbrand found that delisted its formulaic elements, the film is charming and enjoyable watch for its target audience. [13] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave Cloud 9 a score of four out of five stars and noted the depiction of positive messages and role models, saying that the film succeeds at representing the importance of believing in oneself and putting efforts to reach one's goals. [14]

Ratings

Cloud 9 was viewed by 4.96 million viewers during its original premiere. [15] [16] Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated approximately 5 million viewers tuned in for the premiere of the inspirational snowboarding movie Cloud 9. The film became the second most-watched telecast of the season across all networks in the kids 2-11 (2.6 million viewers) and kids 6-11 (2.1 million viewers) demographics, ranking just behind Disney Channel’s Good Luck Jessie: NYC Christmas from late November. [17]

Home video sales

Cloud 9 has grossed $1,855,386 in domestic home video sales. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda Song</span> American actress (born 1988)

Brenda Song is an American actress. Born in California, Song began her career at the age of six, working as a child model. She made her screen debut with a guest appearance on the sitcom Thunder Alley (1995), and went on to roles such as the children's television series Fudge (1995) and the Nickelodeon series 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd (1999). She starred in the Disney Channel original film The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), which won her a Young Artist Award. She subsequently signed a contract with Disney Channel and earned widespread recognition for playing the titular character in the action film Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006), and London Tipton in the comedy franchise The Suite Life (2005–2011), earning her acclaim and two Young Hollywood Awards. She additionally played the character of Tia on Phil of the Future (2004–2005), and had starring roles in the television film Get a Clue (2002), the sports comedy film Like Mike (2002) and the comedy film Stuck in the Suburbs (2004).

<i>The Buzz on Maggie</i> American animated television series

The Buzz on Maggie is an American animated television series created by Dave Polsky for Disney Channel. The series centers on an ambitious and expressive tween fly named Maggie Pesky and her family and friends. The show is set in Stickyfeet, a city for insects located in a junkyard. While conceptualizing the series, Polsky wanted it to contain a playful view of adolescence and director Dave Wasson formed the overall look of the characters, being heavily influenced by early Walt Disney cartoon shorts. The Buzz on Maggie was Disney's first series to be fully animated in Adobe Flash, a process done by Bardel Entertainment and Future Thought Productions. The series was produced in widescreen, but was broadcast in 4:3 aspect ratio due to Disney Channel's lack of an HD feed at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Benward</span> American actor and singer

Luke Aaron Benward is an American actor and singer. He is 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 Charlie Tuttle in Minutemen (2008). He played the role of Dillon in Ravenswood and Bo in the Netflix film Dumplin'. He recurred as Teddy's boyfriend, Beau, on the final season of the Disney Channel series Good Luck Charlie.

<i>Minutemen</i> (film) 2008 television film directed by Lev L. Spiro

Minutemen is a 2008 science-fiction Disney Channel Original Movie. The movie was the most viewed program on American cable TV for the week ending January 27, 2008, with 6.48 million viewers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peyton List (actress, born 1998)</span> American actress (born 1998)

Peyton Roi List is an American actress. She began her career as a child model for tween magazines and companies before transitioning to acting with a minor role in the romantic comedy film 27 Dresses (2008). As a child actress, she appeared in films such as the coming of age drama Remember Me (2010) and the crime horror Bereavement (2010), before her breakthrough role as Holly Hills in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series (2011–2012). She gained further attention for portraying Emma Ross on the Disney Channel series Jessie (2011–2015), a role which she reprised in the spinoff series Bunk'd.

<i>High School Musical</i> (franchise) Disney franchise

High School Musical is an American media franchise centered on a series of musical romantic comedy-drama films created by Peter Barsocchini. The franchise also includes stage musicals, books, comics, live shows, video games, and a television series.

<i>Good Luck Charlie</i> American sitcom

Good Luck Charlie is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, not just children. It focuses on the Duncan family of Denver as they adjust to the births of their fourth and fifth children, Charlotte "Charlie" and Toby. In each episode, Teddy Duncan adds to a video diary that contains advice for Charlie about their family and life as a teenager. Teddy tries to show Charlie what she might go through when she is older for future reference. Each video diary ends with Teddy saying the eponymous phrase, "Good luck, Charlie".

<i>Good Luck Charlie, Its Christmas!</i> 2011 American TV series or program

Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! is a 2011 American Christmas road comedy television film directed by Arlene Sanford and written by Geoff Rodkey, based on the Disney Channel Original Series Good Luck Charlie by Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen. The Disney Channel Original Movie stars Bridgit Mendler, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Bradley Steven Perry, Mia Talerico, Eric Allan Kramer, and Jason Dolley as the Duncan family. It follows the Duncan family as they prepare for their Christmas trip to Amy Duncan's parents' house in Palm Springs, California. Things goes awry however when Teddy and Amy find themselves separated from their family after Teddy gives up her seat in exchange for a free plane ticket. With only a few days left until Christmas, the duo will have to face numerous obstacles as they embark on a hitchhiking journey across Utah and Nevada to get to California so they can reunite with their family in time for the holidays.

<i>Frenemies</i> (film) 2012 television film directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer

Frenemies is a 2012 teen comedy-drama anthology television film based on the novel of the same name by Alexa Young. It features an ensemble cast starring Bella Thorne, Zendaya, Stefanie Scott, Nick Robinson, Mary Mouser and features Connor Price, Jascha Washington and Dylan Everett. The film follows three pairs of teenage friends that go from friends to enemies and back again. The film was directed by Daisy Mayer and written by Dava Savel, Wendy Weiner, and Jim Krieg. The Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on January 13, 2012, in the United States and Canada.

<i>Girl vs. Monster</i> 2012 multi-national TV series or program

Girl vs. Monster is a 2012 American fantasy teen comedy Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 12, 2012. The film stars Olivia Holt as Skylar, a teenage girl who discovers on the eve of Halloween that she is a fifth-generation monster hunter and that her parents are active monster hunters. The movie was directed by Stuart Gillard and produced by Tracey Jeffrey.

<i>Teen Beach Movie</i> 2013 Disney Channel film directed by Jeffrey Hornaday

Teen Beach Movie is a 2013 American musical teen romantic comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie. Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, it was filmed in Puerto Rico. The movie premiered on July 19, 2013, on Disney Channel and stars Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell. Teen Beach Movie was the only Disney Channel Original Movie to premiere in 2013. A sequel, Teen Beach 2, premiered on June 26, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dove Cameron</span> American actress and singer (born 1996)

Dove Olivia Cameron is an American singer and actress. She gained recognition for her dual role of the eponymous characters in the Disney Channel comedy series Liv and Maddie (2013–2017), for which she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming. She also starred in Disney Channel’s Descendants film franchise (2015–2021).

<i>Zapped</i> (2014 film) 2014 American television film by Peter DeLuise

Zapped is a 2014 science fiction teen comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie. It stars Zendaya, Chanelle Peloso, Emilia McCarthy and Spencer Boldman. Zendaya plays the lead role, Zoey Stevens.

<i>Descendants</i> (2015 film) Disney Channel Original Movie

Descendants is an American musical fantasy television film directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega. The film stars Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, and Cameron Boyce as the teenage children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil, respectively. The film follows these teenagers adjusting to life outside their island prison, while on a mission to steal the Fairy Godmother's wand and free their parents from captivity. It debuted on July 31, 2015, as a Disney Channel Original Movie, to positive reviews and 6.6 million viewers.

<i>Adventures in Babysitting</i> (2016 film) 2016 TV film directed by John Schultz

Adventures in Babysitting is a 2016 American adventure comedy television film directed by John Schultz and starring Sabrina Carpenter and Sofia Carson. It is a remake of the 1987 film of the same name. The film premiered on Disney Channel in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2016, and is the 100th Disney Channel Original Movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Moroles</span> American actress (born 1996)

Victoria Moroles is an American actress. She played Andie on the Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie. She has also played Hayden Romero on MTV's Teen Wolf in seasons 5 and 6 (2015–2017). She also starred in the Hulu comedy Plan B, directed by Natalie Morales.

<i>Descendants 2</i> 2017 Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Kenny Ortega

Descendants 2 is an American musical fantasy television film. It premiered as a Disney Channel Original Movie on July 21, 2017, and was simulcast on Disney-owned networks ABC, Disney XD, Freeform, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movies. It is the second installment in the Descendants franchise and the sequel to the 2015 film Descendants. The film stars Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, Mitchell Hope, and China Anne McClain. A third film, Descendants 3, premiered on August 2, 2019.

<i>Zombies</i> (2018 film) American musical television film

Zombies is an American musical and zombie Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on Disney Channel on February 16, 2018. The film is based on the unaired pilot Zombies & Cheerleaders by David Light and Joseph Raso, and stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly, playing zombie football player Zed and human cheerleader Addison who meet and fall in love, and who must lead their respective groups to coexist with each other.

<i>Descendants</i> (franchise) American film series

Descendants is an American media franchise centered on a series of Disney Channel musical fantasy films. The franchise was created by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott, with the first three films directed by Kenny Ortega, and the fourth directed by Jennifer Phang.

References

  1. Kirsh, Hayley. "First look: Disney Channel Original Movie CLOUD 9". The Magazine. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  2. "Cloud 9 (television)". D23 . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  3. "Breaking News - Disney Channels Worldwide Presents Plan to Build on Its Strength at Annual Meeting with Advertisers". TheFutonCritic.com. April 1, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
  4. 1 2 McNary, Dave anderson (March 7, 2013). "Disney Channel Puts Spotlight on Dove Cameron with Series, Movie (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved August 3, 2013.
  5. Lal, Kanika (January 14, 2014). "Disney Channel's 'Cloud 9' Is Set to Hit the Slopes (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  6. Blake, Daisy (January 17, 2014). "Utah actor on 'Cloud 9' with Disney role". The Salt Lake Tribune . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  7. "Not Available - Family.ca". Family Channel. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  8. קלאוד 9 - סרט חדש של ערוץ דיסני - ב-20.2.14 בשעה 19:25 - YouTube. YouTube. January 27, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  9. "What's On". Disney UK . Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  10. "Disney Channel - Singapore". Archived from the original on March 15, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  11. "Disney Channel AU on Twitter". Twitter . Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  12. ANMTV. "Cloud 9 - Desafio Final estreia no Disney Channel - ANMTV". ANMTV. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  13. Hiltbrand, David (January 16, 2014). "Winning winter Disney tale for tweens". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  14. Ashby, Emily. "Cloud 9 Movie Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  15. "Friday Cable Ratings: 'Gold Rush' Wins Night, 'Cloud 9', 'WWE Smackdown', 'Bering Sea Gold', 'Helix' & More". TV By The Numbers . January 21, 2014. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  16. "Disney Channel Original Movie 'Cloud 9' Garners 5 Million Total Viewers, 'I Didn't Do It' Premieres to 9.4 Million Viewers" (Press release). Disney Channel. January 21, 2014. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2016 via TV By The Numbers.
  17. Kissell, Rick (January 21, 2014). "Disney Channel Takes Gold With 'Cloud 9' Movie, New Comedy". Variety . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  18. "Cloud 9 (2014) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved August 14, 2024.