Degrassi Takes Manhattan

Last updated

Degrassi Takes Manhattan
Written by
Directed by Stefan Brogren
Music by Music
Production
Producers
  • David Lowe
  • Brendon Yorke
CinematographyJim Westenbrink
EditorD. Gillian Truster
Running time120 minutes
Original release
Release16 July 2010 (2010-07-16)

Degrassi Takes Manhattan, titled "The Rest of My Life" in syndication, is a 2010 Canadian television film based on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation , the fourth entry of the Degrassi television franchise, which by release was renamed simply Degrassi. Directed by Stefan Brogren, it premiered in Canada on MuchMusic on 16 July 2010 and in the United States on TeenNick on 19 July 2010.

Contents

It is the second feature-length movie of the Next Generation cast, and the third feature-length film in the franchise overall, following School's Out (1992) and Degrassi Goes Hollywood (2009). In syndication, it was shown in four parts.

This movie brought TeenNick its highest ratings ever, the most watched telecast on the network, and the most watched telecast by teens on the evening of 19 July. [1] An extended version of the film was released as a bonus on the show's season 9 DVD on 20 July 2010. [2] The special acted as somewhat of a de facto series finale for The Next Generation.

Plot

The members of Janie & the Studz featuring Peter Stone make their way to the front of Degrassi Community School as the last minutes of the school year tick down. Knowing that Spinner and Jane want to spend more time together in the summer, Spinner hires Emma as a new server, giving her instructions not to use the sandwich grill until she is fully oriented. With The Dot now employed, Spinner and Jane head to the Coynes’s pool party. While Holly J. and Jane are in the dressing tent, and are unaware that Spinner is within earshot, overhearing, they talk about the time Jane cheated on Spinner with Holly J.'s boyfriend, Declan. This new information, along with Jane leaving the country to go to Stanford University, causes Spinner to break up with Jane in a big scene. Upon returning to The Dot, Spinner finds it on fire, a result of Emma’s having used the short-circuiting sandwich grill. This causes Spinner to fall into an even deeper depression, where he violently removes all Jane memorabilia from his loft.

With nothing to do for the summer for Jane, she gets invited to live in the penthouse suite in Manhattan with Holly J., Declan, and his sister Fiona. After being a third wheel to Declan and Holly J., Jane continues to explore New York, and gets invited to front an indie band, Flashin' Midnight, which will be playing on TVM, the music channel where Holly J. is about to start her internship. On Holly J.'s first day, she runs into Jay Manuel, who gives her a warning about her new boss, Kristin (MTV Canada host Jessi Cruickshank). Holly J. also finds out that Fiona will be interning there, as a result of her jealousy to Holly J.'s time with Declan. A feud breaks out between Holly J. and Fiona, attempting to hurt each other emotionally. Holly J. locks Fiona in a room before a live broadcast, and Fiona attempts to get Declan on her side. She plans a party in their penthouse, to show Holly J. Declan's ex-girlfriends, but when this does not affect Holly J., she proceeds to kiss her brother Declan to make a scene. This causes Declan to side with his seemingly crazy sister and Holly J. running out for the night. The following morning, he talks to Holly J., winning her back, and asks Fiona to move out.

Meanwhile, Jane grows closer to Flashin' Midnight's lead George, and is encouraged to skip attending college in the fall to join the band. While she is excited for the opportunity, she thinks she is moving too fast and hesitates to give a clear answer. Jane is heartbroken to later find the band rehearsing with their previous singer, George's ex, Siobhan. Jane calls Spinner out of grief.

In an attempt to cheer Spinner up, Emma, Manny, and Jay "kidnap" him, and take him to a casino hotel at Niagara Falls. After some successful games of blackjack, Emma and Spinner get drunk, and wake up in the same bed the following morning, not remembering what had happened. They find out that they spent their winnings on a legal marriage, and an ugly, unreturnable ring. In the following days they become closer to each other, and begin to rethink getting a divorce. When Spinner tells Jane that they will hold a ceremony that Saturday, Jane realizes that she still has feelings for him, and convinces Holly J. and Declan to drive her back to Toronto. When Spinner and Emma start to question their marriage, they agree to wait to see if it works. They each go back to their friends, retelling the conversation in their head, until they realize that they do love each other. Spinner runs to the Simpson/Nelson house to profess his love for Emma, just as Snake and Spike have returned home from their vacation. Everyone decides to hold the wedding ceremony.

Not wanting Jane to stop the wedding, Holly J. and Declan try to stall the road trip, until Jane steals their car. She reaches the lake side party before the ceremony is about to begin, and finds Spinner's tent. After a brief fight with Manny, who thinks Jane is sabotaging the wedding, Jane finally realizes that Spinner is in love with Emma, and allows the wedding to continue. Spinner and Emma are officially married and Jane is excited for what her future holds.

Cast

Former Degrassi: The Next Generation co-star Aubrey Graham is spoken of in dialogue – under his stage name Drake – by Kristin (Jessi Cruickshank) during her first appearance, making Drake the second Degrassi actor to exist within the Degrassi fictional universe independently of his character. His character, Jimmy Brooks, is neither seen nor referred to in Degrassi Takes Manhattan, and was last seen in season 8. The first actor to do this was Shenae Grimes in Degrassi Goes Hollywood .

Jessi Cruickshank, who plays Holly J's boss Kristin, is the second The After Show host to appear in a Degrassi movie. Her After Show co-host Dan Levy co-starred in Degrassi Goes Hollywood as Paige's boss Robbie, a film producer.

Absences

The following characters do not appear in the movie, but were regular characters on the show during the previous season.

Production

Degrassi Takes Manhattan was filmed in Toronto and in New York City. [4]

Music

Degrassi Takes Manhattan:
The Heat Is On
(Music from the Original Movie)
Soundtrack album by
Released13 July 2010 (2010-07-13)
Genre Punk/Alternative Rock
Length40:52 (CD)
57:43 (iTunes)
Label Sall Entertainment Group / Fontana North
Degrassi chronology
Degrassi Goes Hollywood: Music from the Original Movie Degrassi Takes Manhattan:
The Heat Is On
(Music from the Original Movie)

Degrassi Takes Manhattan: The Heat Is On (Music from the Original Movie) is the title of the movie soundtrack released by digital download on 13 July 2010, and CD on 20 July 2010. It features songs from Canadian indie bands, the Finnish band Automatic Eye, as well as original songs performed by cast members. [5] [6] [7]

Robert Fletcher, Mike Baskervillem, John Dykstra, Danielle McBride, Dan Sexton, and Virginia Storey, collectively received a Gemini Award nomination for best sound in a dramatic program, for their work in Degrassi Takes Manhattan, [8] but lost to The Pillars of the Earth . [9]

No.TitleArtistLength
1."The Great Escape" The Studs & Paula Brancati feat. Peter Stone 3:57
2."Maybe Love"Flashin' Midnight & Paula Brancati2:30
3."I Trust You"The Studs & Cassie Steele 2:59
4."Here Today"Flashin' Midnight & Paula Brancati4:18
5."Away From Sunshine"Automatic Eye3:33
6."Fly Away" Honey Ryder 4:20
7."Good Life"Michelle Featherstone2:55
8."N.Y.M."The Damn Automatics2:46
9."What Goes Around" Domenica 2:46
10."Got to Be" Latch Key Kid 3:06
11."Fine Line" Alanna Clarke 3:38
12."Put Me on Your Playlist"Confection3:21
iTunes Store bonus tracks
No.TitleArtistLength
13."The Great Escape (The Ralph Sall remix)"The Studs & Paula Brancati feat. Peter Stone3:54
14."Here Today (The Ralph Sall remix)"Flashin' Midnight & Paula Brancati4:06
15."Maybe Love (The Ralph Sall remix)"Flashin' Midnight & Paula Brancati4:49
16."I Trust You (The Ralph Sall remix)"The Studs & Cassie Steele4:02

Related Research Articles

Stacie Moana Mistysyn is an American and Canadian actress who is best known for her role as Caitlin Ryan throughout multiple incarnations of the Degrassi teen drama franchise, from Degrassi Junior High through Degrassi: The Next Generation. She previously played Lisa Canard in The Kids of Degrassi Street from 1982 to 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefan Brogren</span> Canadian actor and director (born 1972)

Stefan Brogren is a Canadian actor, director, and producer who is best known for his mainstay role as Archie "Snake" Simpson in the Degrassi television franchise. First appearing as a student in the second series Degrassi Junior High (1987-89) and continuing into Degrassi High (1989-91), Brogren played the role of Snake throughout every subsequent entry in the franchise, reprising his role in the revival Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-15) as a teacher and later principal, and again in Degrassi: Next Class (2016-17).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Jeremiah</span> Fictional character from the "Degrassi" franchise

Joseph "Joey" Jeremiah is a fictional character from the Degrassi teen drama franchise. He is portrayed by Pat Mastroianni. He debuted in the first episode of Degrassi Junior High and appeared throughout Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, and the first five seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation. As one of the main focus characters of the original two series, his role primarily concerns his friendship with Archie "Snake" Simpson and Derek "Wheels" Wheeler, his on-and-off romantic relationship with Caitlin Ryan, and in The Next Generation, his relationship with his stepson Craig Manning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caitlin Ryan (Degrassi)</span> Fictional character from Degrassi franchise

Caitlin Ryan is a fictional character from the Degrassi teen drama franchise. Portrayed by Stacie Mistysyn, Caitlin is a main character on both Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, which chronicle her maturation from a seventh grader to a high school graduate. Mistysyn returned to play an adult Caitlin on Degrassi: The Next Generation, in which Caitlin was a recurring character. Mistysyn won a Gemini Award for her portrayal of the character in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Arnold</span> Canadian actress

Charlotte Arnold is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Sadie Hawthorne in Naturally, Sadie and Holly J. Sinclair in Degrassi: The Next Generation, for which she won a Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Nelson</span> Fictional character from Degrassi

Christine "Spike" Nelson is a fictional character from the Degrassi teen drama franchise. Portrayed by Amanda Stepto, Spike appeared throughout Degrassi Junior High (1987–89), Degrassi High (1989–91), and the first nine seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–10). Starting as an unnamed extra before being given a name and storyline, Spike's character largely revolves around her teenage pregnancy and motherhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessi Cruickshank</span> Canadian television personality

Jessica Shaia "Jessi" Cruickshank is a Canadian television personality. She is the former co-host of MTV Canada's program The After Show and its various incarnations including The Hills: The After Show and The City: Live After Show with co-host Dan Levy. She also hosted Canada's Smartest Person and The Goods on CBC.

Andrea Jeanette "Annie" Clark, is a Canadian actress. She best known for portraying Fiona Coyne on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Body Is a Cage</span> 15th and 16th episodes of the 10th season of Degrassi: The Next Generation

"My Body Is a Cage" is a two-part episode from the tenth season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation. It originally aired in Canada on MuchMusic and the United States on TeenNick on August 11, 2010, with part two airing the following night. The episode follows transgender character Adam Torres as he struggles with himself and his family over his gender identity. Other plots include Anya MacPherson and her family learning that Mrs. MacPherson has cancer and Dave Turner's attempts at improving his grades by being a class clown.

"Mother and Child Reunion" is the two-part pilot episode of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation, which premiered on October 14, 2001 on the CTV Television Network. The episode was written by story editor Aaron Martin and series co-creator/creative consultant Yan Moore, and directed by Bruce McDonald. As with the majority of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes, "Mother and Child Reunion" takes its title from a pop song, "Mother and Child Reunion", written and performed by Paul Simon.

<i>Degrassi: The Next Generation</i> season 9 Season of television series

The ninth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in Canada on October 4, 2009, concluded on July 16, 2010, and consists of twenty-three episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. Although only one school year passed in the story timeline since season six, season nine is set in the spring semester in which the years it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season continues to depict the lives of a group of high school freshmen, juniors and seniors, and graduates as they deal with some of the challenges and issues that young adults face such as drug abuse, sexting, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual identity, homosexuality, crime, sex, and relationships.

Degrassi Goes Hollywood, known in syndication as "Paradise City", is a 2009 Canadian television film based on the teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation, the fourth entry of the Degrassi television franchise. Directed by Stefan Brogren, it premiered in the United States on The N on 14 August 2009, and in Canada on CTV on 30 August 2009.

<i>Degrassi</i> season 10 Season of television series

The tenth season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, premiered in Canada on July 19, 2010, concluded on April 22, 2011, and consists of 44 episodes. Due to the titular "next generation" of students having been written out by this time, the suffix was dropped. With the start of the tenth season, the series survived longer than the nine-year gap between the Degrassi High telemovie School's Out (1992) and The Next Generation's premiere episode "Mother and Child Reunion" (2001).

<i>Degrassi</i> season 11 Season of television series

The eleventh season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, premiered on July 18, 2011, concluded on May 18, 2012, and consists of 45 episodes. Although only three school years have passed in the story timeline since season six, part one of season eleven is set in the final term of the Spring semester, while part two is set in the fall semester to the first term of the winter semester in the years it aired. Writers used a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted were modern for their viewers. The first half of this season again depicts the lives of a group of high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors while the second half of this season depicts the lives of a group of high school freshmen, juniors, and seniors as they deal with some of the challenges and issues that teenagers face such as gang violence, parenthood, transphobia, homosexuality, drug use, dysfunctional families, mental disorders, adoption, organ transplantation, crime, bulimia, alcoholism, sex, drug abuse, and murder.

<i>Degrassi</i> season 12 Season of television series

The twelfth season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, premiered on July 16, 2012, concluded on June 21, 2013, and consists of 40 episodes. Although only three school years have passed in the story timeline since season six, season twelve is set in the spring semester in the years it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season again depicts the lives of a group of high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors as they deal with some of the challenges and issues that teenagers face such as homophobia, theft, religion, sexual harassment, dysfunctional families, peer pressure, pregnancy scares, stress, self image, self-injury, suicide, drug use, burglary, parenthood, depression, grief and relationships.

<i>Degrassi</i> season 13 Season of television series

The thirteenth season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, premiered on July 11, 2013, concluded on July 29, 2014, in Canada and the United States, and consists of 40 episodes. Although only four school years have passed in the story timeline since season six, this season was split into 4 parts. The first part is set in the summer. The second part is set in the fall/winter semester. The third and fourth part is set during the first term of the Spring semester. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season depicts the lives of a group of high school freshmen, sophomores, seniors and graduates as they deal with some of the challenges and issues that teenagers face such as cancer, texting while driving, death, sexism, sleep disorders, cyber bullying, domestic violence, rape, racial profiling and relationships.

The fourteenth and final season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, premiered on October 28, 2014. Although seven school years have passed in the story timeline since season six, season fourteen is set during the second term of the spring semester in the years it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season again depicts the lives of a group of high school freshmen, sophomores, seniors and Graduates as they deal with some of the challenges and issues that teenagers face such as teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, sexism, arson, sexting, sexual identity, miscarriages, anxiety disorders, drug use, child abuse, abstinence, and gang violence.

<i>Degrassi: Next Class</i> Canadian teen drama television show

Degrassi: Next Class is a Canadian television series primarily created by Linda Schuyler. The fifth and to date most recent series in the Degrassi franchise and a direct sequel to Degrassi: The Next Generation, it premiered on Family's new teen programming block F2N in Canada on January 4, 2016, and was released on Netflix internationally on January 25, 2016.

References

  1. "Degrassi's 'The Heat is On' Rises to the Top as TeenNick's Highest-Rated and Most-Watched Telecast Ever". Nickelodeon . United Business Media. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  2. "Echo Bridge Home Entertainment: Degrassi Season 9". Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  3. Stefan Brogren (21 July 2010). "Tweet 19218676440" . Retrieved 23 July 2010 via Twitter.
  4. "Charlotte Arnold Interview: "People change…she's grown up"". The Star Scoop. 19 November 2010. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  5. "Degrassi Takes Manhattan: The Heat Is On". Amazon. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  6. Apple (13 July 2010). "Degrassi Takes Manhattan: The Heat Is On (Music from the Original Movie)". iTunes Store (Canada). Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  7. Apple. "Degrassi Takes Manhattan: The Heat Is On (Music from the Original Movie)". iTunes Store (United States). Archived from the original on 20 April 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  8. "26th Gemini Awards Nominee List" (PDF). Gemini Awards. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  9. "2011 Gemini Awards Presented in Drama, Children's or Youth, Comedy and Variety Categories" (PDF). Gemini Awards. 31 August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.