Expelled (film)

Last updated
Expelled
Expelled Movie Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Alex Goyette
Written byAlex Goyette
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJan-Michael Del Mundo
Edited byJosh Noyes
Music byThe Outfit
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • December 12, 2014 (2014-12-12)(United States)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Expelled is a 2014 American teen comedy film written and directed by Alex Goyette. The film stars Cameron Dallas, Matt Shively, Lia Marie Johnson, Marcus Johns, Andrea Russett, Kristina Hayes and Teala Dunn. Most of the cast are popular online internet personalities. The film began a limited release in theatres on December 12, 2014, before being released on video on demand December 16, 2014 by 20th Century Fox. [1]

Contents

Plot

Felix O'Neil is a mischievous prankster who believes that school is a waste of time. He gets expelled from Eastwood High school after receiving his third and final suspension from the school dean of students, Gary Truman.

For several days, Felix shrewdly covers up his expulsion with the help of his tech savvy best friend, Danny. A week before report cards are supposed to be mailed, Felix makes a deal with his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa, where he will help her win a class election against her rival, Stacy, and in exchange Vanessa, Mr. Truman's assistant, will print a false straight A report card for Felix. Felix and Danny hack Stacy's computer, and learn that she is a notorious cyberbully who goes by the screen-name of Roxy. Felix is able to get into the school and expose Stacy.

That night, Felix arrives home and finds his report card in the mail; Vanessa, however, lied and gave him Fs. Felix barely keeps his parents from finding out; in retaliation, he ruins the school play Vanessa stars in. After escaping from Truman, he is able to lie to his parents and convince Danny to help him break into school to fix his grades. Truman, however, catches him in the act, and calls the police, who arrest Felix.

Felix's brother Ben, who broke out of the Montana Mountain Academy by shipping himself out to their house, is able to bail Felix out. When they get home, their mom, Julie, pressures Felix about the report card and to convince Danny to give it to him. His parents are floored, and Julie schedules a conference with his history teacher, Mr. Harris, as Mr. Harris had contacted Felix's parents about his failures in his class. Felix hires the school janitor to pose as his history teacher, who meets with Felix at his house. Ben, shocked, accidentally knocks him out. Felix, having no other choice, goes with Julie to the meeting. Ben attempts to stop the meeting, but fails. Felix's history teacher is about to tell Julie about Felix's expulsion when Ben lanches a tranquilizer dart at him. Julie finds Ben in the hallway, and even though Felix denies knowledge of it, Julie punishes him.

Ben is sent back to the academy, but not before planning his next escape; meanwhile, Julie is doing everything to meet with Truman about Felix. A delivery pizza girl, Katie, convinces him to find a way to get Truman to re-enroll him. After getting into the school, they see Truman late at night, doing something on his computer. Deducing something is suspicious, Felix convinces Danny to bug Truman's computer, and learns that Truman is a gambling addict who has stolen some school money to support his addiction. Felix blackmails Truman to re-enroll him, threatening to report him to the police for embezzlement if he refuses. Truman begins the re-enrollment process, but Vanessa sees Felix's name on the form, and eventually figures out that Felix is blackmailing him. She agrees to help Truman, and steals back the evidence of his addiction, in the form of Danny's hard drive.

After Felix and Danny realize that the evidence is missing, they head to the school, where Truman gloats to Felix about beating him. Danny, however, steals Truman's laptop, which has clear evidence of his activity. Julie arrives, and Truman lies about Felix, stating that he is an exemplary student that has participated and thrived in several extra-curricular activities and confirms that Felix's "Straight A" report card is legitimate. Julie's suspicions about the report card being false are therefore relieved. Julie apologises to Felix for not believing him.

Felix is later re-enrolled for the next semester at Eastwood High, and wins Katie's affection. Although he still does not understand the importance of education, he begins to apply himself and starts to earn better grades.

Cast

Production

In April 2014, AwesomenessTV CEO Brian Robbins announced he was making a film starring Dallas. [2] [3] In September 2014, it was revealed that Cameron Dallas, Andrea Russett, Teala Dunn, Lia Marie Johnson and Matt Shively had all joined the cast of the film. [4] Russett wrapped her scenes on September 23, 2014. [5] Production on the film ended on October 9, 2014. [6]

Release

The film was released in a limited release on December 12, 2014, prior to being released on video on demand on December 16, 2014. [7] Expelled rocketed to the top of the digital charts on iTunes and most other digital platforms on its first day of release, and has been called a "case study in how to make money from younger consumers with movies." [8] The film was released on Netflix worldwide beginning on February 1, 2015. [9]

With Viacom's acquisition of AwesomenessTV in 2018, [10] the distribution rights for the movie are once again overseen by Brian Robbins who was named head of Viacom's Paramount Pictures in 2021. [11]

Reception

Nicolas Rapold, writing for The New York Times , felt Dallas was unable to carry a feature film, stating "Stretched over an 85-minute feature[...] Mr. Dallas' brand of easy goofing just feels like coasting." [12] while Sherilyn Connelly from The Village Voice felt that "...Expelled isn't going to change the world, but it's a fun and promising debut film." [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>American History X</i> 1998 American crime drama film by Tony Kaye

American History X is a 1998 American crime drama film directed by Tony Kaye and written by David McKenna. The film stars Edward Norton and Edward Furlong as two brothers from Los Angeles who are involved in the white power skinhead and neo-Nazi movements. The older brother (Norton) serves three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, is rehabilitated during this time, and then tries to prevent his brother (Furlong) from being indoctrinated further. The supporting cast includes Fairuza Balk, Stacy Keach, Elliott Gould, Avery Brooks, Ethan Suplee and Beverly D'Angelo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Paxton</span> American actor and filmmaker (1955–2017)

William Paxton was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for starring in films such as Aliens (1986), Near Dark (1987), Tombstone (1993), True Lies (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Twister (1996), Titanic (1997), Mighty Joe Young (1998), and A Simple Plan (1998). He had supporting roles in Weird Science (1985), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and Nightcrawler (2014).

<i>Fast Times at Ridgemont High</i> 1982 film directed by Amy Heckerling

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story, and starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, and Ray Walston. Crowe went undercover at Clairemont High School in San Diego and wrote about his experiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicktoons</span> Animated series brand used by Nickelodeon

Nicktoons is a collective name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company in their copyright bylines.

The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards honored the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United States, aged 13 and over, through various social media sites; primarily Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Flanders</span> American actor (1934–1995)

Edward Paul Flanders was an American actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Donald Westphall in the medical drama series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988). Flanders was nominated for eight Primetime Emmys and won three times in 1976, 1977, and 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Robbins</span> American filmmaker

Brian Levine, better known as Brian Robbins, is an American media proprietor and film producer. He has been the president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon since 2021, and is also the CCO of the Kids & Family division of Paramount+. In 2012, he co-founded the media network Awesomeness TV.

<i>The Ruins</i> (film) 2008 film by Carter Smith

The Ruins is a 2008 natural horror film directed by Carter Smith in his feature film directorial debut, and written by Scott B. Smith, based on his 2006 novel of the same name. The film stars Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore, Laura Ramsey, and Joe Anderson. The story follows a pair of couples on vacation in Mexico who join a tourist to visit a remote Mayan ruin, that unfortunately is inhabited by a carnivorous vine growth. Stuart Cornfeld, Jeremy Kramer, and Chris Bender produce, with Ben Stiller serving as an executive producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Shively</span> American actor (born 1990)

Matthew James Shively Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Ryan Laserbeam on the Nickelodeon television series True Jackson, VP. Beginning in June 2011, he began appearing on two more Nickelodeon shows: Winx Club as Sky and The Troop as Kirby. He co-starred in the ABC television program The Real O'Neals which debuted on March 8, 2016.

<i>Cant Be Heaven</i> 1999 American film

Can't Be Heaven is a 1999 American comedy-drama film directed by Richard Friedman. The film stars Ralph Macchio and Bryan Burke. The film was loosely based on the 1968 movie Blackbeard's Ghost.

<i>McFarland, USA</i> 2015 American film

McFarland, USA is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Niki Caro, produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson with music composed by Antônio Pinto. The film was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures. Based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team from a mainly Latino high school in McFarland, California, the film stars Kevin Costner as Jim White, the school's coach, who leads the team to win a state championship. The film also stars Maria Bello and Morgan Saylor.

Alex Goyette is an American film director, writer, producer, actor, and YouTube personality. He is the writer/director of Expelled, a comedy which ranked #1 worldwide on iTunes during its December 2014 release. Goyette studied film at Cal State Northridge, and created his sketch comedy YouTube channel on April 17, 2011. The channel's videos have been viewed 13 million times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VHX</span> Digital distribution platform

VHX was a digital distribution platform targeting independent filmmakers. The platform allows artists to sell content directly from their own website, providing design, social media integration, search engine optimization, and analytics tools. In May 2016, VHX was acquired by Vimeo.

AwesomenessTV is an American sketch-comedy reality series based on the YouTube channel of the same name and is created by Brian Robbins. Both seasons contain 20 episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nash Grier</span> American Internet personality (born 1997)

Nash Grier is an American Internet personality. He became known for his online videos on the now-defunct video sharing service Vine in early 2013. By 2015, Grier was the second most-followed user on the platform.

Awesomeness is an American-based film and television studio as well as a multi-channel based multilingual television network owned by Paramount Digital Studios, a division of Paramount Global. Established in June 2012 by Brian Robbins and Joe Davola, the network initially focused on children’s programs, teen dramas, comedies, live events, and music videos targeting adolescents and young adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Dallas</span> American social media personality (born 1994)

Cameron Alexander Dallas is an American social media personality, actor, and singer. He is best known for his prominence on the video applications Vine and YouTube. Dallas starred in two films in 2014 and 2015; Expelled and The Outfield. In 2016 Cameron starred on his Netflix reality show Chasing Cameron which followed him on his singing tour of Europe. In 2020 he took over the role of Aaron Samuels in the Mean Girls musical on Broadway in January and then on the 8th of September he released Dear Scarlett, his first album.

<i>The Princess Switch: Switched Again</i> American Christmas romantic comedy film

The Princess Switch: Switched Again is a 2020 American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Mike Rohl. As the second installment in The Princess Switch trilogy, it stars Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Suanne Braun, and Nick Sagar. The story follows Margaret Delacourt, the Duchess of Montenaro, who suddenly inherits the throne to her home country of Montenaro. As her Christmas coronation approaches, she and Stacy switch places once again so Margaret can fix her relationship with Stacy's friend Kevin. Unbeknownst to both women, a third look-alike, Margaret's evil cousin Lady Fiona, disguises herself as Margaret in a scheme to steal the throne.

References

  1. ↑ Hall, Gina (November 7, 2014). "AwesomenessTV Will Release Theatrical Film 'Expelled' Starring Cameron Dallas". TheWrap.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  2. ↑ Shaw, Lucas. "AwesomenessTV to Produce Movie With Vine Stars Nash Grier, Cameron Dallas". The Wrap. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Eadicicco, Lisa. "Two Teen Stars Of Twitter's Video App Vine Now Have A Movie Deal". Business Insider. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  4. ↑ TV, Awesomeness (September 18, 2014). "CAMERON DALLAS MOVIE ANNOUNCEMENT - EXPELLED!". YouTube.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  5. ↑ Movie, Expelled (September 23, 2014). "Last day on set with @AndreaRussett! Follow her on snapchat to see what she's up to! ❤️ Snapchat: Andwizzle". Twitter.com . Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  6. ↑ Dallas, Cameron (October 9, 2014). "Tomorrows the last filming day for @ExpelledMovie ☺️". Twitter.com . Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  7. ↑ Hall, Gina (November 7, 2014). "AwesomenessTV Will Release Theatrical Film 'Expelled' Starring Cameron Dallas". TheWrap.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  8. ↑ Graser, Marc (December 17, 2014). "Cameron Dallas' 'Expelled' Movie Tops Digital Sales Charts in First Day of Release". Variety.
  9. ↑ Spangler, Todd (January 29, 2015). "'Expelled' Movie with Vine Star Cameron Dallas Coming to Netflix". Variety.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  10. ↑ Spangler, Todd (July 27, 2018). "Viacom Acquires AwesomenessTV". Variety.
  11. ↑ "With Brian Robbins, ViacomCBS Bets a Kids' TV Veteran Can Bring Paramount Into a Streaming Future". Variety. September 10, 2021.
  12. ↑ Rapold, Nicolas (December 11, 2014). "'Expelled' Stars Cameron Dallas, a Star of Vine Videos". The New York Times .
  13. ↑ Connelly, Sherilyn (December 10, 2014). "Teen Comedy Expelled Brings a Vine Star to the Big Screen". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.