On the Line | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Eric Bross |
Written by | Eric Aronson Paul Stanton |
Produced by | Peter Abrams Robert L. Levy Wendy Thorlakson |
Starring | Lance Bass Joey Fatone Emmanuelle Chriqui GQ Al Green Tamala Jones Dave Foley Jerry Stiller |
Cinematography | Michael Bernard |
Edited by | Eric A. Sears |
Music by | Stewart Copeland |
Production companies | Tapestry Films A Happy Place |
Distributed by | Miramax Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $16 million [1] |
Box office | $4.5 million [1] |
On the Line is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Emmanuelle Chriqui. The film was directed by Eric Bross and was written by Eric Aronson and Paul Stanton, based upon their short film of the same name. [2]
Kevin is performing with his band at a high school graduation party. When he sees an attractive girl, his bandmates try to get him to sing to her and ask her out. He becomes nervous, and envisions himself nude in front of everyone, and faints. Seven years later, Kevin is working in advertising. He makes a pitch for Reebok that is rejected, though the pitch is later used in the meeting by his "partner" Jackie, who presents it as hers. As he takes the train home from work, Kevin meets Abbey, with whom he finds he has much in common, such as their mutual interest in the Chicago Cubs and Al Green.
Kevin tries to find Abbey by making posters imploring Abbey to contact him, and placing them all over town. He goes out with a few random women who respond, none of whom are Abbey. The local newspaper finds out about his search and sets up an interview. The reporter, Brady Frances, is an old classmate who harbors ill will toward Kevin, on account of a girl in high school who rejected Brady for Kevin. When Brady's article is published, Kevin gets hundreds of calls, which leads to his dateless roommates — aspiring musician Rod, slacker Eric, and art aficionado Randy — suggesting they date all the callers to help. Kevin rejects this idea, but a miscommunication leads Eric to believe that Kevin has approved it. A follow-up article is published in which Brady portrays Kevin as a failure, which garners even more calls from women. Brady is further irritated when his girlfriend Julie, who is bothered by his grudge against Kevin, takes Kevin's side.
Meanwhile, Abbey is having problems with her boyfriend of three years, whom she was visiting when she met Kevin. Her boyfriend buys tickets to an Al Green concert, but then cancels at the last minute. Kevin is also at the concert, but they never see each other, despite several close calls. As Kevin's roommates date the women who responded to the articles in order to find Abbey, they encounter Julie. When she tells Brady that Kevin's friends are answering the calls and dating the respondents, Brady reports this as a scam in a follow-up article. As a result, Reebok declines to work with Kevin, and he is taken off the project. When Kevin subsequently sees Abbey waiting for a train, he tries to get her attention and ran to her, but as soon as he arrived, she boarded the train, and pushed the newspaper containing the headline that Kevin is a fraud on the glass for Kevin to see, signifying that she is upset with him. Kevin also learns that Abbey responded to his public search for her, and when he learns that Eric went out on a date with her without telling him, he punches Eric.
After Kevin's best friend at the agency, Nathan, suffers a heart attack, Kevin visits him at a rehab facility, where Nathan tells him the story of both meeting his wife at a Chicago Cubs game, and catching a home run from Cubs legend Ernie Banks the same day, and how the two events are tied together. He gives Kevin the baseball and tells him to try to find Abbey again.
Jackie apologizes to Kevin, and places him in charge of the campaign's billboards. He uses the billboards to publicly ask Abbey to meet him at the train station at a specific day and time, which garners the interest of the media, who wait with him at the scheduled time. Kevin and Abbey are reunited at the station, much to the delight of the crowd at the station, to the television viewers at home, and to his roommates watching this unfold in a bar. In addition, Randy meets a woman who enjoys art as he does, Julie dumps Brady for Rod, who is offered a recording contract by a record label after rock star Mick Silver listens to a demo tape of his that Kevin sent, and Brady is given an advice column in the Living section of the Chicago Times .
The idea for doing the film came together when NSYNC’s talks of starring in a feature film as a group in the vein of A Hard Day’s Night stalled in late 2000. [4] [5] The film was Lance Bass’s first film through his production company A Happy Place. [4] Bass initially intended to only produce and not star, but decided to act also when the group’s management gave the band a month and a half of downtime before the start of recording for their album Celebrity . [6]
Filming began in mid-March of 2001 with a reported budget of $10 million. [7] [2] [4] The film’s original title was "On the L". [4] The film was primarily shot in Toronto, Ontario, while establishing shots were done in Chicago. [2] [8] Midway through the shoot, NSYNC began recording again, and to accommodate for both the album and the film, Bass and bandmate Joey Fatone continued filming in Toronto during the week and traveled to Orlando on weekends to work with the band. [8] Filming wrapped in late April 2001. [4] [2]
During the film's closing credits, NSYNC members Justin Timberlake and Chris Kirkpatrick appear as comical hair and makeup artists in mock "behind the scenes" footage, doing hair and makeup for Bass, Fatone and Chriqui. [9] JC Chasez had a cameo as a bartender but his scene was cut. [10]
The film's soundtrack featured songs by teen pop artists Mandy Moore and BBMak, along with previously unreleased tracks by NSYNC and Britney Spears. [11]
Miramax marketed the film heavily towards NSYNC's teen fans, with trailers for the film being shown during the band’s summer PopOdyssey tour. [12] [13] It was released in theaters on October 26, 2001. The film was a box-office flop, grossing only $4.3 million domestically. [1]
Bass attributed the film’s poor box office performance to its release date, which happened a month after the World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001. In his 2007 autobiography, Bass wrote, "Halfway through the press junket, the president declared war and that was it — our film was finished. We had wanted to entertain America, to give back some good feelings, but once the country went to war, there was no way our film was going to be on anyone’s top-priority list." [14]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 19% based on 70 reviews, with an average rating of 3.7/10. The site's critics consensus states: "An inept attempt at a romantic comedy aimed at 'NSYNC fans." [15]
Roger Ebert said the film was "...an agonizingly creaky movie that laboriously plods through a plot so contrived that the only thing real about it is its length." [16] Of the few positive reviews, Stephen Holden of The New York Times called the film "a pleasant wisp of a romantic comedy" and wrote, "If On the Line, directed by Eric Bross from a screenplay by Eric Aronson and Paul Stanton, is a mere trifle, at least it isn't as condescending or transparently synthetic as most niche-marketed daydreams for the high-school and junior-high set. Its mood is bubbly, its music sweetly perky, and Mr. Bass's Kevin is blandly appealing in a passive way." [17]
In 2021, B.L. Panther of The Spool commented how the film, in retrospect, becomes "fascinating" when examined through a queer lens, in light of Bass later coming out as gay. Panther noted that the only openly gay character in the film is "a gasping gay stereotype", while the closing credits scene of Timberlake and Kirkpatrick serves to poke fun at conceptions of homosexuality. [18] Panther wrote, "We can’t help but cringe to see [Bass] have to react to these caricatures of the identity he was forced to hide for so long and, as he reminds us in his autobiography, is actively hiding on screen." [18] He added, "Even the things that make On the Line a critically shit movie are enhanced by a queer reading. With incredibly kitsch practical visuals and a narrative logic that defies linearity, it breaks with the common structure and tone of other romcoms of its time. At times, it feels like scenes are missing, perhaps censored by a hand desperately trying to keep Kevin from jumping the tracks into queerness...That’s what makes On the Line interesting to watch now, 20 years later. It’s not because it’s secretly great, but because we can see the alternative life underneath its train tracks." [18]
Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He started his career as a singer on The Mickey Mouse Club (1991–1994) before rising to stardom as a member of the 1990s boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Chasez released his debut single "Blowin' Me Up " in 2002, following NSYNC's decision to go on a hiatus earlier that year. Schizophrenic, his debut solo album, was released in 2004. Chasez has written and produced for a wide variety of music acts such as Liam Payne, Diplo, Backstreet Boys, McFly, Sugababes, Victoria Duffield, and Matthew Morrison. He also served as a judge on the first seven seasons of America's Best Dance Crew.
James Lance Bass is an American singer, dancer, actor, podcaster, film and television producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. NSYNC's success led Bass to work in film and television. He starred in the 2001 film On the Line, which his company, Bacon & Eggs, also produced. Bass later formed a second production company, Lance Bass Productions, as well as a now-defunct music management company, Free Lance Entertainment, a joint venture with Mercury Records.
Longshot is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Lionel C. Martin, and co-written by Lou Pearlman, as a promotional tool to promote the acting debuts of his succession of successful boybands and girl groups, such as NSYNC, O-Town and Natural, as well as singer Britney Spears, girlband Innosense and pop-hip hop trio LFO, all of whom had cameo appearances in the film, as Pearlman had worked with all of them during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hunter Tylo, Paul Sorvino Antonio Sabato Jr., Zachery Ty Bryan, and Kenny Rogers star in the film and Spears has a cameo.
Wade Jeremy William Robson is an Australian dancer and choreographer. He began performing as a dancer at age five, and has directed music videos and world tours for pop acts such as NSYNC and Britney Spears. Robson was the host and executive producer of The Wade Robson Project, which aired on MTV in 2003. In 2007, he joined the Fox television dance series So You Think You Can Dance as a guest judge and choreographer. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for the dance number "Ramalama " of So You Think You Can Dance.
Joseph Anthony Fatone Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor, and television host. He is best known as a member of the boy band NSYNC, in which he sings baritone. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, podcaster, and actor. He founded the pop group NSYNC, in which he sang countertenor. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Kirkpatrick was the lead singer in various songs including "Thinking of You ", "Together Again", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "I Thought She Knew", "Just Got Paid", and many songs from their Christmas album, Home for Christmas.
'NSYNC is the eponymous debut studio album by American boy band NSYNC, initially released in Germany on May 26, 1997, by Trans Continental Records and internationally on March 24, 1998, by RCA Records. The album reached number one on the Offizielle Top 100 and includes the singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart".
Celebrity is the fourth and final studio album by American boy band NSYNC. It was released by Jive Records on July 24, 2001. Due to constant criticism that they were not a "credible group", NSYNC began experimenting with genres such as hip hop and two-step. As with their previous studio album, No Strings Attached (2000), numerous producers, including BT, Rodney Jerkins, Brian McKnight, PAJAM, and the Neptunes, worked on the album. Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez also contributed to production, while they co-wrote 10 of 13 tracks in an attempt to develop a unique sound, which includes pop, R&B, and teen pop.
Home for Christmas is the first Christmas album and second studio album by American boy band NSYNC. The album was released, exclusively in the United States, on November 10, 1998, by RCA Records following the success of their self-titled debut album. On October 27, 1999, Home for Christmas was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA for shipment of two million copies in the United States. Home for Christmas was released on September 30, 2002 in the United Kingdom as The Meaning of Christmas on Ariola Express with an altered track listing.
"Bye Bye Bye" is a song by American boy band NSYNC from their third studio album, No Strings Attached. It was released on January 17, 2000, as the lead single from the album. The song was written and produced by Kristian Lundin and Jake Schulze, with additional writing by Andreas Carlsson. Its lyrics describe the end of a romantic relationship; it was reported to also reference the group's separation from their manager Lou Pearlman and their record label RCA Records.
"Pop" is a song by American boy band *NSYNC. It was released to U.S. radio on May 14, 2001, as the first single from their fourth studio album, Celebrity. The song was written by Wade Robson and Justin Timberlake and produced by BT. It won four MTV Video Music Awards, for Best Group Video, Best Pop Video, Best Dance Video, and Viewers Choice, as well as a Teen Choice Award for Choice Single.
"Gone" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, Celebrity (2001). The band first performed the song on PopOdyssey during mid-2001, and it was sent to US radio on August 21, 2001. The physical release of the single did not occur until October 15, 2001, when a CD single was issued in Australia. It is the first NSYNC single where Justin Timberlake sings all lead vocals.
"It's Gonna Be Me" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released through Jive Records, as the second single from their third studio album No Strings Attached (2000) in the United States, and as the third single from the international edition of No Strings Attached. The song was written by Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson, and Rami Yacoub, and produced by the latter. The pop track was inspired by Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" (1982) and Rupert Holmes' "Him" (1980), while the lyrics are about a man attempting to persuade a woman to start a new relationship together as she recovers from a previous breakup.
"Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)" (titled "I Drive Myself Crazy" in the United States), is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released on February 22, 1999, as the seventh single in the German market and the fourth single from their self-titled debut album in the US. The track was also featured on the group's seasonal European album, The Winter Album. The song is notable as being one of the few songs where someone other than Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez sang lead vocals; Chris Kirkpatrick sings the first verse in the US version, while Chasez sang Kirkpatrick's part in the European version. It was heard once in the PEN15 episode, "First Day".
PopOdyssey was the fourth concert tour by American boy band NSYNC. Sponsored by Verizon Wireless and Chili's, the tour promoted the band's fourth studio album, Celebrity. The tour's name is defined as "an adventurous journey towards popularity, beginning as just a dream and ending in reality". The tour became the biggest production in pop music, beating U2's PopMart Tour. The tour, which visited stadiums, was NSYNC's first to include backup dancers, and is known for its elaborate audio and visual effects which included lasers, fireworks, animation, and suspension wires.
The No Strings Attached Tour was the third concert tour by American boy band, NSYNC. Primarily visiting North America, the tour supported the band's third album No Strings Attached. Beginning in May 2000, the tour sold out all dates within the first day of the ticket sale. Additional dates, also in North America, were added for the Fall of 2000. When the tour ended in December 2000, it became the second highest-grossing tour in North America, earning more than $70 million.
NSYNC is an American vocal group and boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. The group consists of Chris Kirkpatrick, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, and JC Chasez. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European countries in 1997, and later debuted in the U.S. market with the single "I Want You Back".
The Celebrity Tour was the fifth and most recent concert tour by the American boy band NSYNC. Promoting their fourth studio album, Celebrity (2001), this is the second tour to showcase the album. The group stated that the tour would go "back to their roots", as they would be performing obscure songs from all three of their albums. The tour earned nearly $30 million.
The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story is an American documentary film that premiered on March 13, 2019 at SXSW. Produced by Lance Bass, the film explores the career and legacy of record producer and convicted criminal Lou Pearlman.
"Better Place" is a song by American vocal group NSYNC. It was released on September 29, 2023, through RCA as the lead single from the soundtrack of the film Trolls Band Together, in which band member Justin Timberlake voices the character Branch. He produced the song with Shellback and the two wrote it alongside Amy Allen. It serves as NSYNC's first release after a hiatus that lasted over twenty years and follows the release of their fourth studio album, Celebrity (2001).