Kay Panabaker Movies
Kay Panabaker, the younger sister of child actress Danielle Panabaker, actually preceded her older sibling in tackling feature roles. A wunderkind to end all, Kay grew up in the Atlanta area and discovered a love for community theater at an early age, then made a swift and easy transition to Los Angeles at the behest of her agent. She landed her first major part voicing characters for the 2001 Disney/Pixar blockbuster Monsters, Inc., and subsequently assumed countless guest roles on series programs including Angel, ER, Summerland, and CSI. Like many of her teenage and preteen predecessors, however, the young actress achieved lead status via original movies on The Disney Channel -- in vehicles such as Life Is Ruff (2005) and Read It and Weep (2006). An early and much-publicized college graduation, reportedly before the age of 18, only boosted her recognition.2007, however, marked the budding actress' breakthrough year; that fall, she realized her first theatrical lead with the issue of the feature Moondance Alexander, a National Velvet-like outing about a young lady determined to turn an ordinary horse into a champion racer, despite the objections of his curmudgeonly owner (Don Johnson). At about the same time, Panabaker tackled a supporting role in the much-anticipated cinematization of Nancy Drew, adapted from the books by Carolyn Keene. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- PG
- Add Fame to Queue
This remake of the '80s classic focuses on a group of young students attending a high school for the performing arts. Classmates study various aspects of performance, from dance to songwriting to acting, all of them hoping for the chance to one day become stars. Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, and Bebe Neuwirth portray the instructors, with a host of newcomers toplining the production as the students. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Flores, Asher Book, (more)
As the sun rises on yet another uneventful summer, a spirited teen named Moondance Alexander finds her life taking an unexpected turn thanks to the appearance of a pinto pony named Checkers that appears to have leapt clear over the walls of his paddock. Always keen to do the right thing, Moondance returns the pony to its rightful owner -- the gruff Dante Longpre. But Moondance suspects that there's something special about Checkers, and that with a little encouragement, he could become a world-class jumper. Perhaps this summer won't be quite so dull and predictable after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kay Panabaker, Don Johnson, (more)
A resourceful teenage super-sleuth finds her investigative skills put to the ultimate test as director Andrew Fleming and screenwriter Tiffany Paulsen revive the character originally made famous by author Carolyn Keene. Upon leaving her quaint hometown of River Heights and arriving in Los Angeles with her father, Carson (Tate Donovan), precocious small-town teen Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts) enrolls in Hollywood High and discovers just how different life on the West Coast really is. A true original in the land where Rodeo Drive dictates what's "in" at any given moment, Nancy stands apart from the pack as much for her penny loafers as for her sincere, non-acerbic attitude and keen study skills -- all of which make the non-ironic goody two-shoes an object of scorn for fashion-conscious mean girls Inga (Daniella Monet) and Trish (Kelly Vitz). Concerns about how to fit in soon take a back seat to more pressing issues, however, when Nancy, having previously promised her worried father that she would give up sleuthing, stumbles across a series of clues that may lead her to find out what caused the death of beautiful Hollywood movie star Dehlia Draycott -- who perished years ago under particularly mysterious circumstances. Upon discovering that she and her father are currently residing in the very same mansion that Draycott once called home, the prospect of solving one of Hollywood's biggest mysteries simply proves too tantalizing for the brilliant young detective to resist. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, (more)
- 2007
- PG
- Add The Prince and the Pauper: The Movie to QueueAdd The Prince and the Pauper: The Movie to top of Queue
A poor boy who spends most his spare time playing stickball in the streets suddenly finds himself returning volleys to his butler in this contemporary take on the classic Mark Twain tale starring Cole and Dylan Sprouse. Running away to the east side in his chauffer-driven limousine, thirteen year old Matthew hatches an ingenious identity-switch scheme after running into his spitting image - a fun-loving inner city youth named Jeff. Intent on making his mother pay for a series of minor infractions he may have been responsible for while studying at an ultra-posh boy's academy, Matthew sends Jeff to live with his self-made millionaire mother as he prepares to spend Spring Break with his new stepfather and two stepsisters. While Jeff is dumbfounded to discover that stores actually sell clothes that have never been worn before, Matthew is thrilled to take the field for his first rain-soaked baseball game. Yet despite the fun these two kids have on the opposite side of the social spectrum, they quickly learn that life just isn't the same when you can't go home to your true loved ones. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, (more)
Originally produced and aired during the summer of 2006 on The Disney Channel, the gentle, family-friendly teen comedy Read It and Weep constitutes an adaptation of Julia DeVillers' popular 2004 young-adult novel How My Journal Became a Bestseller. The film revolves around Jamie (Kay Panabaker), a pretty and intelligent high-school freshman, but also a complete wallflower who spends the majority of her time daydreaming and scribbling in her personal journal, and whose chances of entering the popular cliques are slim at best. Jamie carries a secret weapon, however: a brash and sharp-tongued alter ego named Isabella, or "Is" (played by Kay Panabaker's twin sister, Danielle Panabaker), who parades through the halls and classrooms of her high school with not an iota of self-doubt in her mind, and who manages, in no time flat, to throw her enemies into detention and win the devotion of the most popular boy in her school. Then, one day, Jamie's life turns a corner when, in an attempt to meet a class deadline, she accidentally turns in her private journal instead of a composition assignment -- and her teacher promptly turns it into a best-seller. Alexandra Krosney, Marquise C. Brown, Jason Dolley, and Nick Whitaker co-star; Patrick J. Clifton and Beth Rigazio co-wrote the adaptation. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2003
From his rooftop perch, a devastated Angel (David Boreanaz) tears himself away from the sight of Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) making love with Connor (Vincent Kartheiser). The next morning, Cordelia has a "what have I done?" moment when she wakes up and realizes she just slept with the son of the man she loves. Unfortunately, the troubled and now love-struck teen isn't ready to be let down gently. Confused as ever, he goes straight to Wolfram & Hart looking for answers about his mysterious connection to The Beast (Vladimir Kulich). But the terrifying demon itself soon shows up to unleash utter carnage on the evil law firm's employees. Lilah (Stephanie Romanov) is the only person to make it out -- and then only after suffering grievous wounds at the hands of The Beast and being rescued by Wesley (Alexis Denisof). As Lilah heads off into the sewers for cover, she tells Wes that Connor is still trapped inside the building, whose mystical defenses have rendered it virtually impregnable. Wes assembles Angel, Fred (Amy Acker), Gunn (J. August Richards), and Lorne (Andy Hallett) for a rescue mission that pits them against not only The Beast, but also an army of Wolfram & Hart lawyers who have been reanimated as zombies. They escape only with help from The Girl in the White Room, the mysterious entity who dwells in the top floor of the Wolfram & Hart building. The girl tells them that the answer to The Beast's origins lies among them, then teleports the gang to safety just as The Beast finishes draining her life force. Back at the hotel, a bitter Angel tells Cordelia to leave -- and to bring her new boyfriend with her. Originally broadcast Jan. 15, 2003, on the WB network, "Habeas Corpses" marked season four, episode eight of the supernatural soap opera. Beginning with this episode, the network moved the program to a new time slot at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays -- its second new night in under a year. With a plot revolving around zombies, a dystopian office complex, a malfunctioning elevator, and an inscrutable urchin, "Habeas Corpses" struck many fans as an homage to the video game and film Resident Evil. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
As Angel (David Boreanaz) reels from the abduction of his son (see "Sleep Tight"), Wesley (Alexis Denisof) lies bleeding to death in the park where Justine (Laurel Holloman) left him. Gunn (J. August Richards) and Fred (Amy Acker) try desperately to find Wes before the vengeful Angel does. They also confront Justine, who refuses to provide their missing comrade's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Angel kidnaps Wolfram & Hart mastermind Linwood (John Rubinstein) and tortures him into revealing a spell that will render the immaterial Sahjhan (Jack Conley) solid so that Angel can force the demon to re-open the portal through which Holtz and Connor disappeared. The now-corporeal demon goes on a rampage and nearly bests Angel in battle. He reveals that the prophesies about Angel killing Connor were his own fabrication; he travelled through time and rewrote the scrolls to prevent the original prophesy -- that Connor would kill Sahjhan himself -- from taking place. He also reveals that re-opening the portal is impossible. Just as Sahjhan is about to stake Angel, Justine arrives and traps the demon in an urn and reveals Wesley's location. Gunn and Fred rescue him from imminent death. The next night, Angel visits Wes in the hospital and makes sure Wes knows that he has not reverted to the evil Angelus. Then he calmly, though unsuccessfully, tries to strangle the traitor. Originally broadcast April 15, 2002, on the WB network, "Forgiving" marked season three, episode 17 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A letter confirming the death of Mark Greene is delivered to the ER. While the tragic news sinks in, a grieving Carter (Noah Wyle) confronts Abby (Maura Tierney), and Weaver (Laura Innes) begins to worry about her own health -- and her future life outside of medicine. And having resolved the problems with Chloe and Suzy in New York, Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) prepares to return to Chicago. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
After exploring the worlds of toys and bugs in the two Toy Story films and A Bug's Life, the award-winning computer animation company Pixar delves into the realm of monsters with its fourth feature. Hulking, blue-furred behemoth James P. "Sully" Sullivan (John Goodman) and his one-eyed assistant Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) are employed by Monsters, Inc., a scream processing factory. It seems that the denizens of their realm thrive on the screams of kids spooked by monsters lurking under their beds and in their closets. It's the job of Sully, Mike, and their co-workers, including sarcastic Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), crab-like CEO Henry J. Waternoose (James Coburn), and lovely snake-headed receptionist Celia (Jennifer Tilly) to keep the frights flowing. When Sully and Mike are followed back into the monster world by a very unafraid little human girl named Boo (Mary Gibbs), they are exiled to her universe, where they discover that such a modern-day mythological specimen as the Abominable Snowman is a fellow refugee. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Billy Crystal, (more)
