Katie Griffin Movies

Though originally completed during the 2003-2004 season, the third year's worth of episode of the animated series Braceface were not picked up by cable's Disney Channeluntil early in 2006. Also, as in previous years, the series' third season showed up in a single 26-episode package on American TV, but was broken up into two separate 13-episode bundles for Canadian play. This is the season that actress Stacey DePass replaces film star Alicia Silverstone as the voice of high schooler Sharon Spitz, also known as "Braceface" because of her ill-fitting (and magnetized!) dental braces. Typical of Sharon's adventures during Season 03 are her brief foray into acting, and her efforts to "dumb down" so as not to embarrass her less academically adept friend Connor. Elsewhere: Sharon's ex-boyfriend Alden suffers a head injury and fantasizes that he and Sharon are still a couple, a notion she adamantly resists--at least at first; resuming ballet classes after several years, Sharon discovers she's better suited to slapstick than "Swan Lake"; our heroine suffers unintended consequences when she purchases a pumped-up bra in order to look more mature; Sharon's doltish older brother Adam surprises one and all when he's revealed to a be a talented poet; the "unique and original "Dion continues to set his friends a-wondering whether he's gay or straight; an attempt by the kids to be more "spontaneous" and less predictable backfires; the notoriously fickle Nina lands a new boyfriend, whereupon Sharon tries to break up the couple "for their own good" (yeh, right); Sharon is dismayed to learn that her rock-musician date has been reduced to singing minstrel ballads in a medieval-themed restaurant; in a parody of All About Eve, aspiring singer Sharon is taken advantage of by a false friend; and when nasty Nina decides to stop battling with Sharon and become pals again, Sharon begins yearning for the days when they were still enemies! In honor of the series' staunch pro-animal stance, the third season of Braceface was honored with two more Genesis Awards--even before they'd been telecast in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Two of the animated "teen-com" Braceface begins as the title character, aka Sharon Spitz, turns fourteen years old and enters high school. Here she becomes good friends with her mentor, the "original and unique" Dion, whom she assumes is gay--mainly because he's got a remarkable talent for dressmaking (later on, Sharon will make one too many assumptions about Dion, and very nearly wreck their friendship). Our heroine also learns a whole new slew of responsibilities--and makes a whole bunch more blunders--when she gets her first regular job at "Life Cycles". In other episodes, Sharon and her best bud Maria succumb to peer pressure and pose as "bad girls"; Sharon and Alden break up their relationship, sort of; the kids become self-conscious about their weight; snooty Nina is nearly left friendless when her flunkey Alyson gets tired of being taken advantage of her, and later nearly patches up her once-strong friendship with Sharon when they search for a lost dog; Sharon and her brothers have a tough time getting adjusted to their divorced mom's new boyfriend; the dangers of irresponsible gossiping and the rigors of a high school "parenting" class are played for all they're worth; and a journey to Italy turns out to be a life-altering experience for Sharon and her buds. Because of the series' strong pro-ecological and pro-animal stance, the second season of Braceface was honored with both an Environmental Media Association Award and a Genesis Award. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first 26-episode season of the animated Braceface follows gawky teenager Sharon Spitz as she makes the transition from junior high to high school, supported by her loyal pals, opposed by her school rivals, virtually ignored by her family (her parents are divorced), and forever finding herself in embarrassing situations thanks to her magnetized teeth braces, which not only attract "foreign" objects at the most inopportune times, but also can pick up private cell-phone conversations! Many of the episodes deal with such vital teen issues as friendship, loyalty, trust, sharing and responsibility. Less generally, the episodes are strongly character-driven, not only by Sharon -- aka "Braceface" -- but also by her friends Maria and Connor, her "enemies" Nina and Alyson, her erstwhile sweetheart Alden, her self-involved divorced parents, and her often-cloddish brothers Adam (the older one) and Josh (the younger one). Sample plotlines: The vegetarian Sharon almost dumps Alden when he gets a job in a meatpacking plant; a mixed-up Adam asks sister Sharon some advice on romance; our heroine gets her first period just as she is going on her first real date (Alden thinks she's got appendicitis!); the Spitz kids agonize when their mom and dad re-enter the dating scene; Sharon starts drinking heavily to be "one of the guys" and suffers the consequences; after a near-death experience, Sharon and Nina try to figure out why their once-strong friendship has gone to the dogs; Maria goes into full envy mode when Sharon is made a summer-camp counselor; and in an episode that must have really hit home with Alicia Silverstone, the voice of Sharon, our heroine meets a singing superstar and learns the hard way that being a celebrity is no bed of roses! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The life and career of Ricky Nelson--from awkward kiddie TV star to teenaged singing idol to "young hasbeen"--is adequately encapsulated in this made-for-cable movie, one of several celebrity biopics produced for VH-1. Told in flashback as Ricky Nelson (Gregory Calpakis) recounts his experiences to a worshiping fan in the last hours before the 1985 air crash that would take his life, the story begins around 1952, as the adolescent Ricky is recruited by his bandleader-producer father Ozzie Nelson (Jamey Sheridan) to play "himself" on the movie and TV version of the popular radio series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Anxious to crawl out from under the shadow of his dictatorial father Ozzie, his vocalist mom Harriet (Sara Botsford) and his marginally more talented older brother David (Anthony Lemke), the 16-year-old Ricky begs for a chance to sing on the family's series. The wildly enthusiastic audience response to Ricky's warblings prompt Ozzie to aggressive promote Ricky's musical career, but ultimately Ricky breaks loose from the family's influence to strike out on his own. Alas, after several years at the top, Ricky's career and fan following plummets, before he has reached his 30th birthday he is grasping at straws by performing at county fairs and trade shows. Making matters worse is his unhappy marriage to Kris Harmon (depicted as something of a conniving opportunist by Anne Openshaw) and his ever-increasing dependence upon drugs. Astonishingly, the film never allows us to hear Ricky perform "Garden Party", the song that enabled him to make a spectacular comeback. Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol first aired on August 22, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide