Sarah Drew Movies
Actress Sarah Drew projected an amiable, down-to-earth quality that served her perfectly in Middle American, girl-next-door roles. An East Coast native, Drew grew up in a conservative evangelical household as the daughter of a Connecticut-based Presbyterian minister. She actually commenced work in the entertainment industry before she finished high school by voicing the character of Stacy on MTV's popular animated sitcom Daria from 1998-2002, and in the meantime received her formal education at the University of Virginia, marrying almost immediately after graduation. Within the following two years Drew began signing for supporting roles in features and series. Some of the more memorable included a portrayal of Ed Harris' daughter in the disability-themed inspirational drama Radio (2003), a brief but funny one-scene turn as a girlfriend lovestruck by another man in the Michael Showalter comedy The Baxter (2004), and -- on a higher profile note -- a multiseason portrayal of Hannah, a shy Colorado high schooler with a terminally ill father, on the third and fourth seasons of the popular television series Everwood. In 2007, Drew signed for a supporting role in director Desmond Nakano's racially themed period sports drama American Pastime. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Gary Cole, Aaron Yoo, John Gries, and Judy Ongg star in an inspirational small town drama exploring the lingering effects of World War II on Japanese-American citizens struggling to overcome lingering hostilities and be accepted in country they now call home. The Nomuras are a typical American family who just happen to be of Japanese heritage. When World War II breaks out and the Nomuras are ushered into the Topaz internment camp, teenage son Lyle (Yoo) becomes the target of harassment to camp guard and frustrated minor league catcher Billy Burrell. Lyle is a star pitcher who had been accepted into college on a baseball scholarship, but was subsequently forced to abandon his dreams when his family was interned. Billy's daughter is a musical instructor at the camp, and when she and Lyle strike up a tenuous romance, tensions quickly come to a head between the two families. Hoping that the two families will be able to find a common ground due to their mutual love of baseball, Lyle's father proposes a goodwill game between Burrell's team and the internees. As the two teams take to the diamond for a game organized to unite them all, the small town's tolerance will be put to the ultimate test in a match that reveals the true spirit of American culture. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cole, Leonardo Nam, (more)
Keenan Thompson, Fran Kranz, and Zachary Levi star in this comedy about three teens to embark on a cross-country road trip to seek vengeance against the hypocritical television "doctor" who humiliated them in front of the entire country. Joel (Kranz) has wandered into the crosshairs of national television sensation Dr. Dwayne (Darrell Hammond), and when the hot-winded talk-show host humiliates him on live TV, he sinks into a serious depression. Hoping to lift their best pal out of his current funk, Joel's best friends Wyatt (Thompson) and Ben (Levi) gas up Wyatt's homemade wiener-mobile and set their sights on Dr. Wayne's studio. Along the way, the trio hands out complimentary hot dogs to everyone they meet, all the while encountering an impressive array of misfits, weirdoes, and rejects. Perhaps if they can dodge the spit of some unusually angry hippies and stop staring at the hottest sixth grade teacher they've ever encountered (Jenny McCarthy), these three friends can finally give Dr. Dwane a taste of his own bitter medicine. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenan Thompson, Darrell Hammond, (more)
A man with a "doormat" personality tries standing up for himself for a change in this comedy. Mild mannered tax accountant Elliot Sherman (Michael Showalter) is what he calls a "Baxter": the kind of calm, unexciting fellow who "wears sock garters" and "enjoys raking leaves." Loved by bosses and parents, Elliot is a perfectly nice guy. And that's his problem -- he's safe and pleasant, but not very interesting, so as a consequence he hasn't had much luck with long-term relationships, and more than one woman has abandoned him for someone more exciting. Elliot believes his luck has finally changed for the better when he becomes engaged to Caroline Swann (Elizabeth Banks), a smart and attractive editor at a successful magazine. However, a few weeks before the wedding, who should come back into Caroline's life but Bradley Lake (Justin Theroux), her high school sweetheart and, according to many, the great love of her life. Bradley quickly makes it clear that he wants to win Caroline back, and generally in such circumstances Elliot would politely step aside, but just this once Elliot decides to fight for the woman he loves. Elliot gains an unexpected champion in Cecil Mills (Michelle Williams), a frumpy but adorable temp employee at his office who encourages Elliot to develop a take-charge attitude, though the results aren't quite what he expects. The Baxter was written and directed by Michael Showalter, who also plays Elliot; Showalter was a member of the sketch comedy troupe the State, and also works with the comedy performance trio Stella, whose other members, Michael Ian Black and David Wain, also appear in the movie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Showalter, Elizabeth Banks, (more)
Hollywood filmmaker Michael Tollin directs the sports drama Radio, based on a true story and adapted for the screen by Mike Rich (The Rookie). Set in a small South Carolina town during the '60s, the film stars Ed Harris as Harold Jones, a high school football coach who barely has time to spend with his daughter, Mary Helen (Sarah Drew), or his wife, Linda (Debra Winger). When Coach Jones meets the mentally challenged student who goes by the name of Radio (Cuba Gooding Jr.), he allows him to help out with his football team. While the townsfolk just aren't sure about Radio hanging around the team, the star player Johnny Clay (Riley Smith) is downright mean about it. Nevertheless, Radio continues to support the team for the next three decades. Also starring Alfre Woodard as the principal. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ed Harris, (more)
- 2002
This animated feature serves as the coda to the MTV series Daria, which spawned 65 half-hour episodes and one previous movie (Daria: Is It Fall Yet?) during its five-year run. It is wry teen misfit Daria Morgendorffer's senior year at Lawndale High -- time to figure out what university to attend. Her first choice is Bromwell, which is also the first choice of her blue-blooded boyfriend, Tom, whose illustrious ancestors are all alumni. When Daria, Tom, and Tom's mother head off for a campus visit, things don't go as planned. Daria almost bombs her interview; even worse, traffic, bad weather, and the need for Tom to suck up to the alumni keep Daria from getting more than a drive-by look at her second-choice school, Raft. Ironically, though, she gets into Raft and not Bromwell. Tom, of course, does, and the resulting friction leaves a question mark hanging over their relationship. College questions also plague Daria's friends: Jane frets over whether even to apply to art school in Boston, while Jodie must convince her status-obsessed father to let her attend a primarily African-American university where she can finally fit in. Big questions face even Lawndale's younger students as Daria's fashion-plate sister, Quinn, is forced to take a restaurant job to pay off the credit-card bills she's rung up on clothes; hanging out with college kids and helping a new friend through a drinking problem help give Quinn a new outlook on her previously shallow life; can the end of the Fashion Club be far behind? Daria: Is It College Yet? premiered on MTV on Monday, January 21, 2002; nearly commercial-free, the original presentation included the world premiere of the video for "Breaking Up the Girl" by pop band Garbage, alongside clips from all five seasons of the show. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) and the Fashion Club run afoul of two very different areas of the art world in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Jane's troubles begin when the gazebo in her parents' backyard collapses while she's filming a Mystik Spiral video in it. She and Trent (voice of Alvaro J. Gonzalez) decide they'd better fix it before their parents return home. To fund the construction, Jane tries to sell some of her paintings at a local art fair, but her disturbing imagery doesn't do much business. An irreverent Van Gogh knockoff, however, catches the eye of local gallery owner Gary, who hires her to make copies of various masterpieces on commission. Soon, Jane's copies are selling like hotcakes and she becomes addicted to the lucre. The trouble is, she's so tired from her work for Gary that she has no time to craft her own pieces. It's only when Jane realizes that the audience for her copies consists of people like Brittany's nouveau riche dad that she remembers how much her own artwork means to her. As for the Fashion Club, they're obviously unaware that caricatures aren't supposed to be flattering. When they commission one at Lawndale's art fair, they're so incensed by the results that they try to hire Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes) to sue the artists -- or to find somebody who will break his fingers! Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz), Tiffany (voice of Ashley Albert), and Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) are even more horrified when they realize that the offending artwork has gone missing. They don't know that it now adorns the bedroom of Stacy (voice of Sarah Drew), who is delighted to be the only Fashion Club member portrayed in a favorable artistic light. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2001
Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) and Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) both suffer publishing-related setbacks in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Encouragement from boyfriend Tom (voice of Russell Hankin) convinces Daria to send a short story she's written off to Musings Magazine, a literary journal. What was meant to be a secret submission soon goes public after Mr. O'Neill (voice of Marc Thompson) spies her dropping the manuscript in the mailbox. When Daria eventually receives a rejection letter, she takes out her anger and disappointment on Tom. Meanwhile, Quinn and the Fashion Club publish a newsletter so they can raise money to make a "charitable" donation of a new mirror for the girls' bathroom at school. Unfortunately, all of their prognostications about upcoming trends are invalidated by an actual fashion magazine called Waif. Humiliated, they have to buy back all copies of their publication in order to save their (imagined) reputations. Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo), no stranger to failure himself, helps Daria realize that she shouldn't let one setback discourage her forever. Daria and Tom subsequently make up with a kiss, but their physical affection freaks the heck out of the prudish Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2001
The Morgendorffer women discover unlikely similarities between their significant others in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) decides she needs to get a steady boyfriend so her mother will think she's more mature. The Fashion Club is aghast, but Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz) supports Quinn's decision so there will be more guys for her to date. Unfortunately, Quinn's limited conversational repertoire and demanding nature scuttle her would-be couplehood with first Jamie (voice of Marc Thompson), then Joey (voice of Steven Huppert). She finally settles on Jeffy (voice of Tim Novikoff) and invites him to attend a family dinner. Tom (voice of Russell Hankin) also plans to attend, much to the consternation of Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff), who dreads her father's antics and Tom's reaction to them. The meal gets off on a good note, but soon Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) begins ranting about the squirrels that have been upsetting his garbage cans. Jake, Tom, and Jeffy soon retire to the yard, where they hunt down the offending critters and engage in male bonding. Meanwhile, Quinn despairs of ever finding a suitable steady -- until Helen advises her that true maturity means doing what makes you happy. Delighted, Quinn goes back to playing the field. As for the guys, they end the evening with a road trip and a visit to the go-cart rink, confirming Daria's worst fears about pack behavior in the human male. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2001
The Fashion Club comes to a crisis and its haughty leader learns a bit of a lesson in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Shortly after imperious Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz) decrees a reduction in the maximum allowable weight of Fashion Club members, she breaks her leg. By the time she returns to school, she has put on some pudge of her own thanks to the inactivity of convalescence. Sandi decides to play the martyr and bow out of her presidency, but she guilt-trips vice-president and rival Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) into stepping down with her. Soon, the malleable Stacy (voice of Sarah Drew) and vacuous Tiffany (voice of Ashley Albert) are riding each other's last nerves and realizing that the club simply can't survive with a caucus of two. Lucky for them, Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) and Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) have a wager going on whether or not the club will survive, and Daria -- who came down on the side of the trend-worshippers -- proves even sneakier than Jane in her methods of achieving victory. Thanks to Daria's machinations, a svelte, gym-toned Sandi soon regains her crown, although she does exhibit a little more empathy toward the differently sized. The repercussions of this Fashion Club shake-up will be apparent for the rest of the show's fifth and final season, culminating in one last blowout in the Daria movie Is It College Yet? ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2001
Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) learns to hate another one of Jane's (voice of Wendy Hoopes) boyfriends in this especially fashion-conscious episode of the animated MTV series Daria. The romance begins when Jane spies a nattily dressed hunk at the office supply store and sparks up some witty banter with him. Soon this smooth-as-silk Nathan is squiring Jane around town and educating her about his singular obsession: a carefully reconstructed neo-'30s lifestyle replete with retro clothes and swing dancing. Once again, Daria is unimpressed with her friend's choice of paramours. Tom (voice of Russell Hankin) concurs, though he's a little more diplomatic about it. Ultimately, though, even Jane begins to tire of Nathan's obsession with perfect period detail and his insistence that every interaction be staged like a pre-World War I cocktail party. Meanwhile, Upchuck (voice of Marc Thompson) finally earns some attention from the fairer sex when junior fashionista Stacy (voice of Sarah Drew) grows obsessed with his career as an amateur magician and agrees to perform as his assistant during a show to be held at Lawndale High. The entire school -- minus Jane, who's busy dumping Nathan -- turns out for the event. Upon seeing her underling onstage with a known nerd, Fashion Club dominatrix Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz) reacts with typical venom. And indeed, the malleable Stacy seems to be a rather bumbling assistant -- until her onstage breakdown turns out to be part of an elaborate ruse to inject some novelty and surprise into Upchuck's seemingly ho-hum bag of tricks. Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) and Tiffany (voice of Ashley Albert) are suitably impressed by Stacy's triumph, leaving Sandi to fume impotently once again. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2001
Sisterly dynamics complicate the lives of two generations of Morgendorffers in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes), relieved to have some time off from her high-pressure job in corporate law, grows horrified at the intrusion of her bossy sister Rita (voice of Rita Pietropinto), who demands that Helen handle her daughter Erin's divorce. (Rita and Helen previously feuded during Erin's recent wedding -- see "I Don't"). Helen reluctantly agrees to take the case but gets even angrier when Rita, not Erin, turns up in Lawndale to supervise the case. Rita's unexpected visit turns the Morgendorffer home into a war zone and disrupts the lives of Helen's family. Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) decides to hide out in a sleeping bag in the garage. Meanwhile, Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) grows strangely solicitous of Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) and even takes to mediating the Fashion Club's petty little tiffs. Daria gets annoyed by the concerned ministrations of boyfriend Tom (voice of Russell Hankin), which she mistakenly interprets as interference in her family business; she also grows convinced that Quinn wants something from her. As it turns out, Quinn just wants to make sure she and Daria don't end up bickering for life like their mother and Rita -- and like Aunt Amy (also voice of Rita Pietropinto), who arrives to referee the melee but ends up getting drawn into it herself. Exasperated, Daria and Quinn mock their squabbling aunts and mother, leading to outrage, then epiphanies and group hugs all around. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2001
A strike by the teachers of Lawndale High gives Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) the chance to test her newfound independence and finally stand up for her nerdy sister in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. When Mr. DeMartino (voice of Marc Thompson) leads the teachers' union to picket for wage concessions, Ms. Li (voice of Nora Laudani) drafts an assortment of useless substitute instructors. The stand-in English teacher proves a little too unconventional for Lawndale's tastes, so Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) gets stuck teaching Romeo and Juliet to Quinn's class. (Quinn, of course, has been pretending that Daria is a distant relative for most of the program's five-year run.) The members of the Fashion Club ask Quinn to finagle an easy test out of "that girl you live with," but Daria refuses her sister's entreaties. As it turns out, most of the class does just fine on her exam, which stresses critical thinking over mindless regurgitation. Quinn even gets a B+, but the rest of the Fashion Club nearly flunks, leading Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz) to denounce Daria. Instead of joining in, Quinn defends Daria, proudly and publicly referring to her as "my sister." When Sandi tries to use this admission against Quinn, the other Fashion Club members reveal that they knew the truth all along and were only trying to be polite by going along. Eventually, the striking teachers win a modest raise, but not without an epic battle between the sleep-deprived Mr. DeMartino and Ms. Li. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
Urban legends haunt the Lanes, the Morgendorffers, and the Fashion Club in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. When Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) and her friends get stranded at the mall, Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) discovers that his car needs repairs. So he, Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff), Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes), and Trent (voice of Alvaro J. Gonzalez) hop in Trent's dilapidated ride and head off on a rescue mission. On the way, Trent entertains his passengers with the tale of "Metalmouth," a Lawndale shop teacher who bears a striking resemblance to Mr. DeMartino (voice of Marc Thompson). Two decades earlier, this teacher forged himself solid-steel dentures after students made fun of his toothless grin. When his new teeth started picking up radio signals -- usually Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" -- the humiliated instructor took to the countryside, where he would terrorize citizens by taking bites out of their cars. As this tale comes to a close, Trent's car breaks down, providing Jane the chance to one-up her brother with a story of her own. This one involves a brainy '50s teen not so very different from Daria herself who accidentally gets locked in her parents' bomb shelter. Meanwhile, Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz) spooks out the Fashion Club as they wander Lawndale trying to find their way home. Her tale involves a beautiful student much like herself whose quest for fashion perfection led her to lose so much weight that her bones rattled. Vowing to avenge herself on the "in" crowd for their ridicule, she haunted them at night until all of other girls became wan and ugly from lack of beauty sleep. Eventually, both the Fashion Club and their would-be rescuers make it home, just in time to hear Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes) report that strange bite marks appeared on her car at precisely the same moment she heard a phantom tune on the radio. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
A fire in the Morgendorffer house sends Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) and her family to a hotel for a few weeks of dubious R & R in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. It's Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo), of course, who sets the fire -- by accidentally igniting a paper towel while making himself a cup of warm milk. But he's also the chief beneficiary, since he gets to canoodle with wife Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes) by the pool during their hotel sojourn. Daria and Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes), meanwhile, get stuck sharing a room, which leads to frayed nerves all around -- especially when the Fashion Club arrives to hang out imperiously. By the time Bobby, a love-struck bellboy, begins lavishing expensive attentions on Quinn, a fed-up Daria decides to bunk with best friend Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes). But the Lane house, too, is fraught with danger, from chance encounters with Jane's hot brother, Trent (voice of Alvaro J. Gonzalez), to not-so-chance encounters with Jane's boyfriend, Tom (voice of Russell Hankin), who seems more interested in discussing history and politics with Daria than in hanging out with Jane herself. Just when this nascent love triangle is heating to a slow boil, it turns out that bellboy Bobby has actually been stealing hotel amenities in his effort to woo Quinn. With the stalker in the hands of the authorities, Helen and Jake whisk their daughters home, but Daria is lost in thought -- about Tom. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
A parade provides an unexpected opportunity for Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) to bond with Tom (voice of Russell Hankin), her best friend's beau, in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. When Daria's bathroom-stranded dad (voice of Julian Rebolledo) sends her to the drugstore to pick up some toilet paper, she unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of the Lawndale High homecoming parade. Desperate to escape, she instead finds herself trapped by the crowds, by the safety-obsessed Ms. Li (voice of Nora Laudani), and by Mr. O'Neill (voice of Marc Thompson), who's running around in an animal costume accosting people. Eventually, Daria runs into Tom, who's looking for Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes), and they both assist a lost little boy in locating his parents. Although Daria and Tom's relationship up to this point has ranged from cool to hostile, they slowly begin to "get" one another's personality and sense of humor. After a run-in with the Fashion Club, they finally locate Jane just in time for Daria to get splashed with paint -- blue and yellow, the school's colors. Daria goes home to clean up and the happy couple head off on their date, but a long, longing glance from Tom to Daria suggests something strange is brewing. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
The typically sarcastic humor of Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) and Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) backfires, sending all of Lawndale into a tizzy in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. When quarterback Kevin (voice of Marc Thompson) starts sporting a motorcycle jacket, the girls goad him into actually buying a motorcycle. Actually, he gets a moped -- and promptly destroys the statue of a dead local football legend while attempting to pop an impossible wheelie. Quitting the team, abandoning sports drinks, and appearing for the first time in the series without his football uniform, Kevin and cheerleader girlfriend Brittany (voice of Janie Mertz) sink into a deep depression. This malaise soon affects the entire town as the team enters a losing streak and the citizens of Lawndale become pariahs in the surrounding town. The Fashion Club gets shunned at the local mall, while Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes) and Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) even get harassed by their colleagues. Tom (voice of Russell Hankin) finally suggests propping up Kevin's self-image by landing the guy a gig as a vehicle-safety speaker at local elementary schools. Despite Kevin's enthusiasm for this new role, ultimately, he returns to the fold -- and to Brittany's waiting arms. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
The opening of a "big box" discount store in Lawndale brings Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) and Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) into the orbit of a huge assortment of whacked-out characters in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. After Tom (voice of Russell Hankin) eats the candy Jane was going to use for an unusual art project and Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) steals Daria's boot lace to use as a purse strap, the surly twosome must trek to the grand opening of the new warehouse store in search of their respective wares. There, they cross paths with Brittany (voice of Janie Mertz) and Kevin (voice of Marc Thompson), who are looking for barbecue sauce for a for a school cookout, and the Fashion Club, who have come in search of sunscreen only to be horrified at the lack of prestigious brands and prices. The strangest encounter of all, though, is with usually silent goth chick Andrea (voice of Janie Mertz), who is surprised that the snide Daria and Jane don't make fun of her for her Siouxsie & the Banshees getup or the after-school job her parents forced her to take at the discount store. Meanwhile, Tom tags along to the store with Trent (voice of Alvaro J. Gonzalez) in hopes of apologizing to the irate Jane and Mr. DeMartino (voice of Marc Thompson) causes a blackout during a fracas over free cheese logs. Back at the barbecue, Mr. O'Neill (also voice of Marc Thompson) doesn't fare much better, his conversation with Kevin's father about the quarterback's poor grades earning him a little melee of his own. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
When quarterback Kevin (voice of Marc Thompson) turns up dead in her locker, Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) gets involved in a bizarre murder investigation that pays homage to a number of detective-show staples in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Under suspicion, the brainy teen tries to find the football player's real killer. Upchuck's Angels -- a group of dim but gorgeous detectives culled from the ranks of the Fashion Club -- prove to be of little use in Daria's quest to clear her name. It doesn't help that Ms. Li (voice of Nora Laudani) is determined to convict Daria no matter what the sardonic teen detective's own investigation turns up. Just as Daria is being led to the electric chair by jailers who bear a striking resemblance to her parents, she wakes up, realizing that the entire mystery was naught but a TV-fuelled dream. Back in the real world everyone really does want to kill Kevin -- for helping the entire football team cheat on a test and almost earning them all a collective "F." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
An experiment in failure upsets the social strata of Lawndale High in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Mr. O'Neill (voice of Marc Thompson) gets the ball rolling with his latest hippy-dippy assignment; he instructs his students to find something they expect to fail at, then see if they actually do. Brittany (voice of Janie Mertz) and Kevin (voice of Marc Thompson) are pretty sure they'll fail to become unpopular and get kicked off the football team, respectively. But Brittany's sudden, feigned concern about politics and Kevin's intentional bungling on the field soon destroy their high social and athletic standing. It's only through the intercession of Jodie (voice of Jessica Cydnee Jackson) and Mack (voice of Amir Williams) that the quarterback and his babe regain their footing. Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes), too, fails to fail in her own quest to become popular. A new look and a breezy attitude earn Jane a chance at a whole new lifestyle, but a scary brush with cheerleaderhood soon returns the cranky artist to her usual disaffected stance. Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) herself succeeds in failing to get Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) grounded from attending a fashion show. But thanks to Mr. O'Neill's guilt over his botched social-science experiment, she narrowly avoids having to chaperone Quinn to the event. Mr. O'Neill accompanies Quinn instead, giving her Fashion Club cronies an opportunity for mockery. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
The Morgendorffer parents enjoy some separate quality time with their daughters in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) gets to bond with Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) when she accompanies him to a franchising convention where he hopes to meet business guru Terry Perry Barlow. Thanks to a chance encounter with Jodie's well-connected parents, he does, but Daria is unimpressed with the blowhard executive or his latest business venture. Her candor earns Barlow's respect -- and an invitation for Daria and Jake to join him on a hot-air balloon ride. Too bad Jake is afraid of heights. Meanwhile, back in Lawndale, Helen and Quinn (both voiced by Wendy Hoopes) enjoy some together time when the Fashion Club arrives for an impromptu sleepover and guilt-trips Helen into undergoing a makeover. Slathered in cosmetics, Helen reverts to her teenaged self and confesses some of her "boy problems" with Jake to the girls. Quinn and Co. face some boy problems of their own the next morning when Jamie (voice of Marc Thompson), Joey (voice of Steven Huppert) and Jeffy (voice of Tim Novikoff) show up and spy them sans their outfits and makeup. As for Daria and Jake, their journey ends with a similar sight when they take a side trip to the Museum of Medical Oddities. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
A new hair color for Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) leads to a major shake-up in her friendship with Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. When Jane decides to add blond streaks to her pitch-black hair, she insists that the cosmetically challenged Daria assist her. Daria tries to beg off, but Jane is insistent. When it all turns out horribly wrong, Jane accuses Daria of sabotaging her new look in a bid to steal away her boyfriend, Tom (voice of Russell Hankin). It's only through the intervention of Trent (voice of Alvaro J. Gonzalez) that the girls eventually patch things up, with Daria promising that she'd never deliberately hurt Jane. On the way home from this reunion, though, Daria finds Tom parked in front of her house, hoping to discuss the glances and feelings that are flying back and forth between them. Daria denies that anything is happening between them, but when Tom unexpectedly kisses her, she responds in kind. Unable to deal with the guilt, she confesses all to Jane the next day. Jane confronts Tom, who takes the blame for the entire episode. Still, they admit that their relationship has pretty much run its course, anyway. Jane and Daria enjoy a reconciliation, but it's not exactly a warm one. And then Daria's phone rings: it's Tom. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 2000
A school camping expedition sets the stage for true confessions, fashion faux pas, and Blair Witch Project shenanigans in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. When Mr. O'Neill (voice of Marc Thompson) announces an optional overnight field trip, Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) is delighted to go on an outdoor-gear shopping spree. But Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes) has to bribe Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) into attending so that she and Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) can take a trip of their own and rekindle their "intimacy." The expedition proves to be more terrifying then educational when a freak blizzard strands the students and their teachers in a wooded winter wonderland. Food and water are in short supply because the camping gear has been inadvertently left behind in favor of Quinn's frivolous "survival" threads -- a situation that almost costs the girl her Fashion Club membership. Meanwhile, Mr. O'Neill ends up stranded in a cave videotaping his last confession on the camera he's supposed to be using to film the students' extreme-sports hijinks. Elsewhere, Mr. DeMartino (voice of Marc Thompson) endures a long, frozen night of the soul during his quest to find help -- the same quest that leads Daria and Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) to do a little bonding when it seems as if they're doomed. Help arrives unexpectedly, though, when Mr. D. stumbles onto a cozy cabin retreat where the elder Morgendorffers are trying in vain to connect. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
- 1999
Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) gets to put her new driver's license to the test in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Shortly after throwing Daria a party to celebrate her new driving privileges, Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) heads out on the road with her brother's band, Mystik Spiral, for a gig several towns away. Daria, meanwhile, gets stuck supervising sister Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) while their parents are away at a marriage-encounter weekend. Soon Daria and Quinn, too, take to the road after receiving a frantic jailhouse phone call from Jane --the entire Mystik Spiral entourage has been incarcerated for not being able to pay a traffic fine. Reluctantly taking to the highway, Daria annoys Quinn with her timidity behind the wheel. But Quinn causes even more grief when she falls for a handsome cowboy hitchhiker and limply lets him make off with Jane's bail money. Daria and Quinn must scrounge for additional funding, unaware that Jane and the band are already serving their "sentence" by providing free entertainment for the local sheriff's kid. Once the Morgendorffer girls are reunited with the rockers, all that's left is for Daria to exact some revenge from hitchhiker Travis. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, (more)
