Tim Novikoff Movies

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) becomes convinced that she's the beneficiary of divine intervention in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. A TV show about guardian angels and a string of good luck are all it takes to make the Fashion Club vice-president believe that she has a fairy godmother. Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff), of course, finds her sister's ersatz spirituality revolting, but she's got bigger worries: the next Mystik Spiral gig will occur at a party hosted by Brittany (voice of Janie Mertz), so Daria has to choose between hatred of her classmates and her obsession with the band's cute frontman, Trent (voice of Alvaro J. Gonzalez). Hormones and the chance to embarrass her younger sister at the party win out, but Quinn doesn't need Daria to humiliate her. She does it herself when two unfortunate run-ins (with a spilled drink and with a mixing board) debunk all of her bragging about supernatural protection -- much to the delight of bitter Fashion Club president Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz). When the crushed Quinn turns to Daria for advice, however, the sarcastic teen is uncharacteristically consoling. ~ Rovi

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, Rovi

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. ~ Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

The identity tables turn for the Morgendorffer sisters in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Prodded by her parents to improve her grades and ignored by Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) in her quest for homework assistance, Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) nonetheless manages to pull off the "A" essay she needs to pass her English class. Mr. O'Neill (voice of Marc Thompson) even gets the girl's paper -- a bitter screed titled "Academic Imprisonment" -- published in the school newspaper. Soon, Quinn has made intellectualism chic and started aspiring to both existential depth and black-clad stylishness. Initially amused by her sister's transformation, Daria eventually becomes insecure about her own identity. Despite reassurances from Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes), she worries that with Quinn now the Morgendorffer "brain," she has no persona of her own. Luckily for Daria, neither the Fashion Club nor Quinn's suitors are very impressed with the girl's transformation. Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz) puts her bitter rival on probation for daring to start counter-trends, while Jamie (voice of Marc Thompson), Joey (voice of Steven Huppert), and Jeffy (voice of Tim Novikoff) agree to Daria's plan to prod Quinn back to her usual place in the pecking order. Donning a suspiciously familiar outfit and some very out-of-character grooming habits, Daria pretends literally to become her sister -- and the object of the boys' hormonal frenzy. Quinn does the math, realizes booked-solid Saturday nights are more important than Sartre, and quickly regresses to her usual pastel vapidity. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Against her will, Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) experiences some remarkably conventional feelings about romance in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. It's almost six months since Daria and Tom (voice of Russell Hankin) started dating, and Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes), with her frequent gifts from her many suitors, makes Daria realize that she'd actually like Tom to do something to commemorate the occasion. The trouble is, Tom and Daria's entire relationship is based on just hanging out -- on studiously avoiding the courtship rituals of their peers. It doesn't help that Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes) has memories of romantic dinners back when she and Tom were an item. Daria's passive-aggressive behavior eventually gets through to Tom, but he refuses to play guessing games about why she's so upset. He's also oblivious to Quinn's hints. Finally, with some prodding from Jane, Daria confesses her latent conventionality, and the couple celebrate their anniversary in typically atypical fashion. Meanwhile, Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) finds himself in yet another mid-life crisis when a stint working for an Internet start-up called Buzzdome.com reveals his essential technological incompetence. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) enjoys her first major brush with Lawndale High's popular crowd in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. After Daria helps classmate Brittany (voice of Lisa Collins) on a school assignment, the dim-witted cheerleader invites her to a bash at the nouveau riche digs she shares with her wealthy family. Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes), Daria's newfound best friend, urges her to attend so they can people-watch and so Jane can do some sketching. Daria's motives for going, however, center on her desire to embarrass Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes), her snooty, stick-thin, fashion-plate sister. Getting into Brittany's gated community proves challenging, but soon Daria and Jane are making snide remarks to each other about the clueless "beautiful people." While Jane goes off with a cute guy, Daria regales her sister's new football-player harem -- Jamie (voice of Marc Thompson), Joey (voice of Steven Huppert), and Jeffy (voice of Tim Novikoff) -- with humiliating anecdotes about Quinn's childhood. Once that stops providing amusement, Daria and Jane split -- just in time to escape the arriving police. The girls reluctantly accept a ride home from lascivious nerd Charles Ruttheimer III, who is known almost universally as Upchuck (voice of Marc Thompson). Much to her chagrin, Quinn is forced to ride with him, too. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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, Rovi

The politics of fashion, beauty, and popularity play an even bigger role than usual in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Kevin (voice of Marc Thompson) becomes the first victim of these powerful social forces when Ms. Barch (voice of Ashley Albert) assigns him an experiment: disguise his good looks behind a Quasimodo-like getup and gauge the reactions of everyday people. As Lawndale's dim quarterback learns what it means to be ugly, Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) discovers that being merely almost perfect can also prove problematic. The entire Fashion Club is abuzz with news of fellow student Brooke's new nose job, but Quinn fails to manufacture the appropriately hyperbolic praise. Sandi (voice of Lisa Collins) accuses rival Quinn of thinking she's better than the others, then browbeats her into thinking she's actually not cute enough herself. Soon Quinn is pleading with Helen (voice of Wendy Hoopes) and Jake (voice of Julian Rebolledo) for some surgical assistance. When they turn her down, she enlists the help of sister Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) in cutting class and making a cross-town trip to visit with cosmetic surgeon Dr. Shar. The gullible, insecure Quinn falls prey to the plastic-looking plastic surgeon's sales pitch, but Daria is strong enough to tear her away. Daria also has to contend with Dr. Shar's promises that she, too, can be transformed to match a grotesquely exaggerated computer simulation of beauty. In the end, Daria's atypically affirming assurances convince Quinn not to go under the knife -- or perhaps it's just because Brooke's extensive physical alterations don't turn out quite as advertised. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi