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Aquamarine (film)

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Aquamarine
Theatrical release poster
Directed byElizabeth Allen
Screenplay by
Based onAquamarine
by Alice Hoffman
Produced bySusan Cartsonis
Starring
CinematographyBrian Breheny
Edited byJane Moran
Music byDavid Hirschfelder
Production
company
Storefront Pictures
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • February 26, 2006 (2006-02-26) (Los Angeles)
  • March 3, 2006 (2006-03-03) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States[1][2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million[3]
Box office$23 million[3]

Aquamarine is a 2006 American teen fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Elizabeth Allen (in her feature film directorial debut), loosely based on the 2001 young adult novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman. It stars Emma Roberts, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque in her film debut, and Sara Paxton as the eponymous character. The film was released in the United States on March 3, 2006, by 20th Century Fox.

Plot

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Best friends Claire Brown and Hailey Rogers are enjoying their last few days of summer vacation in their small beach town of Baybridge near Tampa, before Hailey has to move to Australia due to her mother's job as a marine biologist. Hailey prays to the ocean gods for a miracle to change her mother's mind about moving; minutes later, a violent storm occurs.

The next night, the girls sneak into the local pool, where they discover a mermaid named Aquamarine, who had been washed in by the storm. Aquamarine explains that she ran away from home after being forced into an arranged marriage by her father, as mermaids do not believe in true love. However, he has agreed to end the engagement if she is able to prove to him that love does exist.

Aquamarine explains that she is able to transform her tail into legs during the day, but will revert into a mermaid if she touches water, as well as when the sun sets. She also confesses that she has her eyes set on Raymond, a lifeguard Hailey and Claire have had a crush on for years. They are reluctant to help her get him to notice her, but agree after Aquamarine reveals anyone who helps a mermaid is granted a wish, hoping to use the wish to prevent Hailey's impending move.

Not understanding human social cues, Aquamarine is rejected by Raymond when they first meet. Hailey and Claire promise to make Raymond fall in love with her in the next three days using strategies found in teen magazines. A group of popular girls headed by Cecilia, the local meteorologist's spoiled daughter who is also interested in Raymond, attempt to sabotage Aquamarine.

Aquamarine and Raymond bond at a local dance. She hastily leaves before her tail can reappear, but first kisses him and asks him to meet her on the pier in the morning. Cecilia follows the girls to the water tower where Aquamarine is staying and discovers her secret. She unhooks the ladder to prevent Aquamarine from leaving, and calls the news to expose her on national television. The town's mysterious handyman, Bernard, helps Aquamarine escape, and she grants him a wish. As punishment for publicly humiliating him, Cecilia's father confiscates her car.

The next morning, Aquamarine asks Raymond if he loves her. Raymond admits that he likes her, but has not fallen in love with her yet, as they have only been on one date and he wants to take his time getting to know her. Cecilia angrily approaches and pushes Aquamarine into the ocean, revealing her true form to Raymond. He is shocked, but rushes to get his rescue board to save her, much to Cecilia's dismay.

Aquamarine's father summons a giant storm to drag her back home, but Hailey and Claire jump into the ocean to her aid. When Aquamarine asks why they risked their lives to save her, they respond that they love her. The power of the girls' friendship finally convinces Aquamarine's father of true love's existence, and the storm subsides. Realizing how hard Hailey's mother has worked for her job, the girls decide to save their wish for something else, and say goodbye to Aquamarine, who promises to visit. Raymond also asks her to visit him, and they kiss. Back on shore, Raymond thanks the girls for their bravery and for introducing him to Aquamarine. Hailey and Claire tell each other they will miss each other, and part ways.

In the stage booklet during the end credits, it is revealed that Claire, Raymond, and Aquamarine reconnect with Hailey in Australia a year later and explore the Great Barrier Reef together.

Cast

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Voices

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  • Sara Paxton as Aquamarine's starfish earrings
  • Emma Roberts as Claire's starfish earrings
  • JoJo as Hailey's starfish earrings

Production

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Principal photography for the movie began in Australia in February 2005,[4] and wrapped up the following April.

Home media

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The film was released on DVD on June 13, 2006,[5] and on Blu-ray on March 6, 2012.

Reception

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Box office

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In its opening weekend, Aquamarine grossed $7.5 million in 2,512 theaters, ranking #5 at the box office. By the end of its run, the film grossed $18.6 million domestically, and $4.4 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $23 million.[3]

Critical response

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On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 53% based on reviews from 89 critics, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's consensus states: "A lighthearted, gum-smacking, boy-crazy film with a hopeful message for young girls."[6] On Metacritic, Aquamarine has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 27 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[7] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A−" on scale of A to F.[8]

Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter called Aquamarine a "bright and breezy tween fantasy romantic comedy that coasts along on its charming performances and the light comedic touch of first-time feature director Elizabeth Allen."[9] Variety's Joe Leydon praised the film, writing, "The high-concept premise ... has been fleshed out with inventive wit, unsticky warmth and more than a little wackiness. Result is an unusually likeable family-friendly comedy that could appeal far beyond its target [audience]".[10]

Numerous critics praised the film's themes and message. Grading the film a "B−", Chris Kaltenbach of The Baltimore Sun liked how "Aquamarine exhibits a welcome empathy for adolescent girls and an understanding of how they interact" while teaching the difference between "what is important (friendship, self-confidence, altruism) and what seems important (puppy love, trendiness, running with the pack)."[11] Describing Aquamarine as engendering a "vision of cherished sisterhood", Callie Ahlgrim of Insider wrote that the film "is a rom-com insofar as it tells a boy-meets-girl story—but the deeper, more honest love between its young female leads is the film's true emotional core."[12] Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe wrote that Aquamarine "is unique because it's the rare movie that fiercely respects the altruistic loyalty that bonds girls to one another."[13] Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle found that while the film "has a sweetness and innocence that makes it near perfect entertainment for its target audience", Aquamarine "avoids seeming coy and doesn't flinch from taking on serious issues that illustrate that life isn't all fluff even for the young."[14] Rating the film 3 out of 5 stars, Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel wrote, "Aquamarine really is just an adorable movie. And along the way, life lessons about love, friendship, adjusting to bad news and overcoming grief are passed along in a not-that-obvious fashion."[15] Rating it 3 out of 4 stars, Todd Hertz of Christianity Today wrote, "The movie scores a major victory in reaching its audience with the all-too-important message that they are fine just the way they are."[16]

Other critics were less positive. Carrie Rickey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "Like its title character, Allen's choppy and inconsistent film has two speeds, ditsy or sentimental, and never gathers momentum."[17] Reviewing Aquamarine for the BBC, Stella Papamichael rated the film 2 out of 5 stars, writing, "the worthy message about the value of friendship, central to Alice Hoffman’s novel, is drowned out by a sappy, magazine-style portrait of girlhood that’s all lip-gloss and giggles."[18] Marrit Ingman of The Austin Chronicle also rated the film 2 out of 5 stars but enjoyed some aspects, like its making fun of the dating advice in teen magazines such as CosmoGirl.[19]

Critics praised the cast's performances.[20][21] Calling Paxton's portrayal of Aquamarine "impish, anxious and ebullient", Leydon hailed her "impressive talent for physical comedy",[10] while Rechtshaffen wrote that Paxton "has an infectious, nutty energy".[9] Roger Ebert praised Roberts and Levesque for their "unstudied charm",[22] while Leydon lauded their "credible and compelling relationship with each other" as well as their "pitch-perfect reactions as straight women" to Paxton.[10] Stein highlighted Roberts's performance, particularly her portrayal of Claire's vulnerability.[14]

Accolades

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Year Result Award Category Recipients
2006 Nominated Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Chick Flick
Choice Movie Breakout Star – Female JoJo
2007 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards Fave Movie Star Emma Roberts
Won Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress
Nominated JoJo
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress Sara Paxton

Legacy

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Since its release, Aquamarine has become a cult film,[23][24] and is especially popular among Generation Z.[25] It has been ranked as one of the best "mermaid movies" by USA Today.[26] as well as Teen Vogue.[27] Chappell Roan cited the film as the inspiration for the music video for her 2022 single "Casual", telling Teen Vogue that the concept for the video was "Aquamarine but like, gay".[28]

Soundtrack

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Aquamarine
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedFebruary 21, 2006[29]
Genre
Label
  1. One Original Thing – Cheyenne Kimball
  2. Strike – Nikki Flores
  3. Connected  – Sara Paxton
  4. Gentlemen – Teddy Geiger
  5. One and Only – Teitur
  6. Island in the Sun – Emma Roberts
  7. Time for Me to Fly – Jonas Brothers
  8. Can't Behave – Courtney Jaye
  9. Summertime Guys – Nikki Cleary
  10. One Way or Another – Mandy Moore
  11. Sweet Troubled Soul – Stellastarr
  12. I Like the Way – Bodyrockers

Two of the film's stars, Roberts and Paxton, were featured on the soundtrack. In 2008, La La Land Records and Fox Music released a limited edition CD (1000 pressings) of David Hirschfelder's score (incorporating Paxton's voice) for the film.

  1. Main Titles
  2. The Storm
  3. Washed Ashore
  4. Claire Falls In
  5. Meeting Aqua
  6. The Next Morning/Shell Phone Call
  7. Making the Deal
  8. Ray & Aqua/Magazines
  9. Paddleboat Date
  10. The Water Tower
  11. Hailey Rides the Dolphins
  12. Aqua's Decision
  13. First Kiss
  14. Cecilia Climbs the Tower
  15. Hailey and Claire Argue
  16. The Pier/Storm/The Buoy
  17. The Tear/Goodbyes
  18. Finale
Other songs featured in the film[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Aquamarine (2006)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  2. ^ "Aquamarine (2006)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Aquamarine (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  4. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer. "JoJo Says She's No Lindsay Lohan, Scrambles To Ready Herself For 'Aquamarine'". MTV News. Retrieved 2021-04-08.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ "DVD's". Chicago Tribune. May 30, 2006. p. 57. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Aquamarine at Rotten Tomatoes
  7. ^ Aquamarine at Metacritic Edit this at Wikidata
  8. ^ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  9. ^ a b "Aquamarine". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 March 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Leydon, Joe (2 March 2006). "Aquamarine". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  11. ^ Kaltenbach, Chris (3 March 2006). "'Aquamarine' has girl power". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 20 April 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  12. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (contrib.) (14 February 2022). "53 of our favorite romantic comedies of all time". Insider.com. ProQuest 2628327024. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  13. ^ Morris, Wesley (3 March 2006). "She lives in the sea, but still needs a hunk". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  14. ^ a b Stein, Ruthe (3 March 2006). "She came from the deep -- and needs help with a date". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  15. ^ Moore, Roger (3 March 2006). "Aquamarine". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2022 – via Rotten Tomatoes.
  16. ^ Hertz, Todd (3 March 2006). "Aquamarine". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  17. ^ Rickey, Carrie (1 March 2008). "'Aquamarine' a mermaid tale that comes out all wet". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  18. ^ Papamichael, Stella (20 June 2006). "Aquamarine (2006)". BBC Online. Archived from the original on 22 October 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  19. ^ Ingman, Marrit (3 March 2006). "Aquamarine". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  20. ^ Macdonald, Moira (3 March 2006). ""Aquamarine": Oh-my-Gawd, there's a mermaid in the pool!". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Young love surfaces in 'Aquamarine'". USA Today. 2 March 2006. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  22. ^ Ebert, Roger (2 March 2006). "Cinderella's glass flipper". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  23. ^ Bricker, Tierney (3 March 2021). "See the Stars of Aquamarine, Then & Now". E! Online. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  24. ^ Gray, Delilah (3 June 2021). "Cult Classic 2000s Movies That Deserve A Reboot". TheList.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  25. ^ Bjornson, Greta (16 October 2020). "Is 'Aquamarine' on Disney+?". Decider.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  26. ^ Ryan, Patrick (4 June 2021). "The 5 best mermaid movies to watch this summer (including 'Undine' and Tom Hanks' 'Splash')". USA Today. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  27. ^ McConnell, Liv (11 November 2021). "The 18 Best Mermaid Movies, From Comedies to Horror". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  28. ^ Dodson, P. Claire (March 9, 2023). "Chappell Roan Talks 'Casual' Music Video, Trans Rights, and Creating the Pink Pony Club of Her Dreams". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  29. ^ "Aquamarine (2006) - Soundtracks". IMDb. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  30. ^ "Aquamarine (2006) – Soundtrack (IMDb)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
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