The Lizzie McGuire Movie

Summary

Podcast Summary: Pod Meets World – "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" Episode

Podcast Information:

• Title: Pod Meets World
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Episode: The Lizzie McGuire Movie
• Release Date: June 11, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Pod Meets World, hosts Jake Thomas and Sabrina Bryan delve into Disney Channel's iconic series finale, The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Released in 2003 as the culmination of the beloved TV show, the movie holds a special place in the hearts of many fans. The hosts provide an in-depth analysis, sharing their memories, critiques, and the movie's impact on Disney's cinematic ventures.

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Overview of The Lizzie McGuire Movie

Jake introduces the episode with enthusiasm, highlighting the film's transition from a TV series to the big screen. He describes it as Disney Channel's first theatrical release, noting its significant box office success despite a modest budget.

"The Lizzie McGuire movie was released on May 2, 2003, in movie theaters. It was the first Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) to make a significant splash in theaters, debuting at number two during its opening weekend, grossing $17.3 million, and eventually earning $55.5 million worldwide." ([04:28])

Plot Synopsis

Sabrina provides a concise summary of the movie's plot:

"Shy Lizzie McGuire travels to Rome on a school trip and is mistaken for an Italian pop star, leading to a whirlwind adventure of music, fashion, and self-discovery." ([14:12])

The hosts discuss the movie's narrative structure, noting its departure from the show's typical format by integrating musical elements and live-action sequences.

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Cast and Characters

The episode features a detailed breakdown of the movie's cast:

• Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire: Portrayed as a multi-talented teen navigating newfound fame.
• Adam Lamberg as Gordo: Lizzie's best friend, whose chemistry with Lizzie is a focal point.
• Jake Thomas as Matt McGuire: Lizzie's mischievous younger brother, whose antics drive much of the plot.
• Robert Carradine as Sam McGuire: Lizzie's father, bringing emotional depth to the story.
• Alex Borstein as Ms. Ungermeyer: The stern yet endearing school principal.
• Evangeline Lilly (uncredited) as a police officer: A cameo that piqued interest among fans.

Jake remarks on the ensemble cast, highlighting Robert Carradine's legacy and Alex Borstein's standout performance.

"Alex Borstein is one of our favorites. She's the voice of Lois Griffin on Family Guy and has an impressive resume in comedy." ([19:27])

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Plot Analysis and Critique

The hosts delve into the movie's storyline, expressing mixed feelings about its execution. Sabrina critiques the plot's convoluted nature and forced integration of musical elements that diverged from the original series.

"This movie felt so far-fetched from what the show was. The characters are the same, but introducing a singing aspect seemed forced." ([53:19])

Jake echoes these sentiments, pointing out inconsistencies and plot holes that detracted from the overall narrative.

"There was a lot that just didn't make sense, especially with Lizzie being an accidental pop star. It felt like three movies mashed into one." ([108:32])

They also discuss the character development, particularly the absence of Miranda, Lizzie's best friend from the series, which left a noticeable void in the movie's dynamics.

"Missing Miranda was a big downside. Kate stepped in, but it didn't feel right." ([61:08])

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Performance and Direction

The hosts critique the movie's direction and performances, particularly Hilary Duff's portrayal of Lizzie and her Italian accent.

"Hillary's Italian accent was one of the most problematic aspects. It's a difficult part that wasn't executed well." ([79:37])

They also touch upon the movie's choreography, with Sabrina, a dance expert, openly expressing her disdain for the dance sequences.

"The dancing was awful. The choreography missed the mark on several levels." ([74:23])

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Impact and Legacy

Despite their criticisms, Jake and Sabrina acknowledge the movie's role in laying the groundwork for future Disney Channel successes like Hannah Montana. They discuss how The Lizzie McGuire Movie served as a prototype for integrating music and broader cinematic elements into Disney's storytelling.

"This movie set a foundation for what was to come with Disney's musical ventures. It was part of the evolution that led to shows like Hannah Montana." ([88:10])

Sabrina adds that while the movie had its flaws, it was instrumental in shaping Disney Channel's future projects.

"It was a good foundation, but it missed the mark on fully representing Lizzie McGuire." ([104:21])

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Ratings and Reviews

In their rating segment, the hosts evaluate the movie based on various factors:

• Sabrina Bryan: Awards the movie a 6.5 out of 10, appreciating its foundational role but disappointed by its execution and departures from the original series.

  "This wasn't the best representation of Lizzie McGuire for me. It was hard to watch because it felt forced." ([105:12])

• Jake Thomas: Expresses a more critical view, highlighting the movie's lack of coherence and forced plotlines.

  "The story was all over the place. It was confusing and hard to follow." ([106:14])

Additionally, fictional reviews are shared:

• Mikaela: Gives a glowing five-star review, praising the movie for defining a generation and teaching valuable lessons.

  "This movie defines a generation and teaches us to be ourselves and seek a life of adventure." ([95:29])

• Pedro V.: Offers a harsh one-star review, dismissing the movie as "absolute garbage" with minimal redeeming qualities.

  "It was honestly absolute garbage. There is barely any good stuff." ([95:29])

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with the hosts reflecting on The Lizzie McGuire Movie's place in Disney Channel history. While acknowledging its attempts to expand the franchise, they underscore the mismatches between the show's essence and the movie's execution. Their combined perspectives offer a balanced view, appreciating the movie's ambitions while critiquing its shortcomings.

"I'm sad because I know fans like Mikayla are probably disappointed by this movie. It just wasn't what we were hoping for." ([71:35])

Despite the mixed reviews, The Lizzie McGuire Movie remains a noteworthy attempt by Disney to bridge television and cinema, setting the stage for future projects that successfully blend these mediums.

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Notable Quotes:

• Sabrina Bryan: "I loved Hillary Duff. She was a megastar already by the time we filmed the movie." ([07:42])
• Jake Thomas: "If Lizzie McGuire can sing well enough on stage to have a duet with this international pop star, why did the pop star have to lip sync?“ ([87:33])

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Final Thoughts

For fans new and old, this episode of Pod Meets World offers a comprehensive look at The Lizzie McGuire Movie, blending nostalgia with critical analysis. Whether you loved the movie or share the hosts' reservations, their discussion provides valuable insights into the challenges of adapting beloved TV series into films.

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Stay Connected

To catch more episodes of Pod Meets World, follow them on Instagram at @MagicalRewindPod and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Note: Advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections have been excluded to focus solely on the discussion surrounding The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

Transcript

[Sabrina Bryan]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Jake Thomas]

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[Sabrina Bryan]

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[Jake Thomas]

Sabrina, even I've heard of the movie we're doing today.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, yeah?

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah. I mean, what does that tell you? I mean, there's not many, but I've, I've heard of this one. Because, you know, I think even if you didn't watch Disney Channel at the time, which I didn't and you didn't watch the show this was based on, which of course I didn't, everybody heard this name. It was just in the zeitgeist everywhere.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I mean, absolutely. This was, I feel like the, the platform that was a good foundation that then helped when the Cheetah Girls came out and even more when Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana came out.

[Jake Thomas]

So Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana were, were after this?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes. Like it was basically on the channel. It was Lizzie McGuire. That's so Raven. Then Hannah Montana.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, okay, Gotcha. I didn't know the order in which.

[Sabrina Bryan]

They were doing their kind of their bright new shiny star that was happening as it was. I think they had filmed the first. The first season or they were in depths of filming it before we even did the first Cheetah Girls. So it kind of really like we stacked on top of that. So Raven. And then, you know, it was kind of like a stacking thing. And then after that, when we went for our second movie at the up fronts is when they were releasing Hannah Montana.

[Jake Thomas]

And that was like, gotcha.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's everything that they did with Lizzie McGuire.

[Jake Thomas]

Boom.

[Sabrina Bryan]

On a next level. Like five. Five levels up.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, that makes sense because I didn't know which order they came in. Okay, so Lizzie McGuire was the OG gotcha.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes.

[Jake Thomas]

Well, obviously we're talking about the Lizzie McGuire movie. There's no get around that. So first though, welcome back. Magical Rewind. The show that makes you want to grab your friends, your PJs and your popcorn and go back to a time when all the Housers were smart. The wave tsunamis and double team still sucked. I'm Will Friedle.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I'm Sabrina Bryan.

[Jake Thomas]

That was for one of our producers because we just got into another double teamed conversation. Anyway, people, this time we're going all the way to Rome kind of with one of Disney's most memorable characters. It's a movie that found itself with a newly minted cult status in the 2020s and that's right. We're talking about 2003's cinematic finale to the channel's Lizzie McGuire series, which is creatively titled the Lizzie McGuire Movie. So there you go. So did you. Sorry, we're just getting stuck already. We're already getting. We just got from one of our producers in the comments. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this movie. Nothing. I beg to differ. And we'll get into it. But Sabrina, did you watch the original TV show? You did, didn't you?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I did. This was when. So 2003 was the finale of this show. Right. They had two very long. I guess what we found out recently, two very long seasons.

[Jake Thomas]

Technically three seasons shot.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It hits the 65 episode mark. But they. So that's interesting to find out. But so you know you're talking like three years of it. And these were the three years that I was like hardcore auditioning and auditioning and auditioning.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay. Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Damn TV shows on the channel. These freaking.

[Jake Thomas]

Did you ever audition for Lizzie McGuire?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I, I bet you because I was on the Jersey. I know I auditioned for Jet Jackson and I, I know I audi. I probably did because I'm telling you, any kind. Anytime there was like a, a role for somebody who could look, you know that 14ish. And that's what I looked that I got. I was lucky enough to get an audition. So I'm. They kind of all meshed together at this point. But I was watching the channel because I was like kind of studying it, you know, like what do I need to do? What Even just to the point of wanting to see what they wear. So that when I went into an audition I looked like a Disney kid, you know. So I was watching Lizzie McGuire a lot and I thought Hilary Duff was the bomb dot com. Like I loved her. I thought she was so cute. She was for me the first one that I show saw on the channel that was kind of pushing more fashionable choices. Like with her hair, she's very old, like end of 90s style with her hair. Early 2000s. Like she was, she was a cool kid even though she was like playing younger. So. Yeah. And then I followed her career as she really took off into being a pop star and an actor and all of that. Like I followed that career and yeah, she was. I, I loved Hillary Duff.

[Jake Thomas]

That's awesome. Knock knock.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Who's there? Will?

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, I never watched the show.

[Sabrina Bryan]

But you did know because you could not, you could just not know about.

[Jake Thomas]

Hillary D like Hannah Montana or any of those kind of names like Lizzie McGuire. Everyone knew the name Lizzie McGuire. If you didn't know the show, everyone knew the name Hannah Montana. If you didn't know the show, these. These were. Everyone knew High School Musical, the. The Cheetah Girls. These were things that they. They popped off of the Disney Channel into just mainstay pop culture. Now, I never knew what they exactly were, but of course everybody knew the names like Lizzie McGuire and stuff like that. And now we talked about this when we recapped the Even Stevens movie. But it was a common move for Disney to pay for only two or three seasons of a show. We talked about that the 65 and out rule, saving them the required bumps for producers and talent. But then they'd greenlight a movie to wrap up the story on the way out and pay totally different contracts. Lizzie McGuire, the TV show, only ran again, technically two seasons, but that meant 65 episodes, if you can believe it. They did a lot of shooting in two years. Now, we'll talk about this more in detail later, but the show was obviously a vehicle for Hilary Duff, one of the biggest young stars the channel had in the early aughts, a double threat in acting and music and was completely homegrown. She was like a Disney Channel star, one of the originals. So the cheetah girls, Lizzie McGuire timeline seems to have been going on at the same time. Right around that time you said you were a fan. Did you get to know her at all or.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, you know, I. I ran into her sister more often. So another thing that I don't know if you are aware of or not, but like, her and her sister somewhat teamed up to do some of the music and things like that.

[Jake Thomas]

Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So her sister would end up being on either set hanging out with someone. Like, I think she, for some reason in my head, I feel like she was on like when we did the Suite Life of Zack and Cody or something. But she would be around the channel doing certain things with the channel when I was.

[Jake Thomas]

And that's Haley, right?

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's Haley Duff. Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

Gotcha. Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And Hillary, by the time, like I said, we filmed our movie in 2002, October. The movie came out in 2003. So, like, by then, Hillary, Hilary Duff was like a megastar already. So she was already off, I swear, I think at that point she was already booked a big arena tour and was doing like shows and she was already off doing big, big things. Not necessarily around the channel any longer.

[Jake Thomas]

Right. She was already breaking away. She was one of the first kind of big Disney Channel stars to break away.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And yes, yeah, yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, cool. Well, Duff was obviously the titular character who learns how to navigate personal and social issues common of our teenage years, which is rather vague and kind of the premise of every Disney show ever. But the big difference is we also get animated soliloquies of Lizzie to express the character's inner thoughts and emotions. Little breaks of a more outgoing version of herself while she was more reserved and nervous in real life. Again, I think I knew that they were gonna do little animated stuff, too. Did you know going in that they were. The animated stuff was all part of the thing, though.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I wasn't sure I couldn't. I don't think I actually watched the. No, because I remember when she came out, I was. I recognized that outfit. But the. The. I know. I recognize.

[Jake Thomas]

That's how you do it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I recognize the outfit. I remember the finale outfit. Thinking that outfit was, like, a really cool Disney outfit, and she was showing her stomach, and I knew that was a big no no on the channel. So I didn't remember if her cartoon character part, like. Because that was what her. Like, her subconscious.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, it's supposed to be like that. Yeah, it's supposed to be there.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I didn't know if. I didn't remember if that was in the movie, but I.

[Jake Thomas]

Inner model.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It was my favorite part of the show. I thought that was my. When that cartoon would come out and do her, like, over the top, you know, so. So embarrassed, so scared, you know? I loved that. That was the comedy part of it that I really enjoyed.

[Jake Thomas]

The movie was released on May 2, 2003. In movie theaters. Yes, in movie theaters. That's obviously the biggest difference between this Movie and other DCOMs. It was actually the first movie made from a Disney Channel series to go into theaters. Huh. Plus, it came in at number two at the box officer's opening weekend with $17.3 million, trailing only X2, the X Men sequel. It eventually raked in 55.5 million worldwide, which is amazing because the movie only cost 13 million bucks, so. Whoa. People say only a lot in Hollywood, but $13 million movie? Not a huge budget movie to rake in 55.5 million. It's a big win for the channel.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Absolutely.

[Jake Thomas]

And as if that wasn't enough, it was released on dvd and, wait, for kids, vhs. Look it up. In August of the same year and sold 2.9 million copies, given the studio another $50 million in revenue. Duff also won both a Kid's Choice Award and a Teen Choice Award. Not bad. Now, all this sounds incredible, right? A movie awards tons of money. Yet there is a lot of story left to tell because only two seasons aired. So again, lot left on the table there. Well, anyway, Disney thought the same thing because in 2019, they decided to get the gang back together for a new Lizzie McGuire series with Hilary Duff and put a sequel film in motion. But infamously, the studio shelled the entire thing even after starting product, for reasons that are still kind of a mystery. We might have solved some of them, but it's kind of a mystery. Supposedly, Disney had created differences with Duff and the showrunner, who were looking to go in a more adult direction. In turn, Disney pulled the plug, a rare occurrence considering they were in the middle of making it, which is nuts. And all this decision did was make the cult audience even hungrier for more Lizzie McGuire content. We've heard several things. It was going to be on Hulu originally, so they're going to make it more adult. Then Disney plus is being built at the time time they were going to go more kid. So you never know what's happening or want to see how the sausage is made. But unfortunately for the sausage makers, no.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Lizzie McGuire, this is a no go.

[Jake Thomas]

Had you seen this movie? I know you've seen the show, but did you see the movie? Were you one of the people who went and saw it in the theater?

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, there. I definitely did not see it in the theater. I know I did not do that, but I feel like, no, I didn't do that. I know I didn't do that. I do remember seeing it somewhere. So I don't know if they ended up airing it ever on the channel and that would have been a place.

[Jake Thomas]

Or they probably did eventually.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. So I know that I've seen, I, I, I've seen it, but I, or if it was just seeing, like commercials for it, I, I recognized it, but, you know, I didn't, I didn't really remember. I think if I had seen it when I was in Italy at all these places that it looked like they were filming, I would have, that would have split. Sparked more of a memory.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And the fact that I didn't, I don't think I saw the whole thing. I remember specifically, though. You know what I bet it is? They probably showed her final performance on the channel as like a music video.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, maybe that's what they did. That's certainly possible.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That's certainly that. I felt like you remembered that front to back. Okay, Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

I, I, I knew that. I don't know. I have no idea. Again, my guess is I heard that There was a Lizzie McGuire movie because. I don't know. I mean, you ass. There is one. Especially after they did, like, the Even Stevens movies. I guess I probably assumed there was one, but no, I didn't know anything about it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, I feel like the Even Steven one was that. Wasn't that after this one, though.

[Jake Thomas]

I have no idea.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I can't remember the timeline of that either.

[Jake Thomas]

I know. Anyway, it's synopsis time, people. So let's scoop yourself a bowl of gelato and get into it. Shy kid Lizzie McGuire travels to Rome on a school trip and is mistaken for an Italian pop star, leading to a whirlwind adventure of music, fashion, and self discovery. So this is a little like accidental Hannah Montana. This seemed like. That's why I was asking which one happened first, because I didn't understand if this came first or Hannah. Cause I was like, it's kind of the same premise, but this came first. So anyway, yes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Way years before. Years before.

[Jake Thomas]

Well, they obviously liked it because then they made a whole show basically around it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Right.

[Jake Thomas]

The Lizzie McGuire movie was directed by Jim Fall, which is a new name to us. And this was his only dcom. He first got attention for his 1999 movie Trick, a Sundance standout about a gay relationship that unfolds over 24 hours. Lizzie McGuire was his big follow up, and he'd later go on to direct 2006's Wedding wars with John Stamos and Eric Dane, as well as holiday themed movies like Kristen's Christmas Past and Holly's Holiday. Hey, the titles work. They work. The movie stars Hilary Duff, who is a true teen idol best known for the role right here. Outside of Lizzie, she appeared in movies like the dcom, Cadet Kelly, which we want to get to agent, Cody Banks, Cheaper by the Dozen, and A Cinderella Story. She most recently starred and produced the How I Met yout Mother sequel, How I Met yout Father. She also has numerous albums that she's released. She's a New York Times bestselling author and has her own clothing line. She has 1.2 million kids. She is absolutely just an empire. She doesn't have that many children, but she's got a lot of kids, I think. Where. Where do we rank Hilary Duff in the Disney hall of Fame? She's up there, don't you think?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. She's first ballot.

[Jake Thomas]

First ballot, I think. Yeah, she's up there.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, she's up there with Raven and Miley Cyrus.

[Jake Thomas]

I think so, too.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Selena Gomez. All of those.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, those three, though. I Think Raven, Simone, Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus are kind of the trifecta of Disney perfection back in the early 2000s. Like those would be the three on Mount Rushmore. I think if you were going to do that. I mean, Hannah Montana, Raven and Lizzie McGuire are kind of like. You don't have to know anything about the channel to still know those actors. Those names and those names. Yeah. And those shows.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, for sure.

[Jake Thomas]

Definitely. Adam Lamberg plays David Gordo Gordon, the same character he made famous on the TV show for its entire run. Hayley Todd is Joe McGuire, Lizzie's mom, also from the show. Her actual mother, though, was Ann Morgan Gilbert, one of the stars of the Dick Van Dyke Show. And you can see her pregnant with Hailey on the show. Hayley would also appear on Murder She Wrote, Growing PA, and Star the Next Generation. By the way, hot take on Murder She Wrote. Angela Lansbury was doing all the murdering and just writing about it. And we've got Jake Thomas is Matt McGuire. That's Lizzie's little brother. A show favorite, Thomas began his career on tv, but quickly was cast in the criminally underrated Jennifer Lopez film the Cell. He later appeared in movies like AI, Artificial Intelligence and Christmas Vacation 2, and TV shows like Disney's Cory in the House, ER and NCIS. And we've got the legendary Robert Carradine returning as Sam McGuire, Lizzie's dad. Carradine is best known as the main character, Louis Skolnick in the Revenge of the Nerds movies. Great movies that, ooh, do not hold up, but yeah, those are probably. I don't like to judge things from now compared to when they were made, but problematic films, really.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I've gotta go watch them then.

[Jake Thomas]

Ooh, very problematic stuff happening in those movies. Oh, yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't know how long it's been since I've seen. Seriously seen them, but wow.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, not good. But has been in a ton of things, including Escape from la and he is a kid in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, Django Unchained, Nash Bridges, and most memorably for us, he is great in the dcom. Mom's got a Date with a vampire. Remember that? He's the guy traveling around trying to find the vampire.

[Sabrina Bryan]

The whole time now clicked. I do not even remember him on that. Oh, my God.

[Jake Thomas]

He is also part of a very large Hollywood family. His father, John Carradine, was regarded as the best character actor of his dime. And his brother Keith Carradine, half brothers David Carradine and Michael Bowen, and niece Martha Plimpton all have incredible careers and memorable faces, very famous Hollywood family and some fun little appearances in this movie. One is Hayley Duff, Hillary's sister best known as Summer in Napoleon Dynamite. She is the singing voice of Italian pop star Isabella Pariki, but never actually seen. Huh. Pretty great.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I was wondering that. I'm so glad to see that there. Hear the answer for that.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, there you go. And we've got one of my favorites. Alex Borenstein is Ms. Ungermeyer. Borenstein is best known now as the voice of Lois Griffin on Family Guy, but has become a premier name in comedy on shows like Mad TV, the Marvelous, Mrs. Maisel, Shameless and Gilmore Girls. She's also written almost 50 of the family Guy episodes. And she is just flat out funny. She's one of those people that no matter what she does, she's funny.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She kills it every time, every time.

[Jake Thomas]

She's one of those people where you're just waiting to laugh every time she opens her mouth because she's that funny.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And you're waiting to see how far she takes her character because she always goes to the just fullest length. I love it.

[Jake Thomas]

So good. And finally, with an uncredited feature background role, we have Evangeline Lilly. That's right. Well before her fame from Lost, in movies like the Hobbit and Ant man, she's an uncredited police officer in this movie. I didn't see her. Did you see her? I went back and looked again.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She didn't see women police officers at all.

[Jake Thomas]

I did not see Evangeline Lilly anywhere. And we're gonna have to find it. We're gonna have to find a screenshot.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Somewhere, because I couldn't screenshot it.

[Jake Thomas]

And the Lizzie McGuire movie is 94 minutes long, 4 over target, which undoubtedly makes this movie. Say it with me. Too long. Not too, too long, though. We were looking for the length of three Lizzie McGuire episodes in a row with commercials. And yet they didn't nail it. Sorry, people. My little animated characters coming out in the bottom, going too long and then running off the other side. And here comes a big connection between me. Hi, I'm Will Friedle and Lizzie McGuire. This movie was written by Susan Estelle Jansen, an executive producer of the Lizzie TV show, but also a writer on shows like Home Improvement, maybe this time. And was one of our writers on Boy Meets World and even More Connections. The other two writers credited on this film are John Strauss and Ed Dector, who are also Boy Meets World writers. So know all three of them well.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Were they also writers on the show?

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah. I don't know if Dector and Strauss wrote on Lizzie McGuire show, but I know that Susan did.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay, okay.

[Jake Thomas]

But Dector and Strauss, they were Boy Meets World writers as well. But they are a team best known behind writing. There's Something About Mary as well as the Santa Clause 2, but have also been showrunners on series like In Plain Sight, the Closer and Mozart's Jungle. Either together or separately. These are two guys who have done a lot in Hollywood. They're also very, very nice guys. I just saw, I think it was. No, I saw Dector not that long ago. Maybe a year ago. We had lunch together.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Wow.

[Jake Thomas]

We finally switched to T Mobile because with them we can be connected here and there. Dad, the cousins in Mexico have a.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Surprise for you.

[Jake Thomas]

And enjoy the gift of staying connected. Switch and start saving today. Get four Samsung Galaxy S25 phones with Galaxy AI on us and four lines for just 25 bucks per line plus non stop talk tanks and data between us and Mexico. Visit a store t mobile.com or call 1-800-t-mobile 1-800-t-MOBILE. See details@t mobile.com brought to you by.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Malibu My advice for those mommies to enjoy this summer make sure to have balance between enjoying yourself and enjoying yourself with your children. Make sure to create memories. Go to the park, go to the beach, go to the pool, do a barbecue. Any small moments that you spend with your family are creating those memories that will be unforgettable. But then at the same time, make sure to have some time for yourself to just enjoy a body scrub, to enjoy a nice drink somewhere under the sun. Just make sure this summer to have good balance. Malibu life's too sure to not do whatever tastes good. Sip easy. Enjoy Malibu responsibly. Copyright 2025 imported by Pernod Ricard USA.

[Jake Thomas]

New York, NY when your daughter's learning how to drive and says, but can I drive? You say equally, here we go. But what you should say is something that helps protect your ride. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. And that's where State Farm comes in to help you choose the coverage you need so you can relax until you.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Hear, can we pick up my boyfriend?

[Jake Thomas]

Wait, what? Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm, Bloomington, IL Tucson is a.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

City that stays with you. The food here isn't just a meal, it's a legacy. And whether it's the kick of a chiltepin, which is a very hot pepper for those of you who don't know, or enjoying a Sonoran hot dog after A night out on the town. Every dish has a story to tell. And beyond the culinary journey, each neighborhood offers a glimpse into a rich tapestry of cultures blending into the Sonoran Desert. Tucson isn't just a getaway. It's a journey into heritage and a community that feels like home. Learn more@Visit Tucson.org Viva.

[Jake Thomas]

All right, round up your Italian doppelgangers because it's time to get in to the Lizzie McGuire movie. We open up with some intense music, almost Mission Impossible esque. We see switches being flipped, lights flashing in a camcorder with a tape that reads, blackmail. A hand presses record. And we are officially into the Lizzie McGuire movie. That is not how I expected it to start. It's revealed to be the work of Lizzie's little brother, Matt. Now, keep in mind, I know nothing of these characters, so I am instantly like, ooh, what's going on? He's now hiding the camera in a remote control police car. He exclaims. Some say juvenile. I say genius. He drives the police car right to his sister's room, who's getting ready for a graduation. A frustrated Lizzie slams her door, thinking, at least now she's stolen his toy. But Matt's plan has actually come together. He will use this footage for eternity to hang over his sister's head. But also, he's just filming his sister in her bedroom, like, when she's getting dressed and all that kind of. It's just a major backfire. I mean, total invasion of privacy. I did not know this guy yet at all. And I was like, ew. So, yes, but this.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, but if you know the show, it's like. It's just another one of his just, like, things that he does.

[Jake Thomas]

Shenanigans. Yes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

He just sits and drives her crazy as she's going through all her, like, awkward stages after awkward stages. He's there to just make it that much worse. This is his character through and through.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, good. So then he's just a. Most of the time.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. Like, he. Yeah, he just kind of. He's just that, you know, he's that Disney little bride, annoying sibling who's younger and just makes your life hell.

[Jake Thomas]

Gotcha. Okay, fair enough. He's kind of like Shia's character a little bit in Even Steven.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Kinda. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, I. I don't know.

[Jake Thomas]

Gadgety and. And.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes, but he didn't. I don't feel like he. Maybe I'm thinking of it wrong, but with the brother sibling relationship, he just drove her crazy. Drove her crazy because she was so Studious and like, couldn't understand how he would like, live his life like this versus, like him actually trying to like, make her life hell. I don't remember it being as much as this kid. Jake's character was just like trying to make your life out the most annoying.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, got it. Love that. But still. We're now into the opening credits set to a Hilary Duff cover of the Tide Is High by the Paragons. Lizzie's getting ready, trying on a ton of different outfits. And this is our first glimpse at animated Lizzie. It's a little more brash, tiny version of her kind of able to do the things the real life Lizzie can't say, things that she can't, you know, that kind of stuff. But then Matt's remote control car continues to secretly film her. And his possible Oscar winning clip is her falling into her bathtub while dancing. She seems to fall a lot. I didn't know if that. Is that a thing on the show too? She's very clumsy. Okay, again, I didn't, I didn't know any of this stuff. We then cut to Lizzie's junior high graduation. Junior high. So that's when I was like, oh, it's got to kick it up because Hillary was what, 16 or 17 in the movie and she's supposed to be in the eighth grade. She's graduating. Eighth grade. She hasn't even started high school yet.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I felt like she didn't look. I felt like they. That she looked young.

[Jake Thomas]

You thought she looked 12.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That wouldn't be 12 years.

[Jake Thomas]

It would. I graduate. No, I was 13 when I became a freshman in high school. I was 12 years old when I finished the eighth grade.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, you weren't.

[Jake Thomas]

Yes, I was. I was. I turned 13 the summer before I went to high school.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, no, I went to high.

[Jake Thomas]

I went to. I went. I was born in 1976 and I graduated high school in 94, which means I started when I was. I started in 89 90. I just. August of, of 89 90. I turned 13. Yeah. So yeah, it just, it seemed a little. And a couple of the people on that trip were not. Did not look like eighth graders.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes. Then that's. I think what was hard too. And what makes me think when. Think about the 65 episodes type situation is the age that the kids are. They some mature so fast.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, no, it's true.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So fast. Right. So like that's hard if you're going to keep those characters in line trying to keep them aging at the same rate. It's like I get it.

[Jake Thomas]

It's tough. And she definitely played younger. But I was. It was like, oh, they're in the eighth grade. It was. Was a lot. It's not. It wasn't too bad, but it was.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Because this is what I will get into later. But we haven't done a movie that was supposed to be this young in a long time. Most of our movies, all the characters are now right in that sophomore year of high school. So it was a little bit of a switch to. To think about. And it's part of what made me go, oh, it makes sense to the bad side.

[Jake Thomas]

It makes sense. So a little bit, because back in the day, in the early 2000s, I think they were skewing young. The whole channel was skewing.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Their demo was like 10, 11, right?

[Jake Thomas]

Where now you go and watch prom PAC 12 year old school. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Totally. Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

So anyway, we now see Lizzie is in her cap and gown, joined by her family, mom, dad, and Matt, who's still with the camera. Her mom can't believe Lizzie's gr. Graduating and going to Rome for two weeks by yourself. And again, eighth grade, too young to be going to a different country by yourself for two weeks. It seemed. With one chaperone. That seemed like a little. A little weird.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I mean, it would make me really nervous to even send my kid at that age with like another. With her best friend's family. Like, you're across the sea. Hello, the ocean. Two weeks. Yeah, yeah. For two weeks. That would be so, so scary. So in a group with, like, they're in hotel rooms. How do you know they stay in those hotel rooms during the night? I was like, already going, oh, my gosh. Nope, Never. Sorry, Monroe, you'll be. You'll be not doing any of this.

[Jake Thomas]

You can watch the Lizzie McGuire show from the safety of your bedroom, but you ain't going to Rome. Yeah. Her dad is obviously very emotional and serious about this big day. Her cartoon appears. Also dressed in a cap and gown and annoyed that her dad will probably quote a dead guy. Then of course he does. He quotes Shakespeare. Real Lizzie finds her best guy friend Gordo and asks how her cap and gown looks. He suggests she talk to her best girlfriend, Miranda about the stuff. But Miranda's in Mexico City. Or there seemed to be something going on. Because you're the one who told me that she was a massive part of the series, right?

[Sabrina Bryan]

And then just she was and wasn't.

[Jake Thomas]

In the show, wasn't in the movie.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And it instantly made me. Cause again, this mov this show was out like, 20 years ago. So I was like, wait, what? I don't remember what. What happened, but something had to have gone down for her to not actually be in this last movie.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Something's up. Something's up.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

But anyway, then a very annoying girl, Kate, walks up and disses Lizzie because she also wore the same outfit, which is underneath her cap and gown, to the spring dance. Kate yells out, Lizzie McGuire, you are an outfit repeater. The entire school looks at her and what a this Kate is. Instantly, right off the bat, Lizzie reminds Gordo that Kate used to be her best friend, but Gordo says that was before she was popular. They are interrupted by a teacher, Mr. Escobar. Was he a regular on the show? Mr. Escobar? He seemed like he would have been.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. I don't remember him that much.

[Jake Thomas]

So who tells Lizzie that Margaret Chan either has Ebola or a very bad cold, so Lizzie will need to fill in for the class president speech. She's the school treasurer, so she can't get out of it. And I was like, wait a minute. That's not fair to her. I didn't prepare a speech. I mean, come on. She's terrified, obviously. And cartoon Lizzie suggests she run. But before you know it, the ceremony has begun and Lizzie's being called up to the mic. Even her parents are shocked as she struggles and shrieks at the podium with the speaker feedback. There's bright lights. There's everything. It's certainly not going well. And of course, her brother's filming it all with a big smile on his face. She eventually excuses herself for some water, and on her way out, she stumbles on some balloons and pulls down the entire auditorium backdrop, right under the graduates. Lizzie McGuire has ruined graduation and fallen yet again. We're four minutes in the movie. She's fallen again now at the airport with her family in Gordo, Lizzie knows she has to leave the country. Her mom tells her it wasn't that bad, but Lizzie says the footage was on Good Morning America. Matt grins, revealing he probably sent it to them. The Maguires are startled by a loud whistle and speeding airport cart. It's Ms. Ungermeyer, Lizzie's upcoming high school principal. She seems to be very stern, even mean. Gordo says if you stay on her good side, you'll end up at an Ivy League school, but if you're on her bad side, you'll end up working for the janitor. That mops up puke. Okay, so the high school principal appears to be there because they have to go together for a trip to Rome for incoming students including Lizzie and Gordo. But Ungermeyer says that most of their classmates instead chose to take a 36 hour bus ride to the water safari, which is a theme park. And it's all just kind of weird. I don't get it. So they're the new principal that they haven't met yet at the high school, they haven't started yet, is taking a select group of kids to Rome, but other kids are going to a water park. Yeah, I, I didn't get it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm just assuming this is like a summer trip that I mean, God, this, this would have to be like a, like a crazy private school to be doing like.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, but I just don't get like.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Why the two week Rome State like vacation type thing. But yeah, I mean I guess it would be like, you know, they have to have in order to go through the district. I know how it is when it's district related here in California. In order for me to take my girls to Florida, I have to have somebody who's a full time teacher staff member on the trip with us.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Only like part time. So it would, I mean for it to be the principal is kind of crazy, but like it could be.

[Jake Thomas]

But the principal at a school they're.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Not in yet, but they would still be going. Like we're ta. I'm taking my freshman girls that are on my team down to Palm Springs for our camp. So we're still going. Like they're still, they've made the team. So they're. And they're going and registering, but they're actually freshmen.

[Jake Thomas]

You're not taking 8th graders that haven't joined the school yet, are you?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, they're eighth graders.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, you are.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That are graduating this next coming couple weeks.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, so they're not, they're not freshmen becoming sophomores. They're the eighth graders. Okay. All right, well there you go. Proof of concept right there.

[Sabrina Bryan]

But you do have to have like a someone at the school. Like I'm like, you know, a walk on coach type thing versus like I have to have somebody who's like a full time staff faculty member of the district.

[Jake Thomas]

You just proved it. You just proved it. So there you go. Ungermeyer are going to be taking these kids to 31 Roman landmarks in two weeks and they're going to return with culture if it kills her. And Alex Bornstein is once again just so funny and great. She's awesome.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She's amazing.

[Jake Thomas]

Now boarding, Lizzy says goodbye to her family near the gate, and her mom embraces her for a little too long. On her way to board, she looks back one last time at her mom, and they're both crying. Lizzy runs back and gives her one final hug. It's a very nice little moment. Now, alone with Gordo, another classmate, Ethan grabs them sarcastically and is excited about going to a place where they invented spaghetti. Okay. Pizza was actually invented in Naples, though, near Rome. It's not Rome. I get it. And it's spaghetti. I think most pasta was invented in Asia, but it's not. It's funny. Lizzie's just happy that bully Kate and her pals won't be on the plane. They went to water safari instead, but nope, she was wrong. Perfectly timed. Kate appears, already making fun of Lizzie on her way to the aircraft. Now in the air, we get a flight montage of Lizzie and Gordo having fun, which it's like, even as they're talking, the Ungermeyer makes them be quiet. I'm like, they have to have a quiet plane ride to Rome. That's the worst. Lizzie ends up sleeping on Gordo's shoulder, and he seems very happy about it. It's very sweet. I've never watched the show, as, you know, so I should be rooting for them as a couple. Am I rooting for them as a couple? Is that what we want?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I don't think.

[Jake Thomas]

Has it been broached before? Is this kind of, like an ongoing thing or.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, just. I don't know. I feel like I always just liked them together because, again, they were both, like, really good friends to each. Like, they were good friends to each other and.

[Jake Thomas]

But was this just kind of thrown. Was the romantic aspect just thrown in for the movie and. Not at all in the television show. We did that on Kim. Possible, too.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Teased. Tiny bit.

[Jake Thomas]

Tease.

[Sabrina Bryan]

A tiny bit. But it wasn't a big storyline yet in my recollection of the show.

[Jake Thomas]

Gotcha. Okay, fair enough. Fair enough. The montage continues as the plane touches down in Rome, the class boards a bus, and now we hear the Italian song in An Evening in Roma by Dean Martin. We see the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and Lizzie laughing so much, it's really disturbing. We don't know what she's laughing over and over. It's like she has that weird Joaquin Phoenix joker disease where she's gotta hand out the card going like, I'm sorry, I have something, and I'm laughing like a creep because she. It was a little weird. They eventually arrive at their hotel. Ungermeyer warns them it won't be easy to pull anything on her, especially with the help of the hotel's general manager, a former commander in the Italian Navy, Giorgio. But this goofy pushover doesn't look like he spent one day in comment and one day in combat and won't be any help when it comes to discipline. He was actually very funny. Ungermeyer lifts off the room assignments. Gordo will be with Ethan, and Lizzy will be with. And then the cartoon Lizzie returns. Been a minute. She yells out that she will not, under any circumstances, be rooming with. And then we cut to the room, and yes, of course she's rooming with that Kate. Kate's already pushing Lizzie around, to the dismay of animated Lizzie. Gordo stops by and takes Lizzie to see an amazing view from the roof. It helps Lizzie realize she's not gonna let Kate Sanders get her down. She makes Gordo promise that they will find adventures together. The next day, the class is at the Trevi Fountain, and Ungermeyer says that people travel from all over the world to toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish. But she thinks those people are suckers. But Lizzie doesn't. She stays behind with Gordo and throws a coin in the water, creating a very dramatic effect that can only mean one thing in a the dream is gonna come true. And immediately after, an attractive Italian boy spots her in the crowd. He is shocked. Isabella. Animated Lizzie, who is rafting in the fountain stealing coins, says the wish was actually for smooth sailing in high school, but this'll work. Lizzie explains she's not Isabella, but he insists she looks just like a friend of his. Then a bodyguard pulls this mystery stud Paolo Valisari, away. It's time for a photo shoot. And instantly I was like, oh, he's bad. I knew it right away. I didn't trust this guy as far as I could throw him into Trevi Fountain. I swear to God, the second he came on screen and he had the bodyguard and everything, I was like, bad news. This guy is bad.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I was like, oh, this is cool.

[Jake Thomas]

No. To the point where at one point during the movie, I'm like, 20 minutes in, I literally texted producer Tara, and I'm like, this guy's bad. I don't trust this guy at all. Yeah, telling you didn't trust this guy even a little bit. Now, in the streets of Rome, Ungermeyer ushers her students into a cafe for gelato. But Paolo and his security guard Sergei are still trailing Lizzie. He can't give this up. She introduces herself as Lizzie McGuire. But Paolo still can't get over how much she looks like his pal Isabella. And neither can some of the nearby cafe patrons. They crowd Lizzie up for. They crowd Lizzie up for photos with Isabella and Paolo. And that's when she spots a billboard. It's for Paolo and Isabella, who are a singing duo. And Lizzie does indeed look a lot like Isabella because it's. It's Hilary Duff in a wig. And that's. I was like. That's when I was starting to going, wait a minute. Secret singer? Same girl? Is this pre or post Hannah Montana? I didn't know this was going. I also texted a producer to ask, is Hilary duff, is Lizzie McGuire a singer or someone who sings part of the Lizzie McGuire Show? Like, she was a singer. And apparently it had nothing to do with that. Which again, I didn't know.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I think just by this time, Hillary, on her own, I'm sure she was with Hollywood Records, was starting to put out music.

[Jake Thomas]

Right?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay, so she was already doing that. And so then now Disney locks in kind of for the first time with their talent. Oh, there's more to this than us. Just like keeping us as an. As an actress. Let's start pushing.

[Jake Thomas]

Let's use it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Her franchise. Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah. Okay, so. Well, that makes sense. I was like, did they just throw this in? But anyway, Paolo wants to see Lizzie again tomorrow. He's excited, and so is animated Lizzie. Gordo says he'll cover for her with Ungermeyer, but Lizzie tells Paolo she can't yet. She's with her school. Paolo is now late to his photo shoot, but he says if she changes her mind, he will be at Trevi fountain again at 9am tomorrow. He romantically speaks Italian to her, kisses her hand, and is caught in the act by paparazzi.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh.

[Jake Thomas]

That night at the hotel, Lizzie admits to Gordo that she digs Paolo and Isabella's pop music. Keep this in mind. This will come back. She shares her headphones with him to get a listen, and he comments on her sweet scent. He quickly gets embarrassed, and we for sure know thou that he likes. Lizzie says she's still contemplating meeting up with Paolo, but she never really sneaks away. It's not her thing. But Gordo reminds her she's looking for adventure here. But Lizzie meant with him. He says they'll go on their adventures, but the first one is hers. Then he slyly asks if she's feeling okay. Good friend. Hey, I've got a big crush on you, but I'm gonna be your wingman. That's the way it's gonna work. And he was a good guy. We cut to the morning. Lizzie is laying in bed with Miss Ungermeyer and an Italian doctor hovering over her. She doesn't have a fever, but the doctor asks, why would a beautiful young girl on her first trip to Rome want to lie in bed all day? She's obviously ill. Ungermeyer wonders if it has anything to do with embarrassing herself on graduation with the doctor admits he saw on cnn animated. Lizzie is shocked. Cnn. And then she's squashed quickly by a little TV set. The doctor recommends a day in bed and two apricots. Not for digestion or anything, just because they're in season. And just like that, Ungermeyer leaves her to be. And the two of them together were very funny. So scene they were. As soon as they're gone, Lizzie jumps up. She was fully clothed and ready to get to Trivia Fountain asap. And once she arrives, she finds Paolo in a security. And he's still such a dreamboat. Paolo, not the Bodyguard. Animated. Lizzie appears to be in love and melts into hearts. Paolo immediately takes her on his moped. He rented. It's a Vespa, but man, if you want to. So very quick side story, my friend and I went to Rome. I was shooting Boy Meets World at the time. It was in between season one and season two, and we went to Rome. And the first day, like, the second day we got there, we rented mopeds, we rented Vespas. It was a Sunday, and we cruised all around. It was the coolest thing in the world. Monday, we met these two girls from the United States, and we're like, oh, let's hang out and we'll get Vespas again. The four of us rented them, and then it was like riding through the streets of New York City at rush hour. So because it was Sunday, we were, like, zipping around. This is the best. On Monday, we're like. It was such a different experience, let me tell you. But anyway, he's from. He's in his. On his moped with her. They put on helmets and they take off, speeding through the beautiful city to another cover song, the Italian standard Volare, now sung by Vitamin C. Did I read that right? Vitamin C. A vitamin actually sung a.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Song that is her name.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, it's a her. Okay. Gotcha. Is Vitamin C still a singer?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm sure she is singing, but I.

[Jake Thomas]

Mean, is this somebody I should know? Is this somebody in the. In the.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She had one song that she had was like, graduation or Something Lisa just.

[Jake Thomas]

Said she had that graduation song. Yeah, she was in the original Hairspray movie. Okay, I apologize. I apologize, Ms. C. I did not know that. I'm just gonna call you that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She had bright orange hair with, like, big streaks in it, too.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, gotcha. Cool. Can learn something new every day. We see animated Lizzie holding onto the bike's bumper, taking pictures. And again, Lizzie is constantly laughing like an insane person. Something's wrong with her. Back home, Matt is surfing the web, researching Rome. He's joined by his friend Melina. He says he doesn't know what catastrophe Lizzie will find there, but she'll find one somehow. Melina insults Matt for having that graduation moment on film and just giving it out for free. He has nothing to show for it. She seems like a real piece of work, pretending to be a sweet little angel to Ms. McGuire, but also reminding Matt you should always take cash up front when blackmailing. And she seemed like she's going to be a serial killer. She was funny, but, I mean, my God, they. They really.

[Sabrina Bryan]

What a bully. Holy shit.

[Jake Thomas]

You said that's part of the show, right? She's in the show as well.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She. They were, like, in it together. She had so many of the, like, you know, helping him out, figuring out how to do these certain things. But she went. I would say this take on her character was a step up from what I remember in the show. I was like, whoa, this girl is aggressive. Massive with a capital A. Damn.

[Jake Thomas]

And this is the. This is the style of the show, too, right? Meaning it's not. It's not multi cam. It's not in front of an audience like Hannah Montana. This is. It's single cam, like this. Gotcha. Which makes sense because of the animation and all that good kind of stuff, right? I didn't know if they put that in after in front of a live studio audience, but no. Okay. Gotcha.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Growing up, family traditions meant everything. Favorite Mexican meals, holiday parties, even choreographed dances in the living room. Those little moments shape who you are. Hi, I'm Sabrina Bryan, co host of the Magical Rewind podcast, where reliving favorite moments is what it's all about. Today, my family may be in different cities, sometimes different countries, but staying connected to the people I love is still my top priority. And with T Mobile, that connection is easy. Being a T Mobile member and being on T Mobile's experience plans gives you unlimited calls, texts, and data between the U.S. u.S. And Mexico. So distance doesn't have to mean disconnected. And the best part, T Mobile guarantees your rate for five years. That means no sudden price hikes. Just one less thing to worry about. Join T Mobile and stay close to what matters most. Visit t mobile.com benefits, call 1-800-T-MOBILE or stop by a store to learn more. Exclusions like taxes and fees apply. Guarantee applies to monthly price of an on network text and 5G data for accounts activating on an experience plan, not for extended international use. You must reside in the US and primary usage must occur on our network. And check out new episodes of your favorite Michael Tura show wherever you listen.

[Will Friedle]

To podcasts brought to you by Malibu hi everyone, It's Cheekies from the Cheekies and Chill Podcast. This year I'm putting myself first, and that means finding a good work life balance. Don't get me wrong, when I'm on the clock, I'm hustling, I'm focused and I'm working really hard. But when I'm off the clock, I'm off the clock. Because making time for my friends, family and myself is important to me. Whether I'm cooking dinner for my husband Emilio, spending quality time with my nieces and nephews, catching up with my besties over pina coladas, or I'm having a self care day, it's all about balance. So if you're feeling tired or burnt out, it's time to start thinking about putting yourself first because you deserve it. Clock off with Malibu because life's too short not to do whatever tastes good. Sip easy. Enjoy Malibu responsibly. Copyright 2025, imported by Pernod Ricard, New.

[Jake Thomas]

York, NY when your daughter's learning how to drive and says, can I drive? You say equally, here we go. But what you should say is something that helps protect your ride. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. And that's where State Farm comes in to help you choose the coverage you need so you can relax until you.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Hear can we pick up my boyfriend?

[Jake Thomas]

Wait, what? Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there State Farm, Bloomington, IL Tucson is.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

A city that stays with you. The food here isn't just a meal, it's a legacy. And whether it's the kick of a chiltepin, which is a very hot pepper. For those of you who don't know or enjoying a Sonoran hot dog after a night out on the town, every dish has a story to tell. And beyond the culinary journey, each neighborhood offers a glimpse into a rich tapestry of cultures blending into the Sonoran Desert. Tucson isn't just a getaway, it's a journey into heritage and a community that feels like home. Learn [e-mail].

[Jake Thomas]

Back in Rome now, Paulo and Lizzie hit a dead end on their moped. They're blocked. It's technically a Vespa, which sounds cooler. They're blocked by cars. So security. Sergey finally catches up in his car. Lizzie thinks Sergey's just a friend, but Paolo explains it's his security guard, which seemed obvious to everybody but everyone else. And then everybody else got it. Maybe there are a few things wrong with this film. And then, while stuck in the street, she spots her school Tour bus and Ms. Ungermeyer. A few cars back, she tells Paula to speed off. And Gordo, from inside the bus, also sees the predicament. He quickly asks the principal some questions about their itinerary to divert her attention. But she knows he's up to something. But he's still able to distract her long enough for the traffic jam to clear up and save Lizzie. This guy is just the best friend ever.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know. I, like, fell in love with him during the night.

[Jake Thomas]

How could you not? He was awesome. He was awesome. We are now in a safer situation. Lizzie and Paolo walk through a street market. Lizzie wants to know if he still loves Isabella. Wait, what did I miss? The storyline here. He was dating a singing singing partner. We weren't told that. Right. How would Lizzie know? So just all of a sudden it was like, wait, are you still with. It seemed like we skipped a scene. I didn't get what was going on. Also, why is he getting mobbed everywhere he goes right away, but then can stand at the trivia fountain with the girl who looks exactly like her with no problems whatsoever?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Inconsistent. He was being, like, famous and then not famous. Yeah, Fame. Yeah, it's true. And then also, I feel like, to me, it was weird that, like, it was hard for me at this point, and I don't know if I had watched it, like, a while ago, but, like, there aren't very many singing duos that are like, a man and like. Or a girl and a guy. Right.

[Jake Thomas]

So Sonny and Cherry.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. In the 70s.

[Jake Thomas]

Basically the only one I can think of. Captain and Tenille.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay.

[Jake Thomas]

Also the 70s.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. Like. Like, this was. It was a weird thing to. To put, like, to me, I just feel like it was. Should have been like, they were a couple that also did a few songs together. Not necessarily like a singing duo.

[Jake Thomas]

So he says, yes, he still loves his singing partner, but as a sister, which is why he wants to hook up with her twin. He didn't say that, but I just did because that's exactly what he's talking about. Paolo says it's complicated, which is exactly what Dorinda was saying when she was in Europe. So maybe just Europe is just complicated.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jake Thomas]

He says they're the biggest pop duo in the country, but he wants to make more serious music. When he told this to Isabella, she said no and ran off. And I was like, no, no, no, no, no. That's not what happened at all. Liar. Liar. Whatever the Italian word for liar is. And when he saw Lizzie, he had a crazy idea. What if at the upcoming International Music Video Awards, where they're supposed to present an award as a duo, Lizzie steps in. Going solo isn't a huge problem for Paolo. He writes the music, and Isabella actually lip syncs. If they don't make it to the award show, he could be sued. Lizzie's shocked by the idea and can't imagine presenting in front of an audience. She's not good in front of crowds. Paolo tells her she's magnifico. And then animated Lizzie emerges from a pile of spaghetti. She doesn't know Italian, but she knows what that means. Eventually, human Lizzie agrees. If it'll help Paolo and Isabella, she can do it. And this is where I was like, huh?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

What? What? I don't understand.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm starting to, like, get disinterested now.

[Jake Thomas]

Cause I. I didn't. I didn't get it. Like, wait, he. He finds her doppelganger randomly on the street.

[Sabrina Bryan]

What good is it gonna do? I guess he's not gonna get sued, but, like, what good is it gonna do for him for her to be there and not him just take it on himself?

[Jake Thomas]

I just didn't understand the story. Like, no, I need you to fill in and lip sync for her anyway, because you look just like her. Would she not? Okay. I'm glad I wasn't the only one confused. And you watched the show. I mean, you knew these characters and all this stuff, so. No, but what I'm saying is, even having even going in, you still were confused by all this stuff.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Exactly. So watching the movie now, 20 years later, right now, watching this movie, knowing what I did about the show when I watched the show, we have introduced music, which I get because I remember where she was in her career, but music had nothing to do with Lizzie McGuire. So that's what, like, to what you were talking about just a few minutes ago. So, like, all this stuff was just kind of like, now for me, I was like. Like, oh, that's like, feeling forced to.

[Jake Thomas]

Make decisions I agree. Yes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I was just like, no. Oh, no, no.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay. I agree with you 100%. I'm glad. I'm glad. I'm not.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It just felt. It felt like again, I absolutely remember where Hillary Duff was in her career and I feel like it was a part of like, I don't want. It could be. Maybe she wouldn't have wanted to do the movie if she wasn't going to get a chance to do what she was moving on to do with her, her next steps in her career, which was take on this solo act in the music industry. Absolutely. So maybe that was part of it, but it definitely. Taking a step back and not being in that world started to feel very forced.

[Jake Thomas]

No, I agree with you 100%.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I felt sad because I was like, oh, I know. Mikayla's probably a giant fan of this movie.

[Jake Thomas]

I know. I think it's. Well, she's probably just letting certain things go.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I hate letting them down.

[Jake Thomas]

I know. Well, it's the film that let them down. In all fairness. Lizzie sneaks back into her hotel and runs directly into Gordo to tell him about her new adventure. He can't believe she's gonna do this, but she seems so smitten with Paulo, who is 17 and successful and so kind. All right, but Gordo. So she's gonna give an award at an But Gordo's concern. She rightfully so. She's only known him for a day fair. She insists it feels like she's known him her whole life or even a week. She thanks Gordo for covering for her friends and friend zones him hardcore right in front of his roommate Ethan. Ethan feels bad for him. He can tell he likes his best friend and is feeling the effects of the sting, AKA jealousy. Gordo denies liking Lizzie as more than a friend, but nobody's buying it. Back at home, Matt sees a very 2000s Yahoo. Musica Online story about Paolo with Isabella at the gelato store. But Matt immediately notices his girl looks exactly like his sister. Cause it's his sister. And that devilish Molina has returned. She confirms his hunch by translating the article. Matt wants to show his mom and bust Lizzie. But Melina has a plan. She thinks they should go to the Italian tabloids with all of Matt's blackmail tapes and sell them for cash. Cause if anybody is gonna know how to get in touch with Italian tabloids, it's these two kids in suburban America.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I'm telling you, this girl's like a full blown gangster. Now, I.

[Jake Thomas]

It's not gay. I think it's more than that. I think at this point, she's building a device to steal the sun. I think it's bigger than that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

A bit of a psychopath. Let's think about it.

[Jake Thomas]

Exactly. Between her and Lizzie's constant giggling, we've got some interesting psychotics in this movie. Back in her hotel room, Lindsay is once again faking sick with Ms. Ungermeyer. The principal has brought her a book, the Rise and Decline of the Roman Empire. I actually have it on that shelf right back there. Or a version of it. It's a great book. And they can. Since Lizzie can't join them on the tour today. Animated, Lizzie is again squashed, this time by the book. But soon after, Lizzie is back on that same Vespa with Paolo and again laughing for absolutely no reason. She is a possible serial killer. We get another sightseeing montage now to the song why not by Hilary Duff. And eventually landing in an expensive shopping district. Lizzie needs a dress for the awards. She's thrown in with the store stylists, who are surprised by Isabella's blonde hair. And Lizzy blames the sun in a perfect American accent. Why is nobody pointing this out? She doesn't even try to fake having an Italian accent in any way, shape or form because.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Well, we know why later, right?

[Jake Thomas]

But you're telling me Isabella sounds like Lizzie McGuire from the United States? And nobody mentions this even. Even when he says she's going to speak in the English. Okay, but you don't then turn around. Like, I don't really like this dress. I mean, it's like, oh, my God.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. No, it would still be English with an Italian accent.

[Jake Thomas]

Of course, there's no ace.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Clearly, that wasn't an option for them to actually do. Otherwise they would have done it, I imagine.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, they tried it later. Anyway, meanwhile, Ungermeyer and the class are at the Forum when Gordo sees a tabloid about Isabella's new hair color. He knows this is Lizzie and trades some girls the magazine for an introduction to. To Ethan. Now, this is when I noticed that Gordo looks an awful lot like Luca from the Pixar movie Luca. Did you notice this? He does.

[Sabrina Bryan]

But what about this scene made you think of Luca?

[Jake Thomas]

I don't know. It just. He looks like Luca. He's a cute kid. He's the nicest kid in the world. And I was just like, wow. Yeah. Anyway.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, but it's true. It is very true.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

We are back at the store. Paolo introduces Lizzie to Franka di Moncantini. I think I Got that absolutely wrong. An eccentric fashion designer. She's very famous. He covers for Lizzie by saying their new single is in English. So for practice, Isabella will only speak it, but it doesn't explain the accent in any way, shape, or form. Franka hates the blonde hair, saying she looks like a schoolgirl and feels something very different with her different person. Franka tells her team to give, quote, unquote, Isabella a makeover. And we get another montage. Love a good montage. This time to Taylor Dane's cover of RuPaul's Supermodel, you better work.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know.

[Jake Thomas]

Because they use it all the time.

[Sabrina Bryan]

You cannot do that song and not use the original.

[Jake Thomas]

It's also used all the time, though. It's kind of cliche. But it wasn't back in the day. Maybe this was. I'll give that a pass because 2003, it wasn't cliche. Maybe a little. We see Lizzie trying on different ridiculous high fashion outfits, trying to walk, and once again falling over. This girl falls an awful lot. Somebody might want to give her a CAT scan. It could be something with an inner ear imbalance, but she falls a lot. Even animated Lizzie things thinks everything is tacky. Lizzie tells Paula that she's going to go on stage as Isabella, but she'll have to be wearing something comfortable to feel confident, which is something that she never feels. Paolo encourages Lizzie to tell Franka what Isabella is wearing. So Lizzie finally gets the courage to tell the fashion icon that she's not a Barbie doll. She's Isabella Parigi and she dresses herself. She demands to see some options and lets Franka pick between her two favorites. And maybe in the movies. Worst moment ever. Lizzie mentions the dress is the same color as the one she wore to the spring formal. This obviously confuses everyone, since Isabella didn't go to spring formal. Lizzie instinctually reacts by saying, look at all of you. You think that I'm American. I'm just. How you say it? Awesome. I'm gonna. I'm gonna take a break from decoms.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And podcasting for a little bit. I'm not kidding, Will. This is. When I did take a break after this. This, like, fashion part, I was like, I get it.

[Jake Thomas]

I'm sorry.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't. Okay. I just need to. I just need to, like, reset. Go to the restroom.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, it was. It was. I didn't. Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

Very strange. But now, filled with adrenaline, Lizzie does a cartwheel outside and is thrilled to be as confident as Isabella. She signs autographs for fans. She once started to write Lizzie on a honk's bicep, only to catch herself and change it to Isabella. But mid adulation, Lizzie notices the school bus again. And at the same moment, Gordo sees Lizzie and blocks Kate's view. Lizzie barely escapes. Once again, thanks to her little friend Zone admirer, she owes him yet another one and he's by far my favorite part of the movie. Sergey rushes Paolo and Lizzie back to a hotel, distracting the clerk with an umbrella and getting her back to her room just before Ms. Ungermeyer and the class arrive again. And Ms. Ungermeyer, I take that back. Ms. Ungermeyer is my favorite part of the movie. The two of them together were great. Sergey and the principal even have a tense and somewhat sexy standoff off. Was she just in the movie Alex Borenstein, or is she in the show too? She's just in the movie, right? Yeah, yeah, that's what I figured. That's what I figured. Lizzie jumps back into bed, heats up her forehead with a hair dryer and continues the shenanigans. Great word with Ungermeyer, who asks Kate to watch over her to help. But Kate knows she's been out of the hotel room. Her hair is done, her eyebrows match, and she has a fresh manicure. Lizzie wonders why she isn't riding her out, but Kate says she wants to know what's in it for her. Lots of blackmail in this movie, kids. Lots of blackmail. Although animated, Lizzie is tight lipped. Real Lizzie sings like a canary. She tells her everything about Paolo and Kate is jealous. She thinks this is the story she should be living. Lizzie asks her to keep quiet about it and Kate says sure, as long as when they get back to school, she's the cool one. Again, I, I don't know this character at all. I don't know anything about it. But it seemed wildly out of character to buckle as fast as she did and for no reason at all. She just all of a sudden, now I got your back.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And it was like she wasn't getting anything out of it. No, you have to remember, the person who I would assume would have normally been in this position would have been Miranda, the character that was her absolute best friend in the show. So they had to somehow make this work with this other character that was also the one that made her life hell at school. So I don't know if they would have had both of them in and it would have been.

[Jake Thomas]

No, you're right. It probably would have been the other friend who's covering for her the whole time. And then her and Gordo figured figuring out the best ways to cover for Lizzy and they had to kind of.

[Sabrina Bryan]

They might have been there, you know, as another feeling them at some point.

[Jake Thomas]

Exactly like she would have been. Miss. Miss Ungermeyer would have loved Kate.

[Sabrina Bryan]

There was a huge hole for them to figure out how they were going to do stuff. So that was also kind of a disappointing factor for me.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Growing up, family traditions meant everything. Favorite Mexican meals, holiday parties, even choreographed dances in the living room. Those little moments shape who you are. Hi, I'm Sabrina Bryan, co host of the Magical Rewind podcast, where reliving favorite moments is what it's all about. Today, my family may be in different cities, sometimes different countries, but staying connected to the people I love is still my top priority. And with T Mobile, that connection is easy. Being a T Mobile member and being on T Mobile's experience plans gives you unlimited calls, text and data between the user, US and Mexico. So distance doesn't have to mean disconnected. And the best part? T Mobile guarantees your rate for five years. That means no sudden price hikes. Just one less thing to worry about. Join T Mobile and stay close to what matters most. Visit t mobile.com benefits call 1-800-T-MOBILE or stop by a store to learn more. Exclusions like taxes and fees apply. Guarantee applies to monthly price of an on network tax and 5G data for accounts activating on an experience plan, not for extended international use. You must reside in the US and primary usage must occur on our network. And check out new episodes of your favorite Michael Tura show wherever you listen to podcasts brought to you by Malibu. My advice for those mommies to enjoy this summer? Make sure to have balance between enjoying yourself and enjoying yourself with your children. Make sure to create memories. Go to the park, go to the beach, go to the pool, do a barbecue. Any small moments that you spend with your family are creating those memories that will be unforgettable. But then at the same time, make sure to have some time for yourself. To just enjoy a body scrub, to enjoy a nice drink somewhere under the sun. Just make sure this summer to have good balance. Life's too sure to not do whatever tastes good. Sip easy. Enjoy Malibu responsibly. Copyright 2025 imported by Pernod Ricard USA.

[Jake Thomas]

NEW YORK, N.Y. when your daughter's learning how to drive and says but, but can I drive? You say hijole. Here we go. But what you should say is something that helps protect your ride like a good neighbor. State Farm is there and that's where State Farm comes in to help you choose the coverage you need so you can relax until you hear.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Can we pick up my boyfriend? Wait.

[Jake Thomas]

What? Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm, Bloomington, Illinois.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

Tucson is a city that stays with you. The food here isn't just a meal. It's a legacy. And whether it's the kick of a chiltepin, which is a very hot pepper for those of you who don't know, or enjoying a Sonoran hot dog after a night out on the town, every every dish has a story to tell. And beyond the culinary journey, each neighborhood offers a glimpse into a rich tapestry of cultures blending into the Sonoran desert. Tucson isn't just a getaway. It's a journey into heritage and a community that feels like home. Learn [e-mail] Viva.

[Jake Thomas]

Then, when Gordo enters, Kate quickly lets him know she's fully clued into the Palo stuff. Gordon's impressed and shows Lizzie the tabloid he's finally found. Gordo reveals it says Paolo and Isabelle are supposed to sing at the award show. Gordo thinks it's odd that he hid this very important detail. But Lizzie isn't even paying attention. Her and Kate are still fawning over the magazine and doesn't think it's a big deal anyway. Gordo stands by his opinion. Something is up with Paolo. Yeah, and right on time. Paolo arrives outside in this little red go kart to pick up Lizzie, and Kate promises she'll cover for her with Ungermeyer. So now they're friends, apparently. Back at the Maguire household, Matt announces to his parents that he's found something shocking on the Internet. It's not the tabloid, though. It's a survey about how teenage Italian boys want to date American girls. His parents are confident Ms. Ungerire is doing a great job watching over her. And so Matt pretends defeat and concedes he just misses his sister. His mom is touched, even tearing up. As they embrace, Matt lays it on thick. And Mr. McGuire knows where this is going. He's getting the passport. Matt's plan appears to have worked. What's the plan like? He just wants them to go to Italy. I don't. I don't. I don't get it. I don't get it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

First of all, to be able to just drop everything, grab your passports, and, like, book a trip to Europe, that's three tickets. How these. This family is shown with having that kind of money in the show. So that's also. That's. Again, we're bringing in new aspects of, like, dad's gotten a new job. We've got money to fill the world. So we're gonna go to this trip. But again with what? For what? What are they doing? They're going to grab her and bring her home.

[Jake Thomas]

No, I think it's just to look at her. I don't get it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And again, this is. You have to keep in mind, this is before camera phones, where you can face time. Right. It's before that situation. So, you know, you're talking about emailing and texting at some point, but why wouldn't they even call? Why wouldn't they start with a call and then go, oh, my God, she's sick.

[Jake Thomas]

She's sick.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay, we're on our way.

[Jake Thomas]

Is it him? Is he trying to get there so that he can sell the stuff to the Italian tabloid?

[Sabrina Bryan]

He's trying to expose what she's doing, that she is not this Isabella person. That's.

[Jake Thomas]

And he couldn't do that with a phone call. He needs to have the entire family go to Italy.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. It also was obviously in the script just to get these other main characters that were huge parts of the show. And, like, what we found out with from Jake is he was the b. The B story. He was a bigger part of it than just being, like the little sidekick, you know?

[Jake Thomas]

I know.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's just little brother.

[Jake Thomas]

So weird.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. But this was like. So they're just going.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, they're just going. And I don't get it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

We're now back at the hotel. Lizzie is still trying to sneak past the clerk, eventually tiptoeing her way outside with some very close calls. And, hey, she made it without falling. And once in Paolo's go kart, which is essentially what it is, Lizzie wants to know once and for all, are they supposed to sing at the award shows? Paolo admits it's true and tells her all about it. At the Tivoli Gardens, Gordo sees them pull off, still suspicious as hell, obviously. Now at the Gardens, Paolo explains when Isabella dropped out of the duo, he told told everyone it was because she was having voice problems. Once the media heard Lizzie talking at the gelato shop, they reported Isabella's voice was fine, but apparently not that she was also American.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Right.

[Jake Thomas]

So now they're stuck singing or the record label will sue him. Right. When things get a little heated, Paolo changes the subject by holding her hand and running near waterfalls. He swears he'll teach Lizzie everything she needs to know and Isabella will never see because she's off on some island. He says he'll Protect Lizzie. If she ends up embarrassed, he will have to live for a week with Ms. Ungermeyer. He asks for her trust. He knows that they can sing together. This is when I texted one of the producers and I said, does she sing? Does Lizzie McGuire sing? Is this part of the thing? And they said, no. So just now she's a singer again. It's just, I get the synergy, but it does feel very forced. Now running back to the streets, they see fireworks. And I again knew right off the bat, I'm now along for the ride just to see what the hell is going on. But I knew this is. This guy was bad the second he opened his mouth. Did you think he was bad at this point, Sabrina? Did you figured it out or did you think it was still Isabella? That was crazy.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, I was going like, isabella, die. I don't know. It did. I did not.

[Jake Thomas]

Nobody knows.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I did not know what. I was so confused and just. I'm at this point not buying anything that's being thrown at me at this point. Like, I've just kind of checked out.

[Jake Thomas]

Confusing.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I agree.

[Jake Thomas]

I've checked out.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I. I kind of like.

[Jake Thomas]

And you're. I'm so glad. Okay. I hate to say this, but I'm so glad you checked out as well and you were legitimately a fan of Lizzie McGuire.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes.

[Jake Thomas]

So it's not just me being the, the old. Watching the movie going like, this doesn't make any sense. You, you were a fan of Lizzie McGuire, knew all the characters, and you checked out as well, where it was like, what the hell is happening? Okay, good.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I feel less keep in mind too, like, I was a fan of the show and never really watched this movie. Like, at this point, I'm going, I. There's just no way I could have watched this movie and not.

[Jake Thomas]

You would have known.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, Yeah, I would have kind of known. So I'm like, it was hard to then try to like, get back into my idea of watching, you know, I went and watched a couple episodes before I watched the movie. Just okay? Yeah, a little. And it was just like this. Just. It's just so far fetched from what the show was. In all honesty, the characters are the same. You know, Lizzie's the same, Kate's the same. The like, you know, Gordo, airhead, hot guy is the same. Ethan. Gordo's the same. We're missing Miranda. I was not able to get over that. Like, I was just kind of like, oh, man, this is not what was I. I was wanting to.

[Jake Thomas]

I'm Glad it wasn't just me.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So excited.

[Jake Thomas]

I'm glad it wasn't just me. Meanwhile. No, sorry. Our producers love it. Meanwhile, Gordo is still on the balcony, looking sad and angry. Was he there all day and night? Was he there all day and night?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I guess he was just keeping a lookout for whenever his dream girl came back to.

[Jake Thomas]

All right. And now the McGuires are on a plane to Rome. For some reason, Matt opens his blackmail briefcase while sitting next to his dad. You had one job, Matt. You had one job. Anyway, he sees the Internet story about her and Paolo, and now they need to know everything. And like his sister earlier, he sings like a canary. Back at the hotel, Ungermeyer is leaving with her class for the day just as Lizzie is sneaking out in a food cart. But Ungermeyer remembers she wanted to bring some apricots up to Lizzie's room since she's still sick. She starts to make her way upstairs, but Gordo comes through once again. He cuts her off. He wants some spaghetti. But she catches on quickly. Why is he trying to stop her from going to the Maguire's room? Maybe she was never sick to begin with. She just did this to sneak out of the hotel. Now, a very cool thing about Ms. Ungermeyer is she's unlike any teacher or parent in decoms from the past. She's not a total idiot. She actually figures everything out very quickly. But Gordo, still thinking at his toes. He blames himself. He's the one who's been sneaking out. As a result, Ungermeyer sends him home. Kate saw it all go down, knowing Gordo just fell on his sword for Lizzie and looks pretty upset about it. Again, nice guy. She's off with Paolo, the Vespa rider, who's clearly bad, where the good Gordo is just waiting at home, covering her. Covering her, apparently singing.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And he was so excited about this trip, too. Like, so excited. And he's just going home now.

[Jake Thomas]

And he's going home for her. And now Paolo and Lizzie arrive at a massive, stunning rehearsal hall. We find out they'll be singing at the college Coliseum. So he thinks this will make for good practice. And again. Okay. I can't.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She's.

[Jake Thomas]

Isabella's not supposed to see that they're singing, that somebody who looks just like her is singing at the Coliseum because she's on an island.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay. They take the stage, and Paolo starts singing and instructs Lizzie to lip sync. Animated Lizzie refuses, but real Lizzie gets into it, mimicking the words in real life sung by Hillary's Sister Haley. Okay, okay. So she knows the words to this because she listened to their album. Right? That's what we're supposed to gain.

[Sabrina Bryan]

They did cover that.

[Jake Thomas]

They covered that. She. I thought the same thing. Okay. She knows the song because she was listening to their album. Gotcha. Okay, fair enough. Pal doesn't like what he sees, though, so he tells Lizzy to audibly sing along. It looks better. And her mic will be off. They start again, belting out a ballot called this is what dreams are made of. They transition into an upbeat track to dance. We see highlights of him teaching her the moves. And Sabrina as our resident dance expert. What'd you think?

[Sabrina Bryan]

It was awful.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Awful. It was hard to watch. And this was my second after this, I had to take another break. This movie took me three days to watch. Well, three freaking days to watch because it was like, oh. And you know, it's like not. It just. I. It's like I just don't. I. I don't like. I. Okay. Because I do know how to dance and I do teach dance and coach dance and I've been lucky enough to be on Dancing with the Stars, but I don't ever like to feel like I'm like this, like, expert of. I just know all is all. But there is sometimes, when you see bad dancing, you sometimes have to just call it for what it is.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Again, to our producers who love this movie. I am sorry, but this dancing was awful. It really was.

[Jake Thomas]

One of the producers just wrote in the chat, I am shook, honestly. You know, there's an old saying in acting, which I don't know. How can you not.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, this is one of. This is. No, this is. No.

[Jake Thomas]

Well, there's an old saying in acting that you should apply to dance then, which is it doesn't take a great actor to recognize a bad one. Okay, so maybe it's the same thing in dancing. Maybe it does. Which you are a great dancer. But to make yourself feel better, you can say it doesn't take a great dancer to recognize a bad one. I know nothing of dance and I noticed it was bad, but to be.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Honest, it seriously wasn't even like that. They were just like bad dancing. It was like the choreography they were doing. She was in the weirdest. The shoes, the dress. Like it was weird that she was in that. Everything looked weird about it. And it was not shot. Like it wasn't compared to. Think about what we have seen, Will, and the way these other movies with dance type things kind of the same exact. That we've Already seen how it's shot differently than what this was. This was just all around missing the mark on, like, several levels. Several levels.

[Jake Thomas]

By the way, producer Mikaela's still trying to justify saying, I mean, Hillary isn't a dancer and neither is Lizzie, so now it's realistic. Isn't that what she wanted? She is going down with this show.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, I don't want her to dance at all if that's not. If it's not gonna be done right and they're not gonna do it right. Just stand there.

[Jake Thomas]

I gotcha. After practice, which apparently she needs a lot of, Lizzie returns to the hotel and wants to tell Gordo all about her night. But Kate tells her he got sent home for covering for her. Kate also clues Lizzie in on the most obvious part. He likes her. Duh. Lizzie and Kate run down to Giorgio, the hotel clerk, and beg him to call the airport. He's told the plane has already left, which makes Lizzie run to the corner and cry. But we see that Gordo is just boarding the plane, and guess who he sees arriving in Rome at the same time? The real Isabella. What are the chances? He jumps out of line to approach her. And this is where we get to hear Hillary's Italian accent. I'm not gonna bash another actor. I can't. But this is where we're gonna see it. Oh, and apparently this is where Evangeline Lily appears, we think, holding Gordo. Okay, okay, that makes sense. Especially now, because, again, not to jump ahead, but our friend Jake Thomas told us that they shot a lot of this in Vancouver, so that makes sense. Cause Evangeline Lily is from King Canada, so that makes sense that that's where it would be.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Got it.

[Jake Thomas]

So, yeah, we get to hear Hillary's Italian accent. And I will just say this. Not everyone. I can't sing. I can't dance. Not everyone can do dialects. It is a very difficult part. It takes a lot of practice.

[Sabrina Bryan]

They try to make me do it, and I'm like, no, I am not trained to do that.

[Jake Thomas]

Exactly. A lot of people can't do dialects, and I'm just going to leave it at that. Isabella is freaking out now, seeing the tabloid. Gordo rushes up to her and says he can explain. Isabella wants to know everything about Lizzy, and Gordo wants to know everything about Paulo. So they decide to talk in private because this big international pop star showing up at the airport and just hanging out with Gordo all makes sense.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I will say, though, I loved Hillary Duff, and Gordo's. Sorry, I don't know his. His. The actor's name. But I loved the scenes that they were in. Like, you could tell that those.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, they're real chemistry.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Their real chemistry. And that they had a great relationship on camera. Like, they. I loved. So even seeing her as Isabella having a scene with Gordo, I did love, like, their energy, the vibe between each other. Like, they were so, like, her grabbing him. Like, you could just tell they were, like, really good friends that were.

[Jake Thomas]

And the girl they got to play Isabella really does look a lot like Hilary Dutch.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She really does look.

[Jake Thomas]

Which is incredible. Which is really incredible.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Just really. The dark hair is really the only thing that sets it up.

[Jake Thomas]

But we know in the world of Disney, change the color of your hair, you change your entire look.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yep.

[Jake Thomas]

We're back at the hotel now. Lizzie is pouting about how selfish she's been and how she's ruined Gordo's trip. She wants to turn herself into Ms. Ungermeyer, but Kate stops her. That'll get her sent home. Then everything Gordo did will be for nothing, even animated. Lizzie agrees. That night, Ms. Ungermeyer is checking on all the students and is tricked by seeing pillows in Lizzie's bed. It's the oldest trick in the book, but the whole Maguire family's downstairs barking at Giorgio, unsuccessfully trying to find their daughter. But like I said, since she's Never really fooled, Ms. Ungermeyer arrives to help. She explains that Lizzie has been sick and takes him up to her room. But when her mom tries to wake her, they realize it's just pillows. This is a problem. Ms. Ungermeyer goes straight to Ethan. Does he know where she is? And again, repeating a real theme of this movie, he sings like a canary, mentioning the award shows and filling in for Isabella. Everybody apparently knows about this. Now on the red carpet, the press and the fans are going nuts for Paolo and Lizzie or Isabella. We hear another cover, this time of Superstar by the Carpenters, sung by Haley Duff. Lizzie trips on the red carpet, causing a quick gas. But she quickly gets up again. Serious balance problems. This girl has gets up. The audience roars again.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That they. They did.

[Jake Thomas]

I got it. But she falls. This girl falls and laughs an awful lot for somebody not to check to see if anything's wrong with her. We are now backstage at the Coliseum. Lizzy is freaking out, but Paulo assures her she can do it. He says she shines like a light from the sun. Paolo is taken away by producers, leaving Lizzy alone until Gordo, grabbed grabs her. He comes to tell her what he's Found out Paolo is setting her up. Wait, he's been bad the whole time?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Whaaaat?

[Jake Thomas]

Who called that? Me, the second I saw him. Then the real Isabella arrives and says it's actually her he is setting up. And then, in a moment of cinematic history, we get our two Hilary Duffs looking at each other in one shot. I was wondering if and when that was gonna happen. And we get it looked okay. Gordo explains that Isabella is the one who really sings and writes the music. Paolo is the lip syncer. Which Isabella confirms in just the worst accent ever. It almost sounds Jamaican.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Jamaican.

[Jake Thomas]

I knew a little bit. It's a stra. Again, not everyone can do dialects, but this is a strange pick.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, and just forced. It's just another thing that was just felt like.

[Jake Thomas]

Yes, agreed, agreed. The award show performance turns out, is a setup. So Lizzie will. Will fail, and it'll make Isabella looks like she can't sing, thus destroying her career. Very convoluted. Lizzie doesn't believe it. Paula would never do that to her. But Isabella reveals a quote. You shine like the light from the sun. This proves he's a con man, using the same lines on everyone. Lizzie is hurt and takes one last look at Paulo, holding back tears. What was your go to pickup line, Sabrina? What was the one you would say to guys? What's your. You shine like the light from the sun. Go watch your pickup line. Line.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Why would you think I would have.

[Jake Thomas]

Come on. You gotta have one. You don't have a pickup line? Come on.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, girls don't have, like, obvious. Come on.

[Will Friedle]

Really?

[Sabrina Bryan]

What do you think it was like, you wanna dance?

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, see? Perfect.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, I just say, what do you think it was?

[Jake Thomas]

I love it. Oh, I love it. Exactly. I like that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

What was yours? You had to have a good one.

[Jake Thomas]

I usually just said, we have to get home soon. My mom's picking me up in an hour. That usually got women all the time how confused you are. No, I got nothing. I never had pickup lines. I don't know pickup lines. My favorite one I ever saw was my friend, you. You. He licked his finger and he put it on a friend's shoulder and he said, let's get out of those wet clothes. I thought that one was funny. It would never work in a million years, but I thought that was funny.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh my God. Even if I ever had pickup lines said to me throughout, like, teens and twenties, I would get that same reaction you get from me all the time of. I don't know what to do with my face.

[Jake Thomas]

Just. Just Laughing and having no idea what to do. I love it. That's how it works.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It could not be picked up either. Like, I couldn't. I couldn't dish it. I couldn't take it.

[Jake Thomas]

I'd laugh too. Yeah, yeah. So it proves he's a con man. He's using the same lines on everybody. Lizzie's hurt, takes one last look at Paolo and holding back tears, Lizzie tells Isabella to take her place and sing. That'll fix everything. But Isabella can't. She's not blonde. Instead, she wants to get revenge on lynetv by making him sing, not lip sync. And just like that, Lizzie is pulled away by a producer. But Isabella promises she has a plan. It seems like it's a good plan. Meanwhile, the Maguire parents are trying to enter the award show, but getting nowhere with security. In response, Ms. Ungermeyer growls and kicks the guards out of the way, letting a whole mob of people into the event. Oh, my gosh. Isabella and Gordo talk to the sound guy. And Paolo didn't supply him with any female singing track tonight. So Isabella's assumptions were right. He was going to embarrass Lizzie. And that's where the music begins. Lizzie takes the stage in huge bell bottoms to thousands of people. We get a very good shot here. To make it look like it's packed, Isabella instructs the sound guy to turn down Lizzie's mic all the way, but keep Paolo's up. Now with both singers on stage, Paolo starts the song, lip syncing. And as Lizzie joins in, we hear beautiful singing. It's Isabella offstage now, singing live for her. She's pulled a fast one on Paolo. And then the sound guy removes Paolo's backing track, exposing his terrible puberty stricken singing voice. And the crowd starts laughing as Lizzie continues to reap Isabella's benefit benefits. The real Isabella eventually walks out on stage, exposing the truth as Paolo gets worse and worse. Eventually walking off stage, Isabella thanks her new American friend, Lizzie McGuire. And backstage security, Sergei grabs Paolo. He's mad that Paolo tried to hurt Lizzie, a very nice girl. He quits, allowing Paolo to get swarmed by the press. Now on stage, Isabella and Lizzie have decided to sing one big number together. Okay. It's okay. Okay. If. Okay, okay. Let me. Okay, let me try to walk. Get walked through this maybe. Okay, okay. If Lizzie McGuire can sing well enough on stage to have a duet with this international pop star, why did the international pop star have to sing under Lizzie McGuire who lip syncs the lyrics? Lyrics. If she knew the lyrics because she's lip syncing and can sing. Why not just sing?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, that part I. Because they also go as far enough to show us the soundboard. Right. Like they're gonna pull.

[Jake Thomas]

Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

They're pulling out the track mic down. She's coming in with another mic to sing. And then at some point, they push her vocals up so she is lip syncing. Right, Right.

[Jake Thomas]

But then they stay on the stage.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She takes over Paolo's lyrics that he's supposed to do. And then Lizzie's lip syncing, right?

[Jake Thomas]

No, Lizzie. No, I think they're doing the duet together.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, but. But he pushed her vocals up. So wasn't she lip syncing?

[Jake Thomas]

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what's happening. Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

They're doing it as if Miley and Hannah Montana had a duet, which is kind of cool. This time we don't get too many one shots of them together. Anyway.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

At one point in the song, Isabella leaves, and now Lizzie is alone. She's terrified. Even animated, Lizzy is terrified. She tries to run off the stage, but Gordo stops her. He tells her to stay calm and sing. And so she does. She gets her own solo in the coliseum, still swimming in the huge bell bottoms, eventually becoming comfortable. She sounds great. So she was a good singer the whole time. Why didn't she just sing?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Well, and it. So then it started making me think of the first scene that we saw where she's singing in her bedroom. Right. Like, it's setting up. Up the idea that Matt is her little brother is tormenting her by capturing this. But she also. That was Hillary's voice, so she was actually singing that song.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So I guess that's where kind of. That's where the correlation and everything kind of like, blends and you understand. But again, for me, I'm still stuck on the fact that this was not part of the TV show, so.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, I know.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. Where are we going with this? This wasn't Hannah Montana, who's now just right. It wasn't like. It's not that. It's like, randomly. She's got this great voice and is gonna sing on at the Coliseum.

[Jake Thomas]

Like, it's kind of cool. This is 2003. Has Miley Cyrus. Has Hannah Montana started yet in any way, shape or form? Okay. So they essentially saw this on stage and said, we need to create an entire show.

[Sabrina Bryan]

This.

[Jake Thomas]

This is the whole show is a singer. It seems like they saw this, and this is where Hannah Montana came from.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I remember when we were doing Cheetah Girl stuff. They were talking about, like, oh, like, doing something kind of like this. And even at. With that's so Raven. They did some kind of musical stuff too, but, like, the channel saying, like, the amount of money it would take to do all the production and everything for music videos and put it on a show, which wasn't really likely and wasn't, like, something that was just too much for them. So it was like they were seeing where this could go. And, like, that's why I was saying, like, this movie put a good foundation on with the channel of, like, where they could take these stars that are coming to them. The talent that the stars have is not just acting. Where could they go with them? So that was, you know, somewhat the case.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay. All right. Well, anyway, there's still more of this movie. Ethan, Kate, Ms. Ungermeyer and her family arrive at the show and are dancing along to the song and loving it. Ms. Ungermeyer and Sergey even give each other a flirty little wave. She finishes the song perfectly choreographed, and bows to the audience. Isabella comes back out, proud of her new pal, and they bow together. They give us one final trick shot of them side by side. It's a pretty good shot, actually, if we're being honest. Later that night, Lizzie is surrounded by photographers. She's becoming a star, but her parents have grounded her for the rest of the summer. Nearby, Kate is complaining to Ethan. She thinks Lizzie got everything you're supposed to get in Europe. Adventure, romance, conflict, confidence. If that can happen to Lizzie, then she doesn't know anything. Ethan says, that's hot. Girls that think they know everything are a turn off. He's impressed she didn't rat out Lizzie. And then they dig into spaghetti together.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay, weird messaging.

[Jake Thomas]

Yep. Miss Ungermeyer tells Gordo she's disappointed in his constant lies. He admits his wrongdoings and apologizes, but the principal also calls him a loyal friend, and loyalty goes a long way with her. Meanwhile, Max is showing people his footage of Lizzie trying to sell the hot goss, but Giorgio gets to him first and says, in Rome, they do not. Black people blackmail their sisters. Then he throws the tape into a fountain to escape the party. Gordo makes his way to an elevator, but is joined by Lizzie as the door is closing. She asks for one more getaway for old time's sake, and the two friends find their way back onto the roof. Lizzie's thinking about staying in Rome since she's finally found her voice there. But Gordo promises her she doesn't need to be in Rome, to feel confident she had it the whole time. And then Lizzie kisses Gordo, which I think. I don't know if it had anything to do with the show, but it seemed like they just threw it in again. He thanks her, then awkwardly asks her back to the party. As they return to the hotel, fireworks go off, signaling the end of our movie, with animated Lizzie acting as our Tinkerbell. Do you think they end up together?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't know. But this literally that quick of a kiss was exactly how my first kiss went. It was like it happened. We looked at each other and then we're like, got that done with. I've had my first kiss.

[Jake Thomas]

Yes. Let's go. Wow. I love it. I love that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't know if they end up together. I mean, I would hope so. He's a great guy. He could do better, girl.

[Jake Thomas]

He could do better.

[Sabrina Bryan]

He could do better.

[Jake Thomas]

He could do better.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't know how I can't blame Lizzy for thinking, holy cow, I'm in a different country. The magic is real. This guy, this superstar, nowhere likes me. Like, I mean, she's young.

[Jake Thomas]

I get it, I get it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't feel like she was trying to be a bad friend to him. She wanted to give herself in. She got talked out of it because I get it again.

[Jake Thomas]

You know, according to the producer, it says Gordo has always been in love with her. So that kiss was everything. When she watched it happen in the third grade. Okay, so they had built this up.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Third grade.

[Jake Thomas]

Third grade, yeah. Unreal.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, wow.

[Jake Thomas]

We finally switched to T Mobile because with them, we can be connected here and there. Dad, the cousins in Mexico have a surprise for you. And enjoy the gift of staying connected. Switch and start saving today. Get four Samsung Galaxy S25 phones with Galaxy AI on us and four lines for just 25 bucks per line, plus non stop talk, text and data between us and Mexico. Visit a store@t mobile.com or call 1-800-T-Mobile-1-800-T Mobile.

[Will Friedle]

See details@t mobile.com brought to you by Malibu. Hi, everyone, it's Chiquis from the Cheekies and Chill podcast. This year, I'm putting myself first, and that means finding a good work life balance. Don't get me wrong, when I'm on the clock, I'm hustling, I'm focused and I'm working really hard. But when I'm off the clock, I'm off the clock. Because making time for my friends, family and myself is important to me. Whether I'm cooking dinner for my husband Emilio, spending quality time with my nieces and nephews, catching up with my besties over pina coladas or I'm having a self care day. It's all about balance. So if you're feeling tired or burnt out, it's time to start thinking about putting yourself first. Because you deserve it. It Clock off with Malibu because life's too short not to do whatever tastes good. Sip easy. Enjoy Malibu responsibly. Copyright 2025, imported by Pernod Ricard NEW.

[Jake Thomas]

YORK, N.Y. when your daughter's learning how to drive and says, baba, can I drive? You say, equally. Here we go. But what you should say is something that helps protect your ride. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. And that's where State Farm comes in to help you choose the coverage you need so you can relax until you hear.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Can we pick up my boyfriend?

[Jake Thomas]

Wait, what? Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm Bloomington, IL Tucson is a.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

City that stays with you. The food here isn't just a meal, it's a legacy. And whether it's the kick of a chiltepin, which is a very hot pepper for those of you who don't know, or enjoying a Sonoran hot dog after a night out on the town, every dish has a story to tell. And beyond the culinary journey, each neighborhood offers a glimpse into a rich tapestry of cultures blending into the Sonoran Desert. Tucson isn't just a getaway. It's a journey into heritage and a community that feels like home. Learn [e-mail] Vlog Diva.

[Jake Thomas]

Let'S do some real reviews. And Sabrina, you got the five star this week.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I do. This is a good five star. I'm actually like down for this five star.

[Jake Thomas]

I think Mikayla, actually producer Mikayla wrote.

[Sabrina Bryan]

This, actually that Jensen just happened to find the best film ever made in the entire history of human existence. Not only does it define a generation, but it teaches us to be ourselves and seek a life of adventure. This, my friends, is what trains are made of.

[Jake Thomas]

Wow.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Thank you, Mariel slash Mikayla.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, thanks, Mikaela for that. I've got the one star review and this is by Pedro V. Or it could be Pedro 5. This might be the fifth Pedro I don't know. And it reads as thus. My girlfriend is a big fan of the Lizzie McGuire series. I'm not. She wanted to see this during summer school and it was honestly absolute garbage. There is barely any good stuff and all I can say is that we should have watched Bug's life too. I love that. And now we're gonna come to our favorite part of the program, or at least Sabrina's favorite part of the program. And that's our feature for this week. What has producer Jensen set up for us? Well, here we go. Lizzie McGuire might just be the best example of a Disney show becoming a theatrical success with their first movie. We will now get the name of a TV show and we have to decide if it was ever turned into a movie. Could have been screened in theaters or just on tv. Three out of five wins. Ooh, let's see. Okay, number one, chips. Remember the show, Chips? You'd never remember the show. You do.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, I do. It's with the police cars or the police motorcyclists.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah. Eric Estrada broke.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Eric Estrada. Yep, yep, yep, yep. Yes. This was a movie.

[Jake Thomas]

This was a movie, I think with Dax Shepard.

[Sabrina Bryan]

You are correct. Yes.

[Jake Thomas]

Yes. Thank you. All right, number two, My favorite Martian. This was a show back in the day with. Oh, I can't remember his name. Ray. Ray Walston was. Was in my favorite Martian. I think it was from the 50s. And I'm going to say this was also a movie.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Sabrina, I don't think. Think so. Yes, it was in 1999 starring Jeff Daniels and Christopher Lloyd.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, there we go. Number three, all in the family. No, there's no way they made this in the movie. I'm going to say no.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, you're correct. No.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, number four. I. I won, by the way. I'm already. Woohoo. Number four, car 54, where are you?

[Will Friedle]

I don't. Would they have made a car 54?

[Jake Thomas]

Old, old school cop show. Okay, I'm gonna say no. They never made this into a movie.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm gonna say no because I don't even believe it was a show they did in 1994 starring Rosie O' Donnell and Fran Drescher.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, my God. Okay, and then number five.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Hilarious.

[Jake Thomas]

Alf. They never made an alpha, did they? Maybe they made a movie of the week. I don't think so.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm gonna say know they did in 1996, right after.

[Jake Thomas]

God, they made an Al.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I got my three right, Alf movie. Jensen will be happy. I again lost. Moving on.

[Jake Thomas]

Can we do some Sabrina seas Sa?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I don't have a ton that we haven't gone over. The first thing is the airline that they take over Lufthansa is Lufthansa. Yeah, that is the airline that would take the. Because that's when I used anytime we would go over for the channel that's the airline that they always use.

[Jake Thomas]

So I did international one. Lufthansa. Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I did like that. That was like, you know, a cool shout out for them because they are the ones that would take over all the Disney Channel stars when they were doing that. It was interesting to see it being like an older, I guess an older hotel or what was supposed to be. Because they all got actual keys. They didn't have key.

[Jake Thomas]

Yes, I saw that, too.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I thought I would have lost that key so fast if I was on this trip. I would have been paying, like, whatever. Like the hundred and fifty dollars you have to pay for, like, a brand new key. And then I. I did clock that supermodel cover. Wasn't a fan of that. One of the things that I did like seeing, you know, I like looking at the gadgets and stuff in these movies is I loved the camcorder that I also got to have in one of the.

[Jake Thomas]

I was gonna say that you had in Cheetah Girls 2. Yep.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And the seedy disc man, like, that Ethan had. He was, like, listening to it. And I love those kinds of things because it just takes you back. It's just like a nostalgia thing.

[Jake Thomas]

Like, I still have a working disc man.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Do you really?

[Jake Thomas]

Yep.

[Sabrina Bryan]

You know what's so funny is thinking of, like, working out with a disc man, like, having to.

[Jake Thomas]

And it would skip. You couldn't run with it. And it would skip around.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes. Or you had to find, like, a place in the gy where you could put it.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Do whatever you were doing. And it wasn't good because, like, otherwise, Ace of.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, yeah. Ace of Bass was gonna skip all over the place if you didn't have that. Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

One thing that really annoyed me, and we talked about quite a few things that people weren't, like, picking up on her when she was supposed to be Isabella. And then also when she was Lizzy was. The wig was, like. Looked like it was about to fall off. So many times when she was Isabella, that brown wig was not. She didn't look like she had a lace front. So she didn't have it, like, sitting on her head. But when they were backstage, they do a quick moment of the producer when they come to get Lizzy literally sees Isabella right there.

[Jake Thomas]

Yes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And like. Like, she's backstage.

[Jake Thomas]

A lot of it didn't make any sense.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That was just. Again, it just was kind of just unrealistic. And it was hard to really do that. And then something that happens, and it's with two of our, like, favorite characters. The bodyguard and the principal is they at the end were all speaking in the third person. And that always cracks me up when people do that for some reason. Like Ms. Ungermeyer likes this. It's like, okay, all right. And that. That is it. That is all my. That is probably the. Look at how many normally I have. Sabrina seed like normally so much. And I had had this. This is all I could say.

[Jake Thomas]

Well, Will loves that you found that many.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh well, Sabrina is grateful for appreciation. Thank you.

[Jake Thomas]

It is now the time of our program where we've got to rate the movie we just saw and crush some producers dreams. Yes, we do. Let's do one out of ten. I'm not even gonna make a joke about it because it's not joke worthy. Our options this week are one out of ten accidental naked videos of your sister.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Whoa.

[Jake Thomas]

One out of ten eighth graders alone in another country. Pizza. Inventing cities. Psychotic laughing fits. 1 out of 10 in season apricots. 1 out of 10 threats of blackmail in a kid's movie. Go Kart cars. Hilary Duff Italian accents. One out of ten singing canaries or one out of ten huge bell bottoms. Do I pick or do you pick?

[Sabrina Bryan]

This week I pick it.

[Jake Thomas]

This time I think I'm gonna do psychotic laughing fits is what I'm gonna pick every.

[Sabrina Bryan]

By the way, it's gonna be hilarious and I hope people actually hear. Every time you bring it up, I end up laughing sounding like a psychotic laugh because it's just so funny. Because I noticed it too. Why is she just always laughing?

[Jake Thomas]

I love it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

By the way, before me, I do this entire. Every episode. I'm laughing the whole time. I just cheeks hurt after.

[Jake Thomas]

Me too. My whole head hurts right now. Before. Before we get into how many psychotic laughing fits, I'd like to point out that producer Michaela literally just wrote, watch yourself.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know I'm never going to come back on again.

[Jake Thomas]

I'm telling you again. You know how long it took for her to talk to me again after double teamed? That's why I started it this way. Okay, you go first or do I go first? I think you go first.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I think I do go first. So again, this was a movie that was hard for me because of quite a few things. Mainly one, because I was a fan of the TV show. So I was. And I do not remember actually watching this movie except for that end final performance. I remembered that and that was it. I didn't remember that there was a second Hilary Duff in it with the Isabella character. I didn't remember any of that stuff. So I don't think I watched it. That being said, I was expecting a longer version of the. Of a. Of an episode. Right. I wasn't, like, thinking we were gonna add in all these extra things. Being a part of the channel, knowing that there was an opportunity for them to kind of showcase another country, to showcase the talent of their incredible actor. You know, that kind of stuff. I get it. I get it. I get that. I know, too, how much Hillary was pushing for that next level and that next stage of her career. This just, to me, missed the mark. And it. Although I do believe and want to give it the credit of being a very good foundation of what. What was yet to come within the next, like, five, six years of the channel.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, this definitely had that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

This had that. That foundation, but it just. This was not. And again, this is what I felt about when we watched the first Cheetah Girls, we hadn't found that stride. The first movie. And the second movie was very different.

[Jake Thomas]

Yes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

The channel learned through the first Cheetah Girls, then with High School Musical, like, so they were building. So this was definitely the foundation of the building. And, you know, even that, though, the holes in the storyline, the things that just didn't make sense, and unfortunately, the things that I just felt were just being pushed. They were being. Yeah, they were being forced. And it didn't. This wasn't, to me, Lizzie McGuire. I'm going to say Lizzie McGuire, not Hilary Duff. I'm going to say this wasn't the best representation of. Of Lizzie McGuire for me.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And that would take me to. Because I still love the show. I'm gonna give it a little bit of a boost, but it's gonna be a 6.5.

[Jake Thomas]

Oh, wow. You are way more generous than I am. Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

6.5 psychotic laughing bits.

[Jake Thomas]

Okay, that hurts.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It hurts because I love Lizzie McGuire. This is so rough to just. Only. Just do. Only just do that.

[Jake Thomas]

I knew nothing of Lizzie McGuire. I knew the name. I didn't know anything about the show, but the idea that all of a sudden she's a singer didn't make a whole lot of sense. Some of the accents were not great. Some of the storyline of. Now she's American. None of it. A lot of it just didn't make any sense to me. Again, Hilary Duff. You can tell the kids love her. She's a star, all that kind of stuff. Jake Thomas, very funny. You know, it's a tropey little brother that's. But, you know, they're fine, Gordo.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Their relationship all that.

[Jake Thomas]

Them coming to Europe didn't make any sense. It just.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It.

[Jake Thomas]

A lot of it just didn't. It was story. For me. This story did not make any sense. Even got super convoluted at the end about, well, we're gonna. I want you to lip sync, but you're not gonna lip sync. But he's gonna. It just. It was all over the place. And I think I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm saying this when I say it. When I say it's moving movie. It's. I just saw a movie. And when I say I just saw a movie, that means it's right down the middle and I'm giving this five psychotic laughing fits. It just. I. I didn't get it. That's the thing. So the Even Stevens movie. The Even Stevens movie with the story of the Even Stevens movie. It's absurd. It's outlandish. Of course it is. They're on a reality show there. It's crazy. But when I finished the Even Stevens movie, they're saying this came. They're saying a month after this, by the way.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Jake Thomas]

When I finished the Even Stevens movie, I finished going. Like, I could see going back and watching the show. Like, I. I liked the relationship between the characters. I thought Shia was great. I thought Christy was great. I could absolutely see going back and watching this show. I finished the Lizzie McGuire movie and I was like, I don't ever need to watch the Lizzie McGuire Show. I didn't. And again, I know that's not fair to the show because the show's probably very good.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It was. And it was. I mean, it was. It was so perfect. Disney Channel at the time of the time. It really was. It was so good. And this just. This wasn't the representation. I feel like.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, this is just. It was very all over the place. Just story wise, very all over the place. So, yeah, this was not my favorite. Again, we're coming off of. I think the last one we saw was horse scent, which was great. And again, I know you're not. We're not. We're not trying to compare one to the other, but we're literally comparing one to the other. That's what we do. That's our job on this podcast. And you look at something like Horse Sense, and then you look at something like this. It's two completely different things. You know, it's just. And it's based on existing ip, so you figure they're gonna try to stay true to the characters a little bit. But then I find out they get rid of one of the main characters, they slot in another character. They now she's a singer and she's playing multiple characters. It just. It seemed like there was way too much. It was three movies mashed into one, right?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes. Yes.

[Jake Thomas]

Yeah, that's.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I mean, I will say though, too, though being like somebody who I feel benefited from this foundation that was. Met, sure with the music and that whole idea of being a superstar and that whole thing. I'm somebody who benefited from the start. That was this movie for sure. It still just was. It was hard to watch to.

[Jake Thomas]

You know, it was them on stage together. Them on stage together. The her and then her. Isabella and Lizzie on stage together. Somebody saw that and created Hannah Montana. I mean, clearly they went, this needs to be a show. And then they did it. That makes sense the right way for Hannah Montana where it seemed like it was just thrown into the movie. But anyway. Okay, well, they. There's our. Come after me. I know you're gonna come on. Come after me.

[Sabrina Bryan]

We are gonna get slaughtered.

[Jake Thomas]

If you come after me. You also have to come after my tiny little animated character who follows me around everywhere and don't think I don't have one. And yes, slaughter away because I stand by what I said. Our next episode, we are jumping out of format a little bit, but for a very good reason. And we're really excited we're finally doing it. We are sitting down to watch the inf. Infamous Disney Channel games. Yes. We'll be recapping season three of the games. Yes. The ones where my love. Yes. The one where my lovely co host competed. And compete. She did. You did too. But this was pretty impressive. All five episodes of the season because they're the only ones that are actually on Disney are the season that came out, the third season, last season, which was 08. So all five are available to stream on Disney. So. So pick a team and ride or die with them before we cover it next week. It's going to be important. But before we dive into that obstacle course, we're going to stay with our pal Lizzie. Well, more specifically, her brother. Yes. As I said, we talked to Jake Thomas, Matt McGuire himself. He gave us all the scoop about this legendary Disney property. Listen to this little small sample of our conversation. Hey, if you want to. If you were to really be let down. I never went to Rome. I have never been to Italy. What? Yes, you have. I saw the movie. You were on the plane. I watched it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

You were in the hotel.

[Jake Thomas]

So where did you Shoot. That you're. That's all here in la. Vancouver, which I love Vancouver. We spent I think probably two or three months in Vancouver and I absolutely love Vancouver.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay.

[Jake Thomas]

It's a beautiful place, but it's not rome. You should 100% check that out. Jake rules. He was so cool. Just search for our dedicated Magical Rewind feed wherever you get your podcasts. We got tons of interviews with assorted Disney legends. And for more info, you can follow us at Magical rewind pod on Instagram.com no. What is it? The Instagram machine. Go to Instagram now. Bye everybody.

[Will Friedle]

If you own a home, here's an interesting fact for you. Today, American homeowners are sitting on a record amount of home equity. That's the part of your home you own outright. And Rocket Mortgage can help you turn that home equity into cash. And that can help you fund a home renovation, pay for your kids college tuition, or pay off consolidated high interest debt. To learn more, just call 800 for Rocket or visit Rocket.com today day Rocket Mortgage LLC. Licensed in 50 states. NMLS consumer access.org number 3030.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Sometimes you just need a break.

[Will Friedle]

Un momento pati when life gets too.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Short Mandalotogo a la playa and pour yourself a Malibu Ona si amara la negra y creme no necessitas un pasa porte para pasarlo tropical. With Malibu, you're in your happy place.

[Will Friedle]

Des connectate con mall Malibu life's too.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Short not to do whatever tastes good. Sip easy, enjoy Malibu responsibly. Copyright 2025, imported by Pernod Ricard USA New York, NY. Balancing multiple projects, family and everything else life throws at me requires a great support team to keep it all together.

[Jake Thomas]

Hi, I'm Wilmer Valderrama, and when managing.

[Sabrina Bryan]

The unexpected, I trust State Farm agents to have my back.

[Jake Thomas]

They are more than insurance professionals.

[Sabrina Bryan]

They're a part of your team. Whether it's helping you choose the right coverage for your needs or helping you file a claim, they are there to.

[Jake Thomas]

Take on life's challenges with confidence.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Like a good neighbor.

[Jake Thomas]

Stair Farm is there. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and safeway now through June 17th. Shop in store or online for your favorite personal care Items and save $5 when you spend $15 or more. Stock up on items like Dove Body Wash, Degree Motion Sense Deodorant, Tresemme Hairspray, Dove Shampoo, Dove Bar Soap, Dove Men's Body and face Wash and Dollar Shave Club blades. And save $5 when you spend $15 or more. Hurry in before these deals are gone. Offer ends June 17th. Promotions may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Sabrina Bryan]

This is an iHeart podcast.