In 2009, Zac Efron had us all busting a gut when he portrayed a 37 year old trapped in a seventeen year old's body, he relives his high school days. Wait, what am I saying. I'm reviewing Seventeen Again, the first one, with the Mowry family. That's right, Tia, Tahj and even Tamera. I'll also mention Mark Taylor, who didn't get a star billing but played a big role as well. Today, he's a Mowry.
Seventeen Again picks up after the Donovan family moves to Connecticut Willie (Tahj) loves doing experiments and causes the fire department to arrive, right at the start of the film. Sydney (Tia) isn't really accepting her father's new marriage after their mother's death. Still Sydney falls for a guy named Todd while feuding with his sister Ashley, who won't let her on the cheer team. Grandpa Gene and Grandma Cat are coming to town to watch the kids as the parents head out of town. Gene and Cat got divorced a long time ago and still act like they hate each other.
Things go south when they Cat wakes up and realizes that she's now young (Tamera) again. Gene doesn't realize it until he gets pulled over by a police officer. When his driver's license doesn't match, he goes on the run. He meets up with some kids and relives his youth as a mack daddy supreme. Cat meanwhile is trying to force Gene back to the house, while also dating Todd, to make him jealous. Willy realizes the soap they used had been soaked in one of his experiments causing them to return to seventeen. Unfortunately, he realizes that it'll also be deadly.
After a night out at the club Cat and Gene almost reconcile, until Cat starts trying to control him again, and he can't admit he isn't really a young man. Cat soon admits the true reason they divorced. Gene got a job in Australia, but she didn't want to go. So Cat lied and said she would follow him, then she just never did. She cut off contact with him and then filed for divorce. Willie is able to save the day and get them back to their correct ages. Gene and Cat get married again. Sydney and Todd get together.
I'll be honest, the movie is okay. It's good for a few laughs, but even better for nostalgia. I didn't want it to end up forgotten and eclipsed by a Zac Effron movie, the same way Living Single never gets the praise that Friends does when we all know which one came first, and is better. Although, that can be subjective. As millennials, we can be a nostalgic bunch, and things are often marketed to us based on that. HD Re-release of this, extended cut of that. However, it never seems to be black media.
Seventeen Again, was also produced by Shawn Stockman, who is most known as part of Boys II Men. Hope Clarke who plays the older Grandma Cat is an accomplished actress, opera singer and the list continues who had famously stated her quote, "Blacks and women have been locked out of directing major productions for too long, it's time for us not only to tell our stories, but to direct them." Robert Hooks who played older Gene is also a notable activist for Black people in the arts outside of being a well seasoned activist. Jeffrey Byrd the director, again has countless black productions under his belt.
Nostalgia is universal. We all feel it, and to some extent love it. It's important that we don't look through nostalgia that doesn't see color. Sometimes, we need to see color so we don't overlook our history. Sure, Zack and Cody were great, but Tia, Tamera and Tahj were around a long time before Disney Channel was really making stars and that should be celebrated. It also turns out they're pretty well adjusted compared to Disney stars.
You can check out some of my fiction at 12 AM Fiction or follow my web serial Exsanguinate and of course hear me on the Powerbomb Jutsu podcast.
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Classic movie
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