Max Keeble's Big Move
Encyclopedia
Max Keeble's Big Move is a 2001 Disney
live-action teen comedy film directed by Tim Hill
, written by David L. Watts, James Greer
, Jonathan Bernstein, and Mark Blackwell, and starring Alex D. Linz
as the title character. The film is set in University Place, Washington
. It was released in North America on October 5, 2001. Shooting took place in Los Angeles, California
.
) is a seventh grade junior-high school paperboy who has a huge crush on Jenna (Brooke Anne Smith), the daughter of one of his paper recipients. Max has two best friends, Robert and Megan (Josh Peck
and Zena Grey
), and all three of them are constantly bullied by Troy McGinty and Dobbs (Noel Fisher and Orlando Brown
) by physical humiliation and stealing lunch money. Max is enemies with the corrupt school principal, Elliot T. Jindrake (Larry Miller
) and the Evil Ice Cream Man (Jamie Kennedy
), and also learns that an animal shelter that he visits is being closed down.
When Max found out that he is moving to Chicago after his father, Donald "Don" Keeble (Robert Carradine
), gets a promotion, Max is initially upset at having to move, but then plots to exact revenge against Jindrake, Troy, Dobbs, and the Evil Ice Cream Man, believing that when they try to retaliate, Max will be gone. Max, Robe, and Megan methods of revenge including terrifing Troy by playing a main theme song from a childrens' television show, MacGoogle the Highlander Frog, and later severely traumatizing him by trapping him in the gym with MacGoogle, instigating a fight between Dobbs and the Evil Ice Cream Man by stealing a coolant coil for his ice cream truck and his handheld, and lastly to ruin Jindrake's chances of becoming superintendent to replace the current superintendent, Crazy Legs, by planting animal pheronomes within his breath spray, instigating a food fight, and later by sabotaging his announcements by placing a cardboard cutout of Max pointing at Jindrake claiming that the latter was wearing a thong.
However, once his missions are completed, Max ends up ditching Robe and Megan's going away party by accepting an invite to Jenna's milkshake party, causing a falling out. In addition, Don, taking Max's advice to heart earlier, announces that he quit his job, and is starting his own business, meaning that Max and his parents are not moving after all. Max freaks out at this news, and learns that Robe, Megan, and the entire school are suffering because of his actions. He saw that no matter who you are, you can always stand up for yourself. Max later confronts Jindrake, Troy, and Dobbs one last time, and with the help of Robe, Megan, and the entire school, eventually defeats Troy and Dobbs for good, stops Jindrake from demolishing the animal shelter, and fired Jindrake for fiddling with his school budget. The film ends when Max riding on his bicycle delivering newspapers, and the Evil Ice Cream Man starts chasing Max again.
currently gives the film a 26% "rotten" rating on its site. The consensus states that the film is "fun for kids, but bland and unoriginal for adults."
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
live-action teen comedy film directed by Tim Hill
Tim Hill
Tim Hill is an American film director and television writer.He began his career in 1993 as a writer and storyboard artist for Rocko's Modern Life, he also created the Kablam! skit Action League Now!...
, written by David L. Watts, James Greer
James Greer
James Greer is an American novelist, screenwriter, musician, and critic. He lives in Los Angeles but spends much of his time in France.-Career as a musician/critic:Greer was Senior Editor and Senior Writer at Spin magazine in NYC in the early 90s...
, Jonathan Bernstein, and Mark Blackwell, and starring Alex D. Linz
Alex D. Linz
Alexander David Linz is an American actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television programs as a child actor. His notable film roles include Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move ....
as the title character. The film is set in University Place, Washington
University Place, Washington
University Place is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Its population was 31,144 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, University Place ranks 81st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-History:...
. It was released in North America on October 5, 2001. Shooting took place in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Plot
Max Keeble (Alex D. LinzAlex D. Linz
Alexander David Linz is an American actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television programs as a child actor. His notable film roles include Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move ....
) is a seventh grade junior-high school paperboy who has a huge crush on Jenna (Brooke Anne Smith), the daughter of one of his paper recipients. Max has two best friends, Robert and Megan (Josh Peck
Josh Peck
Joshua Michael "Josh" Peck is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor best known for playing Josh Nichols in the Nickelodeon live-action sitcom Drake & Josh. He began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on...
and Zena Grey
Zena Grey
Zena Lotus Grey is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the Hollywood films Snow Day, Max Keeble's Big Move, and The Shaggy Dog....
), and all three of them are constantly bullied by Troy McGinty and Dobbs (Noel Fisher and Orlando Brown
Orlando Brown
Orlando Brown is an American actor and musician. A child actor, his early roles included 3J in Family Matters, Eddie Thomas in That's So Raven, Tiger in Major Payne, and Nelson in The Jamie Foxx Show. He was also the voice of Sticky Web on the animated TV series The Proud Family...
) by physical humiliation and stealing lunch money. Max is enemies with the corrupt school principal, Elliot T. Jindrake (Larry Miller
Larry Miller (actor)
Lawrence J. "Larry" Miller is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, podcaster, and columnist.-Early life:Miller was born in Valley Stream, New York, attended Valley Stream South High School graduating in 1971. He attended Amherst College...
) and the Evil Ice Cream Man (Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy
James Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
), and also learns that an animal shelter that he visits is being closed down.
When Max found out that he is moving to Chicago after his father, Donald "Don" Keeble (Robert Carradine
Robert Carradine
Robert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
), gets a promotion, Max is initially upset at having to move, but then plots to exact revenge against Jindrake, Troy, Dobbs, and the Evil Ice Cream Man, believing that when they try to retaliate, Max will be gone. Max, Robe, and Megan methods of revenge including terrifing Troy by playing a main theme song from a childrens' television show, MacGoogle the Highlander Frog, and later severely traumatizing him by trapping him in the gym with MacGoogle, instigating a fight between Dobbs and the Evil Ice Cream Man by stealing a coolant coil for his ice cream truck and his handheld, and lastly to ruin Jindrake's chances of becoming superintendent to replace the current superintendent, Crazy Legs, by planting animal pheronomes within his breath spray, instigating a food fight, and later by sabotaging his announcements by placing a cardboard cutout of Max pointing at Jindrake claiming that the latter was wearing a thong.
However, once his missions are completed, Max ends up ditching Robe and Megan's going away party by accepting an invite to Jenna's milkshake party, causing a falling out. In addition, Don, taking Max's advice to heart earlier, announces that he quit his job, and is starting his own business, meaning that Max and his parents are not moving after all. Max freaks out at this news, and learns that Robe, Megan, and the entire school are suffering because of his actions. He saw that no matter who you are, you can always stand up for yourself. Max later confronts Jindrake, Troy, and Dobbs one last time, and with the help of Robe, Megan, and the entire school, eventually defeats Troy and Dobbs for good, stops Jindrake from demolishing the animal shelter, and fired Jindrake for fiddling with his school budget. The film ends when Max riding on his bicycle delivering newspapers, and the Evil Ice Cream Man starts chasing Max again.
Cast
- Alex D. LinzAlex D. LinzAlexander David Linz is an American actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television programs as a child actor. His notable film roles include Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move ....
as Max Keeble - Larry MillerLarry Miller (actor)Lawrence J. "Larry" Miller is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, podcaster, and columnist.-Early life:Miller was born in Valley Stream, New York, attended Valley Stream South High School graduating in 1971. He attended Amherst College...
as Principal Elliot T. Jindraike - Jamie KennedyJamie KennedyJames Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
as The Evil Ice Cream Man - Josh PeckJosh PeckJoshua Michael "Josh" Peck is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor best known for playing Josh Nichols in the Nickelodeon live-action sitcom Drake & Josh. He began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on...
as Robe - Zena GreyZena GreyZena Lotus Grey is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the Hollywood films Snow Day, Max Keeble's Big Move, and The Shaggy Dog....
as Megan - Robert CarradineRobert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
as Donald "Don" Keeble - Nora DunnNora DunnNora Eloise Dunn is an American actress and comedian, perhaps best known for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
as Lily Keeble - Noel Fisher as Troy McGinty
- Orlando BrownOrlando BrownOrlando Brown is an American actor and musician. A child actor, his early roles included 3J in Family Matters, Eddie Thomas in That's So Raven, Tiger in Major Payne, and Nelson in The Jamie Foxx Show. He was also the voice of Sticky Web on the animated TV series The Proud Family...
as Dobbs - Justin BerfieldJustin BerfieldJustin Tyler Berfield is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his portrayal as Malcolm's 2nd-oldest brother, Reese, in Malcolm in the Middle...
as Caption writer - Brooke Anne Smith as Jenna
- Tony HawkTony HawkAnthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
as himself (cameo) - Lil' Romeo as himself (cameo)
- Clifton DavisClifton DavisClifton Duncan Davis is an American actor, songwriter and minister. He has appeared on the television shows as A World Apart, That's My Mama and Amen...
as Superintendent Bobby "Crazy Legs" Knebworth - Amy HillAmy HillAmy Marie Hill is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Mrs. DePaulo in That's So Raven, Mrs. Kwan in The Cat in the Hat, the Kylie Minogue-inspired singer, Penny Candy from The Puzzle Place, and the voice of Jasmine Lee Amy Marie Hill (born May 9, 1953) is an American...
as Ms. Phyllis Rangoon - Amber VallettaAmber VallettaAmber Evangeline Valletta is an American actress and model. She began her career as a model for fashion agencies, and appeared on cover pages of internationally recognized magazines. She made her film debut in Drop Back Ten . She then starred in the hit film Hitch...
as Ms. Dingman - Dennis HaskinsDennis HaskinsDennis Haskins is an American actor known for his role as principal Richard Belding in the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000...
as Mr. Kohls - Chely WrightChely WrightRichell Rene "Chely" Wright is an American country music artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive"...
as Mrs. Styles (Homeroom Teacher)
Critical reception
Despite positive reviews from child viewers, Max Keeble's Big Move was met with mixed feedback from adult critics. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
currently gives the film a 26% "rotten" rating on its site. The consensus states that the film is "fun for kids, but bland and unoriginal for adults."