Cow Belles
Encyclopedia
Cow Belles is a 2006 romantic
teen
comedy
film inspired by the Fox series The Simple Life
which formerly starred Paris Hilton
and Nicole Richie
. The filmed starred Aly Michalka
and AJ Michalka, better known as sister duo Aly & AJ. The movie was filmed in Toronto, Canada
. It premiered on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel
and was watched by over 5.8 million viewers.
and AJ Michalka star as Taylor and Courtney Callum, two thoroughly spoiled yet well-intentioned sisters whose widower father Reed Callum, (Jack Coleman) owns Callum Dairy
. Taylor has just gotten her license, after almost failing it at the beginning of the movie. But then their lives turn upside down. One day they leave the house to depart for a shopping trip, but leave a towel on the stove, starting a house fire. Shocked by their carelessness, and deciding the girls should start making their own cash, Reed puts them to work at the dairy to show them responsibility about running a business. Their dad goes out of town, looking for a rare butterfly to add to his collection. This leaves the girls to look after the dairy.
When the girls start working at the dairy, they are at their worst nightmare. They mess up almost every step of the way, such as tripping and splashing blueberries on themselves, and then dropping Courtney's cell phone into one of the full yogurt cups. All the employees think they are stuck up and don't believe that they can do their job. Soon after they start working there and doing their jobs better, someone steals all the money out of the businesses' bank account. It is then up to the girls to come up with a plan to save the dairy, and the jobs of those who are working, but no one believes in them. Taylor has changed her nature and asked Courtney if she could use her party money to for the employees' paycheck or else they will leave Callum Dairy. When Taylor tricks Courtney into getting her cell phone, she says that she will get the money, but still no one believes her. Without consulting Courtney, Taylor uses her party money for the employees, thus causing a very big fight between the two of them.
Courtney totally ignores Taylor in every possible way. They have a fight at work when Courtney is putting in the numbers for the expiry dates. Even though they have the money to give the employers' paychecks, money still goes missing, but they have worst problems. Their milk is going bad. Just when things are about to go sour (both the situation and the milk), Reed comes back along with volunteers as they managed to pull through the evening.
website said, "Not too bad and a perfect time killer for the kids. I’d suggest a rental for family movie night. Maybe the lessons the girls learn in the [film] will cross over to the audience." Kevin Carr of 7M Pictures said, "Cow Belles follows the Disney formula perfectly. It stars two hot, young singing sensations, who have a contract with the Disney recording branch. If you frequent the Disney Channel often on the dial, you’ll recognize Alyson Michalka as Keely from Phil of the Future
. These girls are next in line to take over where Hilary Duff
and Lindsay Lohan
left the stage. Overall, Aly and AJ are decent actors and carry the film as best they can. Aly has a stronger, more mature part, and it shows that she at least has a little more camera time on her sister. However, the casting of the sisters works well as they have good chemistry. Ultimately, these two make a better pair than Haylie
and Hilary Duff ever did." Commonsense Media said, "Parents need to know that this film might at first seem to tell kids that the sisters' frivolous lifestyle is desirable and that their carefree, irresponsible behavior is something to aspire to. But things turn around when the girls finally realize the value of hard-earned money, learn about responsibility, and gain respect for people who must work for a living. While adults may not find this quick turnaround believable, the movie's overall intention is good." Ultimate Disney
reviewed the DVD saying "Cow Belles has its fair share of flaws but redeems itself with a solid story and a surprise or two by the end. Like the milk in the movie, the bonus features are skim, and the audio/video presentation could use some improvement. The price tag for this one is a little higher than your average DCOM too, so a purchase may not be quite warranted. Still, those who have taken a liking to Disney Channel features in the past should give this one a try, so a rental is recommended."
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
teen
Teen film
Teen films is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation...
comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
film inspired by the Fox series The Simple Life
The Simple Life
The Simple Life was a reality television series that was broadcast from December 2, 2003 to August 5, 2007. The first three seasons aired on Fox, and the final two on E!...
which formerly starred Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
and Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie
Nicole Camille Richie is an American fashion designer, author, actress, singer and television personality. Her father was Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who played for a brief time with Lionel Richie, and her mother Karen was the executive assistant for Sheila Escovedo...
. The filmed starred Aly Michalka
Alyson Michalka
Alyson Renae "Aly" Michalka , often credited as Aly, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka gained fame for playing the role of Marti Perkins in the CW television drama Hellcats...
and AJ Michalka, better known as sister duo Aly & AJ. The movie was filmed in Toronto, Canada
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. It premiered on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
and was watched by over 5.8 million viewers.
Plot
Aly MichalkaAlyson Michalka
Alyson Renae "Aly" Michalka , often credited as Aly, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka gained fame for playing the role of Marti Perkins in the CW television drama Hellcats...
and AJ Michalka star as Taylor and Courtney Callum, two thoroughly spoiled yet well-intentioned sisters whose widower father Reed Callum, (Jack Coleman) owns Callum Dairy
Callum Dairy
Callum Dairy is a fictional dairy in the DCOM, Cow Belles.- History & Details :Reed Callum is the owner and runs the company. His former partner, Bob Fenwick almost destroyed the company. If the details are correct, the company was founded in 1986. His daughters, Taylor and Courtney Callum are also...
. Taylor has just gotten her license, after almost failing it at the beginning of the movie. But then their lives turn upside down. One day they leave the house to depart for a shopping trip, but leave a towel on the stove, starting a house fire. Shocked by their carelessness, and deciding the girls should start making their own cash, Reed puts them to work at the dairy to show them responsibility about running a business. Their dad goes out of town, looking for a rare butterfly to add to his collection. This leaves the girls to look after the dairy.
When the girls start working at the dairy, they are at their worst nightmare. They mess up almost every step of the way, such as tripping and splashing blueberries on themselves, and then dropping Courtney's cell phone into one of the full yogurt cups. All the employees think they are stuck up and don't believe that they can do their job. Soon after they start working there and doing their jobs better, someone steals all the money out of the businesses' bank account. It is then up to the girls to come up with a plan to save the dairy, and the jobs of those who are working, but no one believes in them. Taylor has changed her nature and asked Courtney if she could use her party money to for the employees' paycheck or else they will leave Callum Dairy. When Taylor tricks Courtney into getting her cell phone, she says that she will get the money, but still no one believes her. Without consulting Courtney, Taylor uses her party money for the employees, thus causing a very big fight between the two of them.
Courtney totally ignores Taylor in every possible way. They have a fight at work when Courtney is putting in the numbers for the expiry dates. Even though they have the money to give the employers' paychecks, money still goes missing, but they have worst problems. Their milk is going bad. Just when things are about to go sour (both the situation and the milk), Reed comes back along with volunteers as they managed to pull through the evening.
Cast
- Aly MichalkaAlyson MichalkaAlyson Renae "Aly" Michalka , often credited as Aly, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka gained fame for playing the role of Marti Perkins in the CW television drama Hellcats...
- Taylor Callum - AJ Michalka - Courtney Callum
- Jack Coleman - Reed Callum
- Michael TrevinoMichael TrevinoMichael Trevino is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Tyler Lockwood in the CW series The Vampire Diaries.-Early life:...
- Jackson Meade - Chris Gallinger - Phillipe
- Paula BrancatiPaula BrancatiPaula Brancati is a Canadian actress who performs in live theatre, television, and film. She is most notable for her roles as Jenny Zalen on Being Erica, Cally Stone on Dark Oracle and Jane Vaughn on Degrassi: The Next Generation.Brancati was born in Markham, Ontario, Canada. She is a fan of Al...
- Sarah Van Dyke - Christian SerratosChristian SerratosChristian Marie Serratos is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Angela Weber in Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse, which are based on the Twilight novels by Stephenie Meyer.-Early life:...
- Heather Perez - Alex HoodAlex HoodAlex Hood, also called Alex Hodd, is a Canadian actor who is known as the voice of Kenny in Beyblade.Hood has featured in other cartoons such as Arthur and Peep and the Big Wide World ....
- Richie - Sandy RobsonSandy RobsonSandy Wayne Robson is a Canadian actor. He is probably best known for hosting the game show Trash to Treasure and his role as "Dude" in The N's television series About a Girl....
- Thomas - Craig Eldridge - Wilbur Meade
- Sheila McCarthySheila McCarthySheila McCarthy is a Canadian film, stage, television actress, and singer. She is one of the most honoured actors in Canada, having won two Genie Awards , two Gemini Awards , and two Dora Awards among multiple nominations. As of 2007, she can be seen on the Canadian television series Little...
- Fran Walker - Michael Rhoades - Bob Fenwick
- Ron Gabriel - Melvin Melville
- Duane Murray - Big Pete
- Dylan Roberts - Ralph
- Stuart Clow - Keith Walker
Release
- The DVD was released on June 27, 2006 with special features such as behind-the-scenes featurette and music videos.
- Family in Canada first aired Cow Belles on June 30, 2006.
- Cow Belles premiered on Disney ChannelDisney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
Asia on August 6, 2006 (original ending version) and November 19, 2006 (alternate ending version). - Its premiere was watched by over 5.8 million viewers, making it the fifth most viewed Disney Channel Original Movie as of 2007.
- Cow Belles debuted on U.L television on March 29, 2006 to 2.04 million viewers.
- Cow Belles debuted on Disney ChannelDisney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
on June 12, 2009.
Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. Jeff Swindoll of the Monsters and CriticsMonsters and Critics
Monsters and Critics is a web-only entertainment/celebrity news and review publication with movie, DVD, video game, and music reviews, along with political commentary as well as coverage of world news, technology, sports, and science.- Background :...
website said, "Not too bad and a perfect time killer for the kids. I’d suggest a rental for family movie night. Maybe the lessons the girls learn in the [film] will cross over to the audience." Kevin Carr of 7M Pictures said, "Cow Belles follows the Disney formula perfectly. It stars two hot, young singing sensations, who have a contract with the Disney recording branch. If you frequent the Disney Channel often on the dial, you’ll recognize Alyson Michalka as Keely from Phil of the Future
Phil of the Future
Phil of the Future is an American situation comedy that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006 for a total of two seasons. The series was created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber and produced by 2121 Productions, a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment...
. These girls are next in line to take over where Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
and Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
left the stage. Overall, Aly and AJ are decent actors and carry the film as best they can. Aly has a stronger, more mature part, and it shows that she at least has a little more camera time on her sister. However, the casting of the sisters works well as they have good chemistry. Ultimately, these two make a better pair than Haylie
Haylie Duff
Haylie Katherine Duff is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the older sister of actress and singer Hilary Duff...
and Hilary Duff ever did." Commonsense Media said, "Parents need to know that this film might at first seem to tell kids that the sisters' frivolous lifestyle is desirable and that their carefree, irresponsible behavior is something to aspire to. But things turn around when the girls finally realize the value of hard-earned money, learn about responsibility, and gain respect for people who must work for a living. While adults may not find this quick turnaround believable, the movie's overall intention is good." Ultimate Disney
Ultimate Disney
The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD is a website dedicated to covering Walt Disney home video releases with a focus on Disney DVD and Blu-ray. The site has been online since 2001 and acquired its own domain and online forum in 2003...
reviewed the DVD saying "Cow Belles has its fair share of flaws but redeems itself with a solid story and a surprise or two by the end. Like the milk in the movie, the bonus features are skim, and the audio/video presentation could use some improvement. The price tag for this one is a little higher than your average DCOM too, so a purchase may not be quite warranted. Still, those who have taken a liking to Disney Channel features in the past should give this one a try, so a rental is recommended."