Recess: All Growed Down (2003) (V)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Directors:

Howy Parkins
Brenda Piluso

Writers:

Elijah Aron (writer)
Bart Jennett (writer)

Release Date:

9 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Even kindergartners deserve a little respect.

Plot:

Cast

Rickey D'Shon Collins	...	Vince (voice)
Jason Davis	...	Mikey (voice)
Myles Jeffrey	...	T.J. Detweiler (voice)
Ashley Johnson	...	Gretchen (voice)

Runtime:

61 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:G

Movie Connections:

Follows "Recess" (1997)

Quiet And Polite, version 1.31

I purchased this because it is an Ashley Johnson. She has completed her films as a girl, and many are not easily available, not uncommon. Lionheart (1990), Annie 2 1995, Dancer (1998), What Women Want 2000, these tell me that there is interesting stuff there.

Her role here is as the voice of an animated character. This is her as a young woman. I guessed who Gretchen was by glancing at a pic and as soon as Gretchen spoke I recognised her as Gretchen. This is blatantly Ashley. But something feeling wrong. Is that me or what? That is a lot about what this comment got written for.

I found the story solid and okay. It being written in ten minute chunks means that it could be useful coffee break stuff too, cartoon nibbles, as with Mona The Vampire.

*

I tend to have qualms about young women acting the roles of girls, here age 9 and 5, but here it fits for me as it is the voice that she does. The nearly 8 Mara playing the nearly 7 Matilda felt okay. The 10ish Ashley playing the 10ish Annie as my ideal. I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007) plays games with that, the Go Girl teen lead is age 40.

Recess, characters such as Mikey and Spinelli stood out as solid. My problem is Gretchen seeming distant and flat, as if her soundtrack was processed wrong. I am used to Ashley J having a very real screen presence, visual and sound, an unusual power that is not singing for me here. Is this me not perceiving this DVD right?

Second hearing, the rhythm felt out, how the individuals blended together. But more of the content was feeling solid. I now assume that I am experiencing a problem that – the accommodation effect, getting acclimatised to its ways, is likely to calm for me. I found the third viewing to be a whole lot better.

Girl Interrupted. In my comments I mentioned that the author looked mangled, as if her stay in the institution had not really helped. That is from how she looked in the Making Of, and as soon as my comment was posted that extra started to look and read rather different. I now find that she is looking reasonably in tune. Then I read the book and that is so different that making assumptions about the author from detail in the film just does not click as real.

Nearly No Christmas. I hinted this might be really okay for the very young. I forgot to hint that the diseased DVD visual quality would need healing first.

I am really going chicken on this distant and flat issue.

*

How does this portrayal of junior school compare to reality? I am guessing that Billy Madison 1995 might be closer. Except that this includes a stylised portrayal of a Kindergartner regime with quiet and polite children that reminds me of my education in the UK, 1950's and 60's.

In fiction I find such as Paula Danziger, her Earth To Mathew in particular, as strong reminders of quiet and polite not typically being the good health that I thought it to be at the time. I find this a worthwhile topic.

In this, Kindergarten is age 5 and the next step is grade 1. That surprised me as I had thought that grade 1 USA was age 5, as the UK when grades are mentioned here. No. So Scottish Hogwarts of ages 11 to 17-18 as USA grade 6 to 12, and Harriet The Spy, being grade 6 USA, as age 11 going to 12, the year of Hogwarts entry. Stories often assume that this sort of detail is well known, or not relevant?

Things would never be simple? Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice series of novels, rather excellent, uses year numbers to show Alice's progress through Chicago and Washington USA middle and upper schools. Years 1 to 13, 13 being grade 12.

*

The DVD I have has this 58ish minute feature plus three additional eleven-ish minute episodes, which are: The Challenge - The Story Of Whomps - One Stayed Clean

I only recognise Ashley in the cast, but as the feature page at 2007 was short on cast details, I included the end credits cast list and found these fun for word games.

Rickey D'Shon Collins - Vince

Jason Davis - Mikey

Ashley Johnson - Gretchen

Andrew Lawrence - Theodore J. 'T.J.' Detweiler

Ross Malinger - Theodore J. 'T.J.' Detweiler

Myles Jeffrey - Theodore J. 'T.J.' Detweiler

Courtland Mead - Gus

Pamela Adlon - Spinelli

Allyce Beasley - Miss Alordayne Grotkey

April Winchell - Miss Muriel P Finster

Dabney Coleman - Principal Peter Prickly

Ryan O'Donohue - Digger Dave

Sam McMurray - Lt. Griswald

Anndi McAfee - Ashley 'Ashley A' Armbruster

Rachel Crane - Ashley 'Ashley Q' Quinlan

Toran Caudell - King Bob

Klee Bragger - Digger Sam

Aria Noelle Curzon - Theresa 'Cornchip Girl' LaMaise

Elizabeth Daily - Digger #1

Jane Curtin

Danny Cooksley

Miles Morisco

Justin Shenkarow - Gelman

Kath Soucie - Butch

Michael Shulman - Francis the Hustler Kid

Francesca Smith - Upside-Down Girl

Erik von Detten - Erwin Lawson

Patricia Renna

Aaron Spann

Tara Strong