Girl on the Roof is a 2001 American Coming of age teenage comedy drama film written by Robert Harling and directed by Scott Hicks starring Matthew MacFadyen, Amy Adams, Elizabeth Banks, Meryl Streep, Josh Radnor, Donald Faison, Fairuza Balk, Eva Mendes, Joel Edgerton, Joseph Kosinski, Christian Bale, Kevin Connolly, Derek Luke and Emilia Fox.
The film is a teenage classic and was awarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
The movie's title derives from the 2001 David Mead hit song of the same name which was released with his album Mine and Yours.
The song is prominetley featured in the film and is available on the soundtrack.
The story of the film had been drafted back in 1996 and had been stalled in various stages of pre-production without a conclusive title, writer Harling felt that without the right title which would feed the film's climax it could not go ahead.
The film was released theatrically on June 22nd, 2001 and released on November 18th, 2001 on DVD.
It was distributed by Warner Bros Pictures.
The Blu-Ray format for the film was released on April 12th, 2008.
The film is set in 1996 and as so the song to which the film derives it's title from and features is not played by a character in the film but rather serves as an end credits song.
Plot
A British Exchange student Anthony Hope (Matthew MacFadyen) comes to Kriesel County, Louisiana to start up a his first freshman year.
There he befriends the school's three most bullied students: Bruce Sommers (Josh Radnor) who has a major yearning for their head tormentor Jonathen Taylor-Gumball's (Christian Bale) graduate girlfriend Beverley Adams (Eva Mendes), Mallick Lumber (Donald Faison) who wants to beat the town's local driver hero Eddie Valens (Derek Luke) and henceforth earn the approval of his father (Frankie Faison) and race-loving, punk girl outcast Slavania Meladone (Fairuza Balk), and lastly Anthony makes best friends with incredibly similiar freshman Les Peterson (Kevin Connolly) who is particularly harassed by the school jocks and just wants to do something rebellious and cool like those who constantly harass him.
As Anthony works his way into their world and he takes notice of Slavania's cousin Kara (Amy Adams) whom she lives with.
Kara has incredibly pale white skin and is constantly picked upon, called horrible names due to her alibinoism.
Kara has a taste for 60's music and is a talented guitarist.
As Anthony plans on winning heart he devises a plan to help his newfound friends get what they want and help Kara garner popularity and appreciation among her peers by making her into Kriesel County's next Jr. Prom Queen.
However the school's most popular cheerleader Vanessa Athens (Elizabeth Banks) who is out to seize the crown to garner respect from her horrible mother (Jessica Lange) and sister (Samantha Mathis) and plans on tearing down Kara who begins to rise to popularity in Kriesel County.
As the big night of Kriesel County's Jr. Prom approaches Anthony works on his friends dreams coming true as he sets up for Bruce to expose bully Jonathen's affair so Beverley will dump him and fall into Bruce's arms, Mallick to sign up for the night's big championship derby race.
And Les to hang the hours out before the prom after party with two rebellious Kriesel County graduates Stevie Cooper (Joel Edgerton) and Albert Lane (Joseph Kosinski) who remain infamous at Kriesel High, unaware they remain infamous as they are big time crooks who then in turn take Les on a wild night of crime which Les fights them on and tries to sort out their issues so in turn to make it to the party, and out of their clutches.
Cast
- Matthew MacFayden as Anthony Hope
- Amy Adams as Kara Meladone
- Elizabeth Banks as Vanessa Athens
- Josh Radnor as Bruce Sommers
- Donald Faison as Mallick Lumber
- Fairuza Balk as Slavania Meladone
- Eva Mendes as Beverley Adams
- Joel Edgerton as Crooked Stevie Cooper
- Joseph Kosinski as Lackey Albert Lane
- Christian Bale as Jonathen Taylor-Gumball
- Kevin Connolly as Les Peterson
- Derek Luke as Edward Valens
- Emilia Fox as Jane Averton
- Meryl Streep as Edna Meladone
- Garry Shandling as Walden Hope
- Patti LuPone as Fran Hope
- Sandy Helberg as Walter Athens
- Jessica Lange as Kimberley Athens
- John Madden as Lucas Sommers
- Vicki Lawrence as Samantha Sommers
- Patrick Kilpatrick as Colvin Cooper
- Robert Lindsay as Evan Peterson
- Joyce DeWitt as Julie Peterson
- Heather Graham as Sally Hope
- Chris O' Donnell as Jeremiah Hope
- Will Arnett as Samuel Sommers
- Craig Parker as Justice Waverley-Gumball
- Oded Fehr as Tomohawk Lane
- Dallas Roberts as Benjamin Peterson
- Samantha Mathis as Clarissa Athens
Soundtrack
- Return Of The Mack- Mark Morrison
- Flava- Peter Andre
- 1,2,3,4 Sumpin' New"- Coolio
- Breakfast At Tiffany's- Deep Blue Something
- Before You Walk Out Of My Life/ "Like This And Like That"- Monica
- Gangsta's Paradise- Coolio featuring L.V
- Wonder- Natalie Merchant
- "You Learn"/You Oughta Know"- Alanis Morisette
- Macarena- Los Del Rio
- El Paso- Marty Robbins
- Running Bear- Johnny Preston
- Teen Angel- Mark Dinning
- I'm Sorry- Brenda Lee
- Girl On The Roof- David Mead