THE MOVIE PAGES presents ZACK EFRON & LESLIE MANN in 17 AGAIN 17again.htm

What Do The Critics Say?

"Many people will have put Zac Efron in a box as just another pretty guy who is great to look at but talent wise is a one trick pony. Those Doubting Thomas’ might want to think again. It’s a simple film with some good, clean, sweet and funny moments that will give you a good feeling. The cast play second fiddle to Zac who shows he has star quality but they all do their bit to make this a fun ride."
Simon Thompson HEART 106.2
"The tween and teen sensation that is Zac Efron displays his supernova star wattage once more with this reversal of the classic kids’ film Big. Three stars for its undemanding fun and occasional wry barb about lost youth. But, add one or even two more stars depending on how much bedroom wall space Zac currently commands."
Rob Daniel SKY MOVIES
"Efron is an extremely likeable lead (High School Musical fans should note there's some dancing but no singing) and proves a surprisingly good dramatic actor to boot. A lot of fun, thanks to likeable performances and an engaging script."
Matthew Turner VIEWLONDON
"Even if you’re immune to Efron’s Valley Boy looks, he carries the film; he’s charming, engaging and funny as he conveys a protagonist trying to unite past and present selves (though no way do you believe that Perry is the same character). Sidekick Thomas Lennon plays a pointy-eared geek stereotype that’s two decades out of date, but with a superlative payoff." Safety alert: see 17 Again at the wrong time and you’ll be swamped by screaming teens."
Andrew Osmond SFX MAGAZINE

"Locating Efron in a high school is not just a story lift but a clever piece of product placement: as the star of the phenomenal High School Musical hits. Despite ludicrous prettiness, with a pesky fringe and a boyish facility for spinning a basketball on one digit, he opens up a comic range unsuspected as HSM's catalogue modelesque Troy Bolton. He comes across as knowing, ironic, smart. It's not a fair world, is it? Perry, too, is equal to the script and all too credible as a man who's not lived up to his early promise."
Victor Olliver TELETEXT
"If "17 Again," the innocuously charming, utterly predictable comedy will be popular at the box office (and I think it will) it may prove to be a turning point for youth heartthrob Zac Efron, who gives a career-making performance on his way to major Hollywood stardom. Matthew Perry also gives a good performance as the lovable, put-upon guy, who initially is just wallowing in self-pity."
Emanuel Levy EMANUELLEVY
"17 Again. Or, as you might already know it: It's Back To The Wonderful Big Future Life, School Musical 3. Parents be warned: 17 Again is a hell of a lot fruitier than the clean-cut High School Musical franchise. But that's no bad thing. Zac gets his shirt off, a lot. But some of it has a naughty, even taboo-breaking edge. He may be the first Disney Channel star to make the jump from tween idol to a proper big-screen star."
Robbie Collin NEWS OF THE WORLD
"Director Burr Steers keeps it real and we have genuine affection for Mike and the new problems he encounters a generation later, when he becomes 17 Again. Being 17 has never been so enticing! Guaranteed to lift your spirits, make you laugh and charm your socks off, this body switch comedy is wild, wacky and wonderful. Lennon's self-professed dork Ned is the big scene stealer as he shamelessly woos Melora Hardin's stitched up School Principal Jane Masterson."
Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE

The Inside Story At 17, Mike O’Donnell is young and in love and thinks he has all the answers. The problem is he doesn’t even know the questions. And years later, he finds himself wishing he could retake the test. But as the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for." Zac Efron, who stars as Mike O’Donnell at age 17 and at 17 again, notes, "It’s that grand idea of being able to go back and change the whole trajectory of your life. If you went back armed with the knowledge that you have now, what decisions would you alter and what would the outcome be?" "I think anyone can relate to being stuck on that seminal moment when a decision led you down a certain path in life, and always wondering: if you could go back and take the other route, would you?," says director Burr Steers. The screenplay for "17 Again" was written by Jason Filardi, who says that it’s not just a matter of getting a do-over. The key is retaining the memories of the first time around and trying not to follow in your old footsteps. "I have always thought there was a lot of comic potential in the saying 'If only I knew then what I know now'. As an adult going back to high school, you would assume knowledge is power. I mean, you would know how to work the teachers, the cliques, the sports. It would be a dream come true, right?" Well, maybe not. "It all goes back to that fundamental idea of appreciating what we have in life and not taking anything for granted, which is a recurring theme for me, both in my personal life and in my work. Our hero, Mike O’Donnell, is at a crossroads and is disappointed in how his life turned out. And, apparently, when a man who is not where he wants to be holds a mirror up, he prefers to see Zac Efron’s face," Producer Adam Shankman ("Premonition") notes. That’s understandable he says, considering "when you look at him through the camera, it’s just extraordinary. Zac just has that indefinable 'It' factor. But he is also very talented and works so hard. He’s extremely dedicated; he puts so much into everything he does, and I’ve watched him grow leaps and bounds over the last few years." In fact, when Shankman and his producing partner and sister, Jennifer Gibgot, got the "17 Again" script from Filardi, they immediately saw it as a perfect starring vehicle for Efron. "We thought this would be a great opportunity to cast Zac outside of the musical comedy mold. We knew how funny he could be, and how good he is with physical comedy. He has a lot of layers that most people haven’t had the opportunity to see yet," Gibgot ("Step Up" & "Step Up 2: The Streets") confirmed. Reading the script, the young actor appreciated that the story offered him the chance to take on a role that was literally beyond his years. "That’s what initially drew me to the part,” Efron ("Hairspray") said. "I’ve played teenagers, but it was intriguing to think about playing a guy in his thirties. That’s an area I have no familiarity with. I can relate to playing a kid: I’ve had a first kiss, I’ve had awkward dates, I’ve had fights with my parents. But one thing I’ve never done is gotten into a fight with my teenage daughter. So having no personal experience to draw on was a little intimidating, but, at the same time, it seemed like it would be a lot of fun." With Efron set to star, the producers chose Burr Steers to direct the film. Steers had made his feature film debut with the acclaimed indie hit "Igby Goes Down", which Shankman calls "a great character study. Burr is a terrific actors’ director; that was important to us. When we met with him, he had a really interesting take on the script, which was exciting to us." "When Burr talked about what he loved about the story, it was all the same things that I loved about it," Gibgot recalls.

"The first thing that hooked me about the concept was the combination of heart and humor," the 2003 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival winning director (Best First Time Director for "Igby Goes Down") Steers recalls. "And Adam and Jennifer are such fun, creative people. I was already an admirer of Adam’s work: he did such an amazing job on "Hairspray" and Jennifer is an incredibly effective producer. She has only one agenda: to make the movie better. Then I met with Zac and we really hit it off, and that sealed the deal." 2007 Young Hollywood Award winner Efron ("Hairspray") says he "learned so much from Burr. He taught me a lot about being real in front of the camera, even in a story that takes a leap of faith, and that’s where a lot of the comedy is generated from. I loved working with him." Cinemagoers will agree with Efron, Burr has brought out the best in the talented young actor who shot to stardom thanks to the "High School Musical" trilogy. In "17 Again" he plays two roles: Mike O'Donnell teenage Dawson High basketball star 1989 and, second chance Mike O'Donnell '17 Again' 2009. Mike's second chance comes about courtesy of a wish: a wish to go back in time and change his sad and sorry life. A life which has resulted in a dead-end job, a failing marriage and two teenage kids he barely knows. "At the beginning there were so many doors open to him, but he gave up all those opportunities," Efron explained. "It all came down to that one day for him; if he could go back and play in that game, he could keep his future open. I mean, what if you made one decision that made the rest of your life dull and monotonous? Of course you’d want to go back and change it." Former "Friends" star Matthew Perry (238 episodes between 1994 & 2004) was cast as the adult Mike O’Donnell. "Everybody makes choices they regret in life, but if you’re constantly looking back and I thinking, 'I wish I’d done this or that', you’re always going to be miserable. Mike is unhappy with the way his life turned out and is at the end of his rope. He needs to learn to be a little more grateful for what he has," says Perry ("Fools Rush In" & "The Whole Nine Yards") "a great wife and terrific kids and realize that maybe he is the problem. When I read the script, I liked the character even though he’s so bummed out. I could sympathize with him." "One of the things Matthew does so brilliantly is play the lovable, put-upon guy. That’s what we wanted: somebody who obviously felt all the pain and disappointment but who wasn’t too heavy-handed about it, someone who you could laugh with and be rooting for," say Gibot. "Matthew has an instant likeability factor," adds Steers (who wrote "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"). "That was key to the audience caring about this guy because, initially, Mike is just wallowing in self-pity." Although they have no actual scenes together in the film, Zac Efron and Matthew Perry enjoyed a different kind of collaboration because, as Perry explained, "we were essentially playing the same part. So a lot of the rehearsal process was me reading some of his lines and him reading some of my lines and listening to the way we said certain things. He was also eager to emulate some of my mannerisms, like he noticed I have a tendency to put my hands in my pockets. So he was always watching and observing, but at the same time he was very good at making the role his own." "It was a blast to split the role with Matt," says Efron. "He has an incredible sense of comedic timing with a kind of dryness in his delivery. He’s so naturally funny." While Efron looks at home on the basketball court and appears at ease with a basketball in his hands, playing basketball wasn't one of his natural skills.

"I wasn’t really that good at basketball, so between takes I tried to have a basketball in my hands at all times. I was always spinning or playing around with it until it became like an extension of my body." "Zac was very diligent about that," Shankman said. "It was important to him that, if he was going to be playing an all-star, he was really good with the basketball. After a while he could do all kinds of crazy tricks, and he acquired those skills with a great deal of joy and commitment. I was so proud of him." So how did he maange to pull of such a convincing performance? "Zac worked with some coaches and we choreographed those scenes, but he really hit his shots in the film," says Steers. Becoming "17 again" has its rewards, but there are some unique challenges, too: like the fact that Mike’s wife is now old enough to be his mother. Leslie Mann ("Virgin High" & "The 40 Year Old Virgin"), wife of Judd Apatow and mother of two daughters Maude and Iris was cast as the adult Scarlet O'Donnell. Mikes marriage is on the rocks because Scarlet has grown increasingly frustrated with his inability to let go of the past. "I love any movie that has magic in it and I thought it was a great story," says Mann ("Big Daddy" & "Last Man Standing"). But was that the only reason she took the part? Could there be something more? "My two daughters love him; my older one had pictures of him all over her room," she fessed-up. "And since I’ve worked with him I have to agree that he’s adorable. We had a great time." "I’ve known Leslie for far too long," Shankman says. "She is so brilliant and funny and has a sense of wonder that was perfect for this film. I just knew she would be a terrific fit with both Zac and Matthew, and she had wonderful chemistry with both of them." Mike has moved out of the marital home and in with his longtime friend, Ned Gold. Mike and Ned were opposites in high school. There, Mike was the 'man' while Ned was a geek. Thomas Lennon ("Le divorce") was cast as Ned, who has gone from high school geek to billionaire techno wizz. "We knew it was a scene-stealing role, so we auditioned a lot of people. And when Tom came in, no one had made us laugh harder," Gibot ("The Wedding Planner") recalled. Steers remembers Lennon "was so inventive: just non-stop coming up with great, funny ideas, we actually lost takes because the crew kept cracking up. And the thing that’s even more hilarious about him is that he can be totally straight-faced while doing the most insane things." "You never know what’s going to happen when you’re in a scene with Tom," says Efron. "I really had to be on my toes. Working with Tom was one of my favorite things to do in this movie." Although he is a science fiction fanatic, Ned Gold is unprepared for the fantastical metamorphosis of his now not so old best friend. So when Ned wakes up to find a teenage intruder in his house, he reaches for the closest weapon at hand: a lightsaber. "I think the memorabilia fight is one of the funniest scenes in the movie," Shankman stated. "Our stunt coordinator, Webster Whinery, worked with Zac and Tom to choreograph the scene, and the guys really got into it." How did Lennon prepare for the big fight sequence? "We actually trained for two months. We would go out to the parking lot of the studio, and the stunt coordinator would chase me and swing at me with sticks until I got really good at defending myself." Michelle Trachtenberg plays Mike's daughter Maggie. "I’ve been a fan of Michelle’s for years, so it was a big deal for me to meet her," Efron said. Sterling Knight plays Mike’s son, Alex. "He needed guidance, and he finds what he has been lacking in his new best friend," says Knight, "not knowing it is, in fact, his dad." Synopsis

Class of 1989: Mike O’Donnell is a star on the high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlet and the baby he just learned they are expecting. Almost twenty years later, Mike’s glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlet has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned. But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of seventeen. Unfortunately, Mike may look seventeen again, but his thirty something outlook is totally uncool among the class of 2009. And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him.

The Verdict

"Despite highly credible performances in "High School Musical" and "Hairspray", Zack Efron's role as Mike O'Donnell in "17 Again" marks a defining point in his career. Here he shows he's more than just a good looking kid who can sing and dance. This meaty role has sent his career down a different path. He reminds me of another young actor with a boyish look who made it big: Leonardo DiCaprio, who at nineteen years of age appeared with Johnny Depp in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and just two years later was cast as Jim in "The Basketball Diaries". Efron credits Sierra Award winning Director Burr Speers ("Igby Goes Down") for bringing out the best in him: and I'm sure he was. Speers is to be applauded. But, it wouldn't have happened if Efron didn't have the 'right stuff' within. His fan base, which up till now has been teen based, is set to expand as "17 Again" has great appeal for adult audiences. While he Efron is the 'star' of "17 Again", the film succeeds because it has all the right ingredients: a talented support cast (especially Thomas Lennon), a good script and a hot soundtrack. Very recommended. 4 STARS." Who Plays Who?

Zac Efron
Matthew Perry
Leslie Mann
Thomas Lennon
Melora Hardin
Tyler Steelman
Allison Miller
Sterling Knight
Michelle Trachtenberg
Brian Doyle-Murray
Adam Gregory
Hunter Parrish
Mario Cassem
Katerina Graham
Tiya Sircar
Melissa Ordway
Josie Lopez
Jim Gaffigan
Randy Gordon
Collette Wolfe
Tommy Dewey

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Mike O'Donnell (Teen)
Mike O'Donnell (Adult)
Scarlett O'Donnell (Adult)
Ned Gold
Principal Jane Masterson
Ned Gold (Teen)
Scarlett (Teen)
Alex O'Donnell
Maggie O'Donnell
Janitor
Dom
Stan
Samir
Jaime
Samantha
Lauren
Nicole
Coach Murphy
Photographer
Wendy
Roger

The Production Team

Director
Written by
Producers
Original Music
Cinematography
Film Editor
Casting
Production Designer
Set Decoration Costume Designer

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Burr Steers
Jason Filardi
Jennifer Gibgot & Adam Shankman
Rolfe Kent
im Suhrstedt
Padraic McKinley
Lisa Beach & Sarah Katzman
Garreth Stover
Natalie Pope
Pamela Withers