Aquamarine (film)

Infobox_Film
name = Aquamarine


caption = Promotional poster for "Aquamarine".
writer = Alice Hoffman (novel),
Jessica Bendinger,
John Quaintance
starring = Emma Roberts
Sara Paxton
Joanna "JoJo" Levesque
director = Elizabeth Allen
producer = Susan Cartsonis
distributor = 20th Century Fox
released = March 3, 2006
runtime = 100 Minutes
country = flag|United States
filmed = flag|Australia
language = English
budget = $12 million
amg_id = 1:323755
imdb_id = 0429591

"Aquamarine" is an American 2006 film starring Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Emma Roberts and Sara Paxton. The film was released in North America on March 3, 2006. The movie, loosely based on a children's book on the same name by Alice Hoffman, and directed by American Director Elizabeth Allen was filmed in Queensland, Australia

Tagline: "A Fish-Out-Of-Water Comedy."

Plot

Two teenage best friends, Claire (Emma Roberts) and Hailey (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque) regret that they will be separated in five days, since Hailey has to move to Australia because of her mother's job. One night, after a violent storm they find a mermaid, named Aquamarine (Sara Paxton) in the swimming pool of their beach club. The girls are frightened at first, but then curious. They start to talk with Aquamarine and promise her they will be back in the morning.

When they return, they find Aquamarine in the beach's snack shack, but with a human body instead of a mermaid's. Aquamarine tells them she can assume human form on land during the day if she does not get wet. Claire and Hailey befriend Aquamarine, who tells them that she came to land to find love, an idea she knows nothing about, but desires desperately. She tells them that she made a deal with her father: if she finds love in three days, she will not undergo an arranged marriage. She immediately notices a handsome lifeguard named Raymond (Jake McDorman) and enlists the help of the two girls to win his heart in return for the granting of a wish. The girls see their opportunity to keep Hailey from moving and immediately start helping her.

Claire and Hailey's rival — a spoiled, rich girl, Cecilia (Arielle Kebbel) — tries her best to stop them, but fails. Also prominent is an eccentric, compassionate caretaker, Leonard, who rescues Aquamarine from public discovery. Eventually, it is not Raymond that convinces Aquamarine that humans can love, but Claire and Hailey, who are willing to give up their wish and their lives in the aiding of a friend. Raymond and Aquamarine share a kiss and promise to meet up again in the future, Raymond promises he'll wait for her. Hailey and Claire get their wish from Aquamarine, but decide not to use it until later.But it is mentioned that they plan to use it to make sure all three of them can visit each other every summer.

Cast

* Sara Paxton ... Aquamarine
* Jake McDorman ... Raymond
* Joanna "JoJo" Levesque ... Hailey Rogers
* Emma Roberts ... Claire Brown
* Arielle Kebbel ... Cecilia Banks
* Claudia Karvan ... Ginny Rogers
* Bruce Spence ... Leonard
* Tammin Sursok ... Marjorie
* Roy Billing ... Grandpa Bob
* Julia Blake ... Grandma Maggie
* Shaun Micallef ... Storm Banks
* Lulu McClatchy ... Bonnie
* Natasha Cunningham ... Patty
* Dichen Lachman ... Beth-Ann
* Lincoln Lewis ... Theo

* Not credited on-screen.

Production

The movie, which is set in Florida, was filmed in Australia, with some scenes filmed at Sea World marine park in Gold Coast. Various background items and props give away the location, just as the magazines read by the girls in the film.

The producers only employed five actors from the USA; the actors who portrayed Hailey, Claire, Aquamarine, Cecilia and Raymond. The rest were Australian actors, some of whom are well-known in Australia. Roy Billing and Julia Blake, who play Claire's grandparents, have had long distinguished acting careers. Claudia Karvan, who plays Hailey's mother is an award winning TV star. Tammin Sursok (Marjorie) is a TV and pop star. Shaun Micalleff (Cecilia's father) is an Australian comedian and TV presenter. Bruce Spence (Leonard) has had a long Australian career and is remembered for his role in "The Road Warrior". Dichen Lachman (Beth-Ann) used to play Katya Kinski in "Neighbours." Lincoln Lewis is known in Australia & The UK as Home & Away teen Geoff Campbell.

Sara Paxton required two and a half hours to don and remove Aquamarine's tail. The tail was heavy for the actress to wear, weighing over 100 pounds and was around eight feet long. Paxton took a month of swimming lessons beforehand.

Differences From the Book

*In the novel, The Capri Beach Club is condemned to be destroyed. In the film, the Club is considered to be a popular club, whom everyone visits for most of the day.

*In the film, Claire's family owns the Capri Beach Club, in the novel, this isn't so. However Claire, Hailey are the only visitors, and Raymond is the only employee.

*In the film, Raymond is a lifeguard. In the novel, he works at the Snack Shack.

*In the film, Hailey is moving away because of her mother's job as a marine biologist who received a great honor by moving to Australia and to help with the Great Barrier Reef. In the novel, Claire's family is moving away to Florida to escape the harsh winters.

*In the movie Hailey is moving but in book Claire is.

*In the film, Claire and Hailey live in Baybridge, a suburb of Tampa, Florida.

*In the film, Aquamarine is able to change her mermaid's tail, into legs. In the novel, however this is impossible. Aquamarine wore a long blue gown adorned with seashells to cover her tail, while sitting in a wheelchair.

*In the film, Aquamarine has mostly blonde hair with some blue highlights. In the novel, her hair is completely blue.

*In the novel, a mermaid cannot survive being away from the ocean for more than one week. In the film, they can be on land as long as they like, but they have to be in water before sunset.

*In the film, Aquamarine left home because she wanted to marry for love, and prove to her father that love exists. In the novel, Aquamarine just wanted Raymond to love her because she loved him.

*Love in the mermaid's world is never mentioned in the novel.

*In the film, "If you help a mermaid, you get a wish." This is never said in the book.

*In the novel, Leonard is nonexistent.

*In the novel, Cecilia is nonexistent.

*In the novel, Raymond loves Aquamarine, even more after he discovers her secret. In the film, however, he admits he only "really, really likes her." And loves her only a bit more after he discovers her secret.

* In the movie, when Aquamarine says crab, she means crap. Also when she says bullshark in the movie, she meant bullshit.

Original soundtrack

Infobox Album
Name = Aquamarine
Type = soundtrack
Artist = various artists


Released = February 21, 2006
Recorded =
Genre = Pop
Length =
Label =
Producer =
Reviews =
Last album =
This album =
Next album =

The soundtrack was released on February 21, 2006.

#Cheyenne Kimball – "One Original Thing"
#Nikki Flores – "Strike"
#Sara Paxton – "Connected"
#Teddy Geiger – "Gentleman"
#Teitur – "One and Only"
#Atomic Kitten – "Right Now"
#Emma Roberts – "Island in the Sun"
#Jonas Brothers – "Time For Me To Fly"
#Courtney Jaye – "Can't Behave"
#Nikki Cleary – "Summertime Guys"
#Mandy Moore – "One Way or Another"
#Stellastarr – "Sweet Troubled Soul"
#Bodyrockers – "I Like the Way You Move"

Original Film Score by Dave Hirschfelder

# Main Titles
# The Storm
# Washed Ashore
# Claire Falls In
# Meeting Aqua
# The Next Morning / Shell Phone Call
# Making The Deal
# Ray & Aqua / Magazines
# Paddleboat Date
# The Water Tower
# Hailey Rides The Dolphins
# Aqua’s Decision
# First Kiss
# Cecilia Climbs The Tower
# Hailey And Claire Argue
# The Pier / Storm / The Buoy
# The Tear / Goodbyes
# Finale

Additionally, in 2008 La-La Land Records released a limited edition CD (1000 pressings) of David Hirschfelder's score for the movie.

Box office

* "Aquamarine" was mildly successful. The film grossed $18.6 million at the United States box office and a total of $22.9 million worldwide. Additionally the film has grossed 42 million dollars in DVD rentals and DVD sales. The budget was $12 million.

DVD release

The film was released on DVD on June 13, 2006. The special features included are as follows:
* Widescreen & Full Screen Presentations (Flipper Disc)
* English DD5.1 Surround
* French & Spanish Dolby Surround
* English & Spanish subtitles
* Scene Specific Cast Commentary
* Director and Producer Commentary
* 6 Deleted Scenes
* Featurettes including one looking at Auditions

References

External links

* [http://www.aquamarinemovie.com/ Official site]
*imdb title|id=0429591|title=Aquamarine
*ymovies title|1808665827
*rotten-tomatoes|id=aquamarine|title=Aquamarine
*mojo title|id=aquamarine|title=Aquamarine
* [http://www.oregonherald.com/reviews/mark-sells/interviews/sara_paxton.html Interview with Sara Paxton]