Hatching Pete
Encyclopedia
Hatching Pete is a 2009 Disney Channel Original Movie which first aired on April 10, 2009 on Disney Channel UK and later Disney Channel
and Family. It was released on DVD in America on May 12, 2009 together with Dadnapped
.
It is the first Disney Channel Original Movie to air in the UK first. It first aired in America on April 24, 2009.
) is a teenager who is extremely shy & a total introvert. While he has other friends, he prefers to keep company with his best friend Cleatus Poole (Mitchel Musso
), a goofball who is exactly the opposite type & prefers to say exactly what is on his mind, no matter the consequences. In other words, he is an extrovert, unlike his friend Pete.
Due to a longstanding family tradition, Cleatus' family encourages him to become the school mascot for the Brewster Roosters,in Wooster Ohio, nicknamed affectionately as "The Chicken," which he reluctantly agrees to do. Pete, harboring a small crush on Cleatus' sister, Cammie Poole (Madison Riley
), goes to a basketball
game practice to ask her out on a date.
At the game, Pete runs into some frustration when his Biology teacher does not recognize him and when he finally approaches Cammie to ask her out, he struggles to get the words out, only to discover that she has a boyfriend, the captain of the basketball team Dill (Crawford Wilson
). Rejected, Pete goes home. His father tells him that to get Cammie's attention, he has to give her something to notice.
On their way to the Brewster High basketball game, Cleatus comes over to ask Pete for a favor. He has two problems with being the mascot; the first is that few people seem to think that he is funny, and his lackluster performances only match the team's dismal performances on the court because the team is on a losing streak (at one point, the coach even remarks that they only had 20 points in the entire previous season). Cleatus' second problem is that he has an allergy to the suit, which causes him to sneeze violently every time he puts it on. Uncomfortable with the sweating, congestion, and swelling joints that he gets whenever he dons the suit, he pleads for Pete to wear the chicken mascot suit instead. As part of the bargain, Cleatus tells Pete he will get his sister on a date with him, and he agrees.
Pete's first game as "The Chicken," gets off to a rocky start. He gets to the door and is knocked over, and initially wants to go home. However, when the audience (and cheerleaders) laugh at his recovery, he realizes he has gotten Cammie's attention and starts to be more adventurous inside the suit. During the game, he annoys the players on the team and Coach Mackey (Brian Stepanek
) but becomes a favorite with the audience, the students and the cheerleaders. With the team itself performing badly, Pete's antics as the mascot are the most entertaining part of the game.
The next day, Cleatus is congratulated on "his" performance as mascot, and finally noticed by his crush, head cheerleader Jamie Wynn (Tiffany Thornton
), but he is nearly beaten up by the basketball team in retaliation from Pete's antics the night before. Before it gets out of hand, Cleatus is saved by Coach Mackey, who will be fired if there is no mascot. Afterwards, Cleatus comes to see Pete and asks him what he did. Because Pete cannot describe it, Cleatus decides Pete can still be the chicken while he hides in the stands. By hiding in plain sight (with a face painted in team colors and a wig), Cleatus can keep track of "The Chicken's" performances and be on standby if the two need to switch places in a hurry.
During one of the biology lessons, Pete meets cheerleader Angela Morrisey (Josie Loren) and starts crushing on her. They are both chosen for the parade float committee. Angela comes up with an idea for the upcoming float's theme using "The Chicken" as the centerpiece for a dance number with the cheerleading team and some children dressed like baby "chicks" who will hatch out of their shells. Even so, the project is ambitious logistically, so the two start trusting each other as Pete starts to find ways to make it work and build the actual props. The two start spending increasing amounts of free time together, initially talking about the float, but later sharing more personal details, becoming fast friends in the process.
On the way to a mid-season game, the basketball team and the cheerleaders begin to wonder why "The Chicken" has suddenly gotten so good at working the crowd. In a close call, the team forces "The Chicken" to unmask on the bus, revealing a sneezing Cleatus underneath. Later, once Pete and Cleatus have switched outfits, Pete does a lengthy performance with the cheerleaders, and as he prepares to leave the court, notices that he is standing next to Angela. Realizing that while he sees her every day, as "The Chicken" he can be more aggressive with his affections, and pretends to "kidnap" her in front of the audience as one of his stunts, which the crowd cheers on. Outside the gym, Pete briefly makes a few romantic advances to Angela, surprised that "Cleatus" is acting this way. As Pete charms her with humor and with a flower, he rushes back to the game before his identity can be compromised.
After a streak of games with building popularity for "The Chicken", Pete then notices that Cleatus is getting the perks of being the mascot, including Jamie Wynn, which angers him at first. As the two talk it over, they realize that they are both actually getting what they want out of the deal. Cleatus gets to keep the family tradition going and get the social perks, whereas Pete really enjoys being "The Chicken" and is surprised to discover his own sense of accomplishment and newfound confidence.
During the game a player is about to run into the cheerleaders. Pete picks up Angela, like an impulse while Jamie is knocked over and then begins to cry because her nose is bleeding. As the first time that "The Chicken" (presumably Cleatus) has snubbed his "girlfriend" in favor of Angela, both Pete and Cleatus worry that they may have revealed too much. Afterward, Angela thanks Poole and is about to kiss him, but Pete stops it.
Later, at the float committee, Angela is missing. Pete finds her crying. She got dumped in a text message. Later, the town shows up en masse for the festival and "The Chicken" is a big hit along with the float and the cheerleaders perform alongside Pete in a choreographed dance number. During the song, Cleatus (in disguise as Pecos Bill
) is pulled onto the float and his identity is accidentally revealed. With his parents in shock, and the townspeople slowly realizing that they have been fooled, the situation causes Pete to panic and he runs only to have almost the entire town in pursuit.
Pete gets away by stealing the Sheriff's car, which was being used in the parade. He changes out of the suit and leaves it hidden away to rejoin the town. Shortly after, Angela sees him walking and offers him a ride. When the two talk, Pete considers coming clean when Angela expresses relief that "The Chicken" is not Cleatus after all because of her developing romantic feelings for whomever is inside. However, when she confesses that she is not sure about how finding out who is inside the suit will affect these feelings, Pete decides to keep the mystery alive by retiring.
Meanwhile, Cleatus is being questioned by the sheriff about who was really in the suit. Cleatus doesn't confess and is confronted by his father, who is upset that his son has been lying. When Cleatus admits his allergy, his father forgives him, and reveals that he had the same allergies when he was "The Chicken" in high school. Instead of being disappointed, his father actually praises Cleatus for choosing not to suffer under the pressure and to find his own way out. Apparently, his father always felt like a coward for having continued despite the discomfort.
Afterwards, Cleatus and Pete discuss the future of "The Chicken." Cleatus explains that Pete can continue if he wants to, but that they can leave it alone as a joke that they confess at a future date instead. Based on the adoration that the town shares for "The Chicken" and due to the financial incentives of having people attending the games, the sheriff decides to drop the charges to get the chicken to return, and the principal and basketball coach call an assembly to let "The Chicken" know that there will be no reprisals or formal charges. Pete considers revealing himself, but at the last second remembers that it might mean losing Angela's affections.
The town is disappointed when "The Chicken" does not appear for the next game, but a local journalist gives him the chance to explain himself on television. When he does, he mentions that the magic might be gone, comparing his unmasking to that of The Lone Ranger
once the mystery is gone, it does not come back. At this moment, Angela realizes that Pete is "The Chicken," but chooses to do nothing.
Pete does return during the final game with a high-flying wire stunt to rally both the players and the crowd. With the team facing an undefeated team (and having never won a game during the season), they are close to having their first victory in years. As "The Chicken" rallies the crowd and the team, they start fighting back and closing the gap. During a time out, the audience cheers for the chicken to remove the mascot head, and Pete, remembering what Cleatus said earlier about hiding in his "shell" forever or "hatching" decides to remove the mask and take his chances. As he removes the mask, Angela runs to him and helps revealing that she has known for a while and was hoping that he would reveal himself on his own. Pete is shocked that she knows, but grateful that she never pressured him. The crowd is initially silent, because no one recognizes him, until Cleatus yells, "That's Pete Ivey!" and the crowd cheers the instantly famous mascot. In the audience, Pete's parents are shocked and proud that it is their son, and Cleatus' father compliments them on how good Pete is in the role.
The team finishes with a last second score to win the game, and when the cheerleaders tumble in their celebration, Angela falls on Pete, joking that she had mentioned she was "falling" for a guy in a chicken suit. He then kisses her, and the Brewster Roosters celebrate their only win of the year.
and Tiffany Thornton
, recorded a song together called "Let It Go" for the movie. The song is used during a parade sequence in the movie and gained significant airplay when it was released to Radio Disney
on March 20, 2009. It peaked at number 6 on the station. An accompanying music video was filmed and was released on Disney Channel
on March 28, 2009. The song is featured on the Disney compilation album,"Disney Channel Playlist
," which was released on June 9, 2009. It is also a featured song on Disney Sing It: Pop Hits
, along with the video.
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 Family. It was released on DVD in America on May 12, 2009 together with Dadnapped
Dadnapped
Dadnapped is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered February 16, 2009. Starring actors from Disney Channel Original Series, the movie had 4.6 million viewers for its premiere...
.
It is the first Disney Channel Original Movie to air in the UK first. It first aired in America on April 24, 2009.
Cast
- Jason DolleyJason DolleyJason Scott Dolley , is an American actor and musician, best known for his roles on different Disney Channel projects. These include Newton "Newt" Livingston III on Cory in the House, Virgil Fox in Minutemen, Connor Kennedy in Read It and Weep and Pete Ivey in Hatching Pete...
as Pete Ivey - Mitchel MussoMitchel MussoMitchel Tate Musso is an American actor, singer-songwriter and musician. Musso is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in the Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana, Jeremy Johnson in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb and his role as King Brady in the...
as Cleatus Poole - Josie Loren as Angela Morrissey
- Tiffany ThorntonTiffany ThorntonTiffany Dawn Thornton is an American actress and singer-songwriter best known for her co-starring role as Tawni Hart on the Disney Channel Original Series, Sonny with a Chance and So Random!.- Career:...
as Jamie Wynn - Sean O'BryanSean O'BryanSean O'Bryan is an American film and television actor.-Career:O'Bryan has guest-starred on such television series as MacGyver, Cold Case, Quantum Leap, Murder, She Wrote, Chicago Hope, Roseanne, Six Feet Under, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, Bones, and the middle. He...
as Leon Ivey - Amy FarringtonAmy FarringtonAmy Farrington is an American actress and model that is best known for her role as Stacey Devers on The Michael Richards Show. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts but raised in Garland, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. After attending a musical theatre conservatory program, she worked in local and...
as Doris Ivey - Aramis Knight as Wendell Pate
- Crawford WilsonCrawford WilsonCrawford Wilson is an American actor and voice actor, from Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for playing the lead role in the Nintendo GameCube RPG Baten Kaitos Origins, Sagi...
as Dil Jensen - Edward HerrmannEdward HerrmannEdward Kirk Herrmann is a U.S. television and film actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D...
as The Principal - Brian StepanekBrian StepanekBrian Stepanek is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Arwin Hawkhauser in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
as Coach Mackey - Madison RileyMadison RileyMadison Riley is an American actress.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Camie Poole - Nick WhitakerNick WhitakerNick Whitaker is an American actor who played the lead role in Benji: Off the Leash!.-Career:Whitaker's firsy role was a Chase Patterson in Message in a Cell Phone. He is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has appeared in many church related movies which...
as Floyd
Plot
Pete Ivey (Jason DolleyJason Dolley
Jason Scott Dolley , is an American actor and musician, best known for his roles on different Disney Channel projects. These include Newton "Newt" Livingston III on Cory in the House, Virgil Fox in Minutemen, Connor Kennedy in Read It and Weep and Pete Ivey in Hatching Pete...
) is a teenager who is extremely shy & a total introvert. While he has other friends, he prefers to keep company with his best friend Cleatus Poole (Mitchel Musso
Mitchel Musso
Mitchel Tate Musso is an American actor, singer-songwriter and musician. Musso is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in the Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana, Jeremy Johnson in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb and his role as King Brady in the...
), a goofball who is exactly the opposite type & prefers to say exactly what is on his mind, no matter the consequences. In other words, he is an extrovert, unlike his friend Pete.
Due to a longstanding family tradition, Cleatus' family encourages him to become the school mascot for the Brewster Roosters,in Wooster Ohio, nicknamed affectionately as "The Chicken," which he reluctantly agrees to do. Pete, harboring a small crush on Cleatus' sister, Cammie Poole (Madison Riley
Madison Riley
Madison Riley is an American actress.-Filmography:-External links:...
), goes to a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game practice to ask her out on a date.
At the game, Pete runs into some frustration when his Biology teacher does not recognize him and when he finally approaches Cammie to ask her out, he struggles to get the words out, only to discover that she has a boyfriend, the captain of the basketball team Dill (Crawford Wilson
Crawford Wilson
Crawford Wilson is an American actor and voice actor, from Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for playing the lead role in the Nintendo GameCube RPG Baten Kaitos Origins, Sagi...
). Rejected, Pete goes home. His father tells him that to get Cammie's attention, he has to give her something to notice.
On their way to the Brewster High basketball game, Cleatus comes over to ask Pete for a favor. He has two problems with being the mascot; the first is that few people seem to think that he is funny, and his lackluster performances only match the team's dismal performances on the court because the team is on a losing streak (at one point, the coach even remarks that they only had 20 points in the entire previous season). Cleatus' second problem is that he has an allergy to the suit, which causes him to sneeze violently every time he puts it on. Uncomfortable with the sweating, congestion, and swelling joints that he gets whenever he dons the suit, he pleads for Pete to wear the chicken mascot suit instead. As part of the bargain, Cleatus tells Pete he will get his sister on a date with him, and he agrees.
Pete's first game as "The Chicken," gets off to a rocky start. He gets to the door and is knocked over, and initially wants to go home. However, when the audience (and cheerleaders) laugh at his recovery, he realizes he has gotten Cammie's attention and starts to be more adventurous inside the suit. During the game, he annoys the players on the team and Coach Mackey (Brian Stepanek
Brian Stepanek
Brian Stepanek is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Arwin Hawkhauser in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
) but becomes a favorite with the audience, the students and the cheerleaders. With the team itself performing badly, Pete's antics as the mascot are the most entertaining part of the game.
The next day, Cleatus is congratulated on "his" performance as mascot, and finally noticed by his crush, head cheerleader Jamie Wynn (Tiffany Thornton
Tiffany Thornton
Tiffany Dawn Thornton is an American actress and singer-songwriter best known for her co-starring role as Tawni Hart on the Disney Channel Original Series, Sonny with a Chance and So Random!.- Career:...
), but he is nearly beaten up by the basketball team in retaliation from Pete's antics the night before. Before it gets out of hand, Cleatus is saved by Coach Mackey, who will be fired if there is no mascot. Afterwards, Cleatus comes to see Pete and asks him what he did. Because Pete cannot describe it, Cleatus decides Pete can still be the chicken while he hides in the stands. By hiding in plain sight (with a face painted in team colors and a wig), Cleatus can keep track of "The Chicken's" performances and be on standby if the two need to switch places in a hurry.
During one of the biology lessons, Pete meets cheerleader Angela Morrisey (Josie Loren) and starts crushing on her. They are both chosen for the parade float committee. Angela comes up with an idea for the upcoming float's theme using "The Chicken" as the centerpiece for a dance number with the cheerleading team and some children dressed like baby "chicks" who will hatch out of their shells. Even so, the project is ambitious logistically, so the two start trusting each other as Pete starts to find ways to make it work and build the actual props. The two start spending increasing amounts of free time together, initially talking about the float, but later sharing more personal details, becoming fast friends in the process.
On the way to a mid-season game, the basketball team and the cheerleaders begin to wonder why "The Chicken" has suddenly gotten so good at working the crowd. In a close call, the team forces "The Chicken" to unmask on the bus, revealing a sneezing Cleatus underneath. Later, once Pete and Cleatus have switched outfits, Pete does a lengthy performance with the cheerleaders, and as he prepares to leave the court, notices that he is standing next to Angela. Realizing that while he sees her every day, as "The Chicken" he can be more aggressive with his affections, and pretends to "kidnap" her in front of the audience as one of his stunts, which the crowd cheers on. Outside the gym, Pete briefly makes a few romantic advances to Angela, surprised that "Cleatus" is acting this way. As Pete charms her with humor and with a flower, he rushes back to the game before his identity can be compromised.
After a streak of games with building popularity for "The Chicken", Pete then notices that Cleatus is getting the perks of being the mascot, including Jamie Wynn, which angers him at first. As the two talk it over, they realize that they are both actually getting what they want out of the deal. Cleatus gets to keep the family tradition going and get the social perks, whereas Pete really enjoys being "The Chicken" and is surprised to discover his own sense of accomplishment and newfound confidence.
During the game a player is about to run into the cheerleaders. Pete picks up Angela, like an impulse while Jamie is knocked over and then begins to cry because her nose is bleeding. As the first time that "The Chicken" (presumably Cleatus) has snubbed his "girlfriend" in favor of Angela, both Pete and Cleatus worry that they may have revealed too much. Afterward, Angela thanks Poole and is about to kiss him, but Pete stops it.
Later, at the float committee, Angela is missing. Pete finds her crying. She got dumped in a text message. Later, the town shows up en masse for the festival and "The Chicken" is a big hit along with the float and the cheerleaders perform alongside Pete in a choreographed dance number. During the song, Cleatus (in disguise as Pecos Bill
Pecos Bill
Pecos Bill is an American cowboy, apocryphally immortalized in numerous tall tales of the Old West during American westward expansion into the Southwest of Texas, New Mexico, Southern California, and Arizona. Their stories were probably invented into short stories and book by Edward O'Reilly in the...
) is pulled onto the float and his identity is accidentally revealed. With his parents in shock, and the townspeople slowly realizing that they have been fooled, the situation causes Pete to panic and he runs only to have almost the entire town in pursuit.
Pete gets away by stealing the Sheriff's car, which was being used in the parade. He changes out of the suit and leaves it hidden away to rejoin the town. Shortly after, Angela sees him walking and offers him a ride. When the two talk, Pete considers coming clean when Angela expresses relief that "The Chicken" is not Cleatus after all because of her developing romantic feelings for whomever is inside. However, when she confesses that she is not sure about how finding out who is inside the suit will affect these feelings, Pete decides to keep the mystery alive by retiring.
Meanwhile, Cleatus is being questioned by the sheriff about who was really in the suit. Cleatus doesn't confess and is confronted by his father, who is upset that his son has been lying. When Cleatus admits his allergy, his father forgives him, and reveals that he had the same allergies when he was "The Chicken" in high school. Instead of being disappointed, his father actually praises Cleatus for choosing not to suffer under the pressure and to find his own way out. Apparently, his father always felt like a coward for having continued despite the discomfort.
Afterwards, Cleatus and Pete discuss the future of "The Chicken." Cleatus explains that Pete can continue if he wants to, but that they can leave it alone as a joke that they confess at a future date instead. Based on the adoration that the town shares for "The Chicken" and due to the financial incentives of having people attending the games, the sheriff decides to drop the charges to get the chicken to return, and the principal and basketball coach call an assembly to let "The Chicken" know that there will be no reprisals or formal charges. Pete considers revealing himself, but at the last second remembers that it might mean losing Angela's affections.
The town is disappointed when "The Chicken" does not appear for the next game, but a local journalist gives him the chance to explain himself on television. When he does, he mentions that the magic might be gone, comparing his unmasking to that of The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
once the mystery is gone, it does not come back. At this moment, Angela realizes that Pete is "The Chicken," but chooses to do nothing.
Pete does return during the final game with a high-flying wire stunt to rally both the players and the crowd. With the team facing an undefeated team (and having never won a game during the season), they are close to having their first victory in years. As "The Chicken" rallies the crowd and the team, they start fighting back and closing the gap. During a time out, the audience cheers for the chicken to remove the mascot head, and Pete, remembering what Cleatus said earlier about hiding in his "shell" forever or "hatching" decides to remove the mask and take his chances. As he removes the mask, Angela runs to him and helps revealing that she has known for a while and was hoping that he would reveal himself on his own. Pete is shocked that she knows, but grateful that she never pressured him. The crowd is initially silent, because no one recognizes him, until Cleatus yells, "That's Pete Ivey!" and the crowd cheers the instantly famous mascot. In the audience, Pete's parents are shocked and proud that it is their son, and Cleatus' father compliments them on how good Pete is in the role.
The team finishes with a last second score to win the game, and when the cheerleaders tumble in their celebration, Angela falls on Pete, joking that she had mentioned she was "falling" for a guy in a chicken suit. He then kisses her, and the Brewster Roosters celebrate their only win of the year.
Music
Co-stars of the movie, Mitchel MussoMitchel Musso
Mitchel Tate Musso is an American actor, singer-songwriter and musician. Musso is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in the Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana, Jeremy Johnson in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb and his role as King Brady in the...
and Tiffany Thornton
Tiffany Thornton
Tiffany Dawn Thornton is an American actress and singer-songwriter best known for her co-starring role as Tawni Hart on the Disney Channel Original Series, Sonny with a Chance and So Random!.- Career:...
, recorded a song together called "Let It Go" for the movie. The song is used during a parade sequence in the movie and gained significant airplay when it was released to Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
on March 20, 2009. It peaked at number 6 on the station. An accompanying music video was filmed and was released on 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...
on March 28, 2009. The song is featured on the Disney compilation album,"Disney Channel Playlist
Disney Channel Playlist
Disney Channel Playlist is a compilation album of music used in Disney Channel Original Series as well as Disney Channel Original Movies. It was released on June 9, 2009.-Tracklisting:...
," which was released on June 9, 2009. It is also a featured song on Disney Sing It: Pop Hits
Disney Sing It: Pop Hits
Disney Sing It: Pop Hits is a karaoke video game and sequel to High School Musical: Sing It!, Disney Sing It and Disney Sing It! – High School Musical 3: Senior Year. It was released on October 6, 2009 across multiple platforms. Unlike the previous two releases in the Sing It series, Pop Hits does...
, along with the video.