Odd Girl Out
Encyclopedia
Odd Girl Out is a 2005
drama telefilm starring Alexa Vega
, Lisa Vidal
, Elizabeth Rice
, Alicia Morton
, Leah Pipes
, Shari Dyon Perry, Joey Nappo, and Chad Biagini. First aired April 4, 2005 on Lifetime
, the film is based on the book Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons
. It sheds light into the topic of girls' hostility
and bullying.
) is an admired eighth grader in her school. She has a loving single mother, Barbara (Lisa Vidal
), who is proud of her well-placed daughter. Vanessa is also "in" with the popular clique
, led by her best friend Stacy Larson (Leah Pipes
), the queen bee
, and Nikki Rodriguez (Elizabeth Rice
), who is secretly jealous of Stacy and Vanessa's closeness. On the exterior of the circle is the outsider, Emily (Shari Dyon Perry), and the wannabe, Tiffany (Alicia Morton
), who is dying to make it into the pack.
One day, Nikki tricks Vanessa into getting close to Tony (Chad Biagini), a boy whom Stacy (and somewhat Vanessa) has a crush on. A web of lies, nasty rumors, and manipulation ensues, and Vanessa is ostracized by the clique for "backstabbing" Stacy. Nikki gets Tiffany accepted into the clique, and Tiffany becomes Nikki's sidekick at poisoning others against Vanessa. Although Nikki is the main bully, Stacy plays her part by pretending she's still Vanessa's friend and not stopping the attacks. Vanessa is slowly pushed out of class activities, called names, socially isolated and the worst, her tormentors create a webpage that bashes her.
Emily tries to convince Vanessa not to go running back to the clique, but Vanessa keeps attempting to seek reconciliation with Stacy, to disastrous results. One night, Vanessa has a nervous breakdown
and chops most of her hair off. Then she starts skipping school
, fearing the agony in the hallways. Stacy offers a fake truce to Vanessa, making it look like Vanessa copied one of Stacy's assignments when it was in fact vice versa.
Once Barbara sees printed-out comments on Vanessa's hair, she tries to help by informing the school about the bullying, to no avail as they're unable to take disciplinary action against non-physical bullying. Barbara even tries to talk to Stacy's mother, Denise (Rhoda Griffis
) but only ends up straining their friendship.
Vanessa's spirits are suddenly lifted when Stacy invites her to her birthday party. After preparing, she arrives at a club, which is not the site of the party. When discovering this, Vanessa goes ballistic and takes an overdose
of her mother's sleeping pills
, but survives and just passes out.
In the hospital, Barbara reveals to her daughter that she was also emotionally bullied when she was a teenager, which caused her to encourage Vanessa to stay friends with Stacy. She says that she never dealt with it herself and wished Vanessa would learn self-defense.
During a class session, Emily accuses Stacy of nearly killing Vanessa for her actions. She is also the only one of Vanessa's classmates to visit her in the hospital and befriend her.
Back home, Barbara spots malicious instant messages popping up on Vanessa's computer and sends them to the principal. The culprits, Nikki, Tiffany, and a boy named Ezra (Joey Nappo) would be expelled and not graduate if they deny that they cyber-bullied
Vanessa.
When Vanessa returns to school, Stacy convinces her that she's sorry about the bullying, reuniting them both. They IM each other about how great it is to be best friends again. Then graduation day comes and the final conflict happens when after the ceremony, Nikki and Tiffany read aloud the chat between Vanessa and Stacy, which Stacy had sent to Nikki, and which Nikki had printed out.
Vanessa confronts Stacy in front of the whole class, bringing everything down on her and sees right through her offer of false friendship. A humiliated Stacy flees the school and her two "henchwomen
", Nikki and Tiffany, are left powerless without a leader. The class applauds Vanessa as she hugs Emily, the only true friend she's had. Barbara, who had witnessed the whole exchange, watches with pride as they both leave for an after-party, permanently disbanding the bullying clique.
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
drama telefilm starring Alexa Vega
Alexa Vega
Alexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
, Lisa Vidal
Lisa Vidal
Lisa Vidal is an American film and television actress.-Early years:Vidal was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of Josie, a secretary, and Manny Vidal, a tax consultant and businessman. Her parents moved from Puerto Rico and settled in Manhattan, New York, where Vidal and her two...
, Elizabeth Rice
Elizabeth Rice
Elizabeth Ellen Rice is an American actress.-Awards and nominations:She won the Grand Jury Award in the 2008 Solstice Film Festival for Best Actress for From Within .-Filmography:...
, Alicia Morton
Alicia Morton
Alicia Morton is an American actress and singer.-Biography:Morton started singing when she was 18 months old. When she was 6, she played Molly in Annie at her school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 7 when she landed the part of young Cosette in Broadway's Les Misérables in 1996. Costar Ricky...
, Leah Pipes
Leah Pipes
Leah Marie Pipes is an American actress. She is most notable for starring in the television series Life Is Wild and slasher film remake Sorority Row.-Life and career:...
, Shari Dyon Perry, Joey Nappo, and Chad Biagini. First aired April 4, 2005 on Lifetime
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
, the film is based on the book Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons
Rachel Simmons
Rachel Simmons, born August 10, 1974, is an American author of the book Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls published in 2002. -Background:...
. It sheds light into the topic of girls' hostility
Hostility
Hostility is a form of angry internal rejection or denial in psychology. It is a part of personal construct psychology, developed by George Kelly...
and bullying.
Plot
Vanessa Snyder (Alexa VegaAlexa Vega
Alexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
) is an admired eighth grader in her school. She has a loving single mother, Barbara (Lisa Vidal
Lisa Vidal
Lisa Vidal is an American film and television actress.-Early years:Vidal was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of Josie, a secretary, and Manny Vidal, a tax consultant and businessman. Her parents moved from Puerto Rico and settled in Manhattan, New York, where Vidal and her two...
), who is proud of her well-placed daughter. Vanessa is also "in" with the popular clique
Clique
A clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
, led by her best friend Stacy Larson (Leah Pipes
Leah Pipes
Leah Marie Pipes is an American actress. She is most notable for starring in the television series Life Is Wild and slasher film remake Sorority Row.-Life and career:...
), the queen bee
Queen bee (subculture)
A queen bee is the leader of a female group, a clique's leader, usually a popular young lady. Characteristics often associated to her are a pleasant appearance, charisma, skill in manipulation, and monetary power. She is sometimes portrayed as the Head Cheerleader, Prom Queen, Homecoming Queen,...
, and Nikki Rodriguez (Elizabeth Rice
Elizabeth Rice
Elizabeth Ellen Rice is an American actress.-Awards and nominations:She won the Grand Jury Award in the 2008 Solstice Film Festival for Best Actress for From Within .-Filmography:...
), who is secretly jealous of Stacy and Vanessa's closeness. On the exterior of the circle is the outsider, Emily (Shari Dyon Perry), and the wannabe, Tiffany (Alicia Morton
Alicia Morton
Alicia Morton is an American actress and singer.-Biography:Morton started singing when she was 18 months old. When she was 6, she played Molly in Annie at her school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 7 when she landed the part of young Cosette in Broadway's Les Misérables in 1996. Costar Ricky...
), who is dying to make it into the pack.
One day, Nikki tricks Vanessa into getting close to Tony (Chad Biagini), a boy whom Stacy (and somewhat Vanessa) has a crush on. A web of lies, nasty rumors, and manipulation ensues, and Vanessa is ostracized by the clique for "backstabbing" Stacy. Nikki gets Tiffany accepted into the clique, and Tiffany becomes Nikki's sidekick at poisoning others against Vanessa. Although Nikki is the main bully, Stacy plays her part by pretending she's still Vanessa's friend and not stopping the attacks. Vanessa is slowly pushed out of class activities, called names, socially isolated and the worst, her tormentors create a webpage that bashes her.
Emily tries to convince Vanessa not to go running back to the clique, but Vanessa keeps attempting to seek reconciliation with Stacy, to disastrous results. One night, Vanessa has a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and chops most of her hair off. Then she starts skipping school
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
, fearing the agony in the hallways. Stacy offers a fake truce to Vanessa, making it look like Vanessa copied one of Stacy's assignments when it was in fact vice versa.
Once Barbara sees printed-out comments on Vanessa's hair, she tries to help by informing the school about the bullying, to no avail as they're unable to take disciplinary action against non-physical bullying. Barbara even tries to talk to Stacy's mother, Denise (Rhoda Griffis
Rhoda Griffis
Rhoda Griffis is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing supporting roles both in independent and mainstream films and television.- Life and career :...
) but only ends up straining their friendship.
Vanessa's spirits are suddenly lifted when Stacy invites her to her birthday party. After preparing, she arrives at a club, which is not the site of the party. When discovering this, Vanessa goes ballistic and takes an overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
of her mother's sleeping pills
Hypnotic
Hypnotic drugs are a class of psychoactives whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the treatment of insomnia and in surgical anesthesia...
, but survives and just passes out.
In the hospital, Barbara reveals to her daughter that she was also emotionally bullied when she was a teenager, which caused her to encourage Vanessa to stay friends with Stacy. She says that she never dealt with it herself and wished Vanessa would learn self-defense.
During a class session, Emily accuses Stacy of nearly killing Vanessa for her actions. She is also the only one of Vanessa's classmates to visit her in the hospital and befriend her.
Back home, Barbara spots malicious instant messages popping up on Vanessa's computer and sends them to the principal. The culprits, Nikki, Tiffany, and a boy named Ezra (Joey Nappo) would be expelled and not graduate if they deny that they cyber-bullied
Cyber-bullying
Cyber-bullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it.-Definition:The term...
Vanessa.
When Vanessa returns to school, Stacy convinces her that she's sorry about the bullying, reuniting them both. They IM each other about how great it is to be best friends again. Then graduation day comes and the final conflict happens when after the ceremony, Nikki and Tiffany read aloud the chat between Vanessa and Stacy, which Stacy had sent to Nikki, and which Nikki had printed out.
Vanessa confronts Stacy in front of the whole class, bringing everything down on her and sees right through her offer of false friendship. A humiliated Stacy flees the school and her two "henchwomen
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
", Nikki and Tiffany, are left powerless without a leader. The class applauds Vanessa as she hugs Emily, the only true friend she's had. Barbara, who had witnessed the whole exchange, watches with pride as they both leave for an after-party, permanently disbanding the bullying clique.
Cast
- Alexa VegaAlexa VegaAlexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
as Vanessa Snyder - Lisa VidalLisa VidalLisa Vidal is an American film and television actress.-Early years:Vidal was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of Josie, a secretary, and Manny Vidal, a tax consultant and businessman. Her parents moved from Puerto Rico and settled in Manhattan, New York, where Vidal and her two...
as Barbara Snyder - Leah PipesLeah PipesLeah Marie Pipes is an American actress. She is most notable for starring in the television series Life Is Wild and slasher film remake Sorority Row.-Life and career:...
as Stacy Larson - Elizabeth RiceElizabeth RiceElizabeth Ellen Rice is an American actress.-Awards and nominations:She won the Grand Jury Award in the 2008 Solstice Film Festival for Best Actress for From Within .-Filmography:...
as Nikki Rodriguez - Shari Dyon Perry as Emily
- Alicia MortonAlicia MortonAlicia Morton is an American actress and singer.-Biography:Morton started singing when she was 18 months old. When she was 6, she played Molly in Annie at her school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 7 when she landed the part of young Cosette in Broadway's Les Misérables in 1996. Costar Ricky...
as Tiffany Thompson - Joey Nappo as Ezra
- Rhoda GriffisRhoda GriffisRhoda Griffis is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing supporting roles both in independent and mainstream films and television.- Life and career :...
as Denise Larson - Nancy McLoughlin as Ms. Donnely
- Margo Moorer as Principal Jessup
- Chad Biagini as Tony
- Michael ArataMichael ArataMichael Arata is an American actor and film producer. He began his acting career at age four and has since appeared on stage, in feature films and television programs.Arata was born in New Orleans, Louisiana...
as Dave Larson as Natalie Zamora