The Even Stevens Movie

The Even Stevens Movie is a 2003 American Disney Channel Original Movie that is based on the Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. It premiered on June 13, 2003, serving as the series finale. The movie drew an audience of 5.1 million viewers.

Plot
Eileen and Steve Stevens are wanting their family to spend a memorable summer vacation together, it being the last time they will all be together before their oldest son Donnie leaves for college. While their younger son Louis is happy to spend the summer lounging, their daughter Ren is heartbroken when her aloof boyfriend Gill breaks up with her. To take her mind off him, she accepts a job babysitting Bernard "Beans" Aranguren, who moves in with the family for three weeks while his parents are in Helsinki.

The Stevens are visited by Miles McDermott of the state department, who offers the family a trip to the South Pacific island of Mandelino to serve as goodwill ambassadors. With all except Louis excited by the prospect, the family and Beans fly out to Mandelino. Though they are at first welcomed by the locals, Louis accidentally destroys the island's sacred palace, and the locals shun them. 

Facing a two-week wait before they can return home, tensions start to rise between the group. Unbeknownst to them, this is by design: they are in fact on a reality TV series called Family Fakeout, hosted by Miles, who is determined to make the show a success after being ousted as producer of another hidden camera show called Gotcha!. Miles creates more tensions within the family, which splits into two factions: Steve, Ren and Beans vs. Eileen, Donnie and Louis. Ren seeks solace with Jason, an actor playing a local called Mootai, who is told to romance her to boost ratings.

Louis's friend Alan Twitty, being the one who set up the Stevens, is overcome with guilt after seeing how they are treated on the show. After he and Louis's girlfriend Tawny Dean learn the family is actually on nearby Catalona Island, they sail out to rescue them. Shortly after arriving, they are separated, and Twitty is intercepted by the show staff but escapes by posing as an actor. Jason breaks character and almost tells Ren the truth when he is stopped by other native actors. After Miles has them tell Ren that Louis informed them about her and Mootai, Ren vows vengeance on her brother.

Twitty cuts the live feed and while technicians work to get it running again he and Tawny find the family and tell them the truth. When the feed comes back, an enraged Ren begins pursuing Louis, threatening to kill him. She corners Louis on a cliff and despite pleas to stop from the family and Miles, who confesses the truth, she pushes Louis off the edge. As Miles breaks down in guilt, Lance LeBow, the host of Gotcha!, appears in a helicopter with Louis safely in tow. While the feed was out, the family planned the prank to get back at Miles, ending his show and career in the process.

Louis tells Ren that while he may play pranks on her, he would never do anything to hurt her. Jason apologizes to Ren for leading her on and confesses that his feelings for her were real. The family returns home to Sacramento, where Ren and Jason begin a relationship, Donnie goes to college, Steve accepts a new job and Louis goes back to lounging.

Cast
 Shia LaBeouf as Louis Stevens
 Christy Carlson Romano as Ren Stevens
 Donna Pescow as Eileen Stevens
 Tom Virtue as Steve Stevens
 Nick Spano as Donnie Stevens
 Steven Anthony Lawrence as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren, Louis's young sidekick
 Tim Meadows as Miles McDermott, the host of Family Fakeout
 A.J. Trauth as Alan Twitty, Louis's best friend
 Margo Harshman as Tawny Dean, Louis's girlfriend
 Fred Meyers as Tom Gribalski, Louis's intelligent friend
 Dave Coulier as Lance LeBow, the host of Gotcha
 Keone Young as "Chief Tuka", an actor who portrays an island native leader
 Lauren Frost as Ruby Mendel, one of Ren's friends
 Kenya Williams as Monique Taylor, one of Ren's friends
 Jim Wise as Coach Tugnut, Lawrence Junior High School's gym teacher
 Eric “Ty” Hodges as Larry Beale, Ren's rival classmate
 Walker Howard as "Laylo" / Patrick Green, an actor who portrays an island native and Donnie's former classmate
 Josh Keaton as "Mootai" / Jason Holdstead, an actor who portrays an island native
 Kyle Gibson as Gill
 George Anthony Bell as Principal Conrad Wexler, the head of Lawrence Junior High
 Toni Dugan as Keith
 Matthew Yang King as Scott
 Daniele O’Loughlin as Brooke
 Jody Howard as Cynthia Mills

Reception
The Even Stevens Movie was the most-watched cable program on June 13, 2003, including dominating among children ages 6–11 and tweens 9–14, and drawing 5.1 million total viewers.

Home media
The Even Stevens Movie was released on DVD and VHS on June 28, 2005 in Region 1 countries.

The film is available for purchase on iTunes store in non-cropped Widescreen.

As of November 12, 2019, the film, along with the series, are available to stream on Disney+

See also
 List of American films of 2003

References

External links

 

2003 television films
2003 films
American adventure comedy films
Disney Channel Original Movie films
Reality television series parodies
American television series finales
Brookwell McNamara Entertainment films
Films set in California
Films set on islands
American television films
Films about vacationing
Films shot in Hawaii
Television films based on television series
Films about television
Films directed by Sean McNamara
Films scored by Mark Mothersbaugh
2000s American films