Brittany Murphy

.Coming Soon!

A groom (Ed Burns) and his four attendants wrestle with issues related to friendship and maturity a week before the big day. The story follows the misadventures and confusion of a groom (Ed Burns) and his four groomsmen the week before a wedding. Wrestling with issues of fatherhood, honesty and growing up, the five thirty-somethings discover their extended adolescence might be finally coming to a close. —CartmanKun@aol.com

Stacy (Brittany Murphy) works as an assosiate producer on a tv talk show called Kippie Kann played by Kathy Bates. She is staying with her boyfriend Derek (Ron Livingston) and stumbles upon his 'little black book'. The device shows Stacy that her boyfriend has pictures and phone numbers of several ex-girlfriends. She decides to meet each one of the ex's personally in an attempt to get closer to Dereks past life and ends up becoming friends with one of the ex's. However Stacy is set up by her colleague Barb (Holly Hunter) as she has kept track of everything Stacy has done with the Palm Pilot -the little black book- and stages her on a live performance of the talk show and Stacy ends up losing her boyfriend to the ex she became friends with. The end of the film shows Stacy getting a new, better job and meeting her idol Carly Simon.

Molly Gunn (Brittany Murphy) is a carefree and fun-spirited girl, living like a princess in a fairy tale. Her father was a popular rock-and-roll guitar player, who died in a plane crash with Molly's mother when she was a little girl. On her birthday in a nightclub, she meets Larraine "Ray" Schleine (Dakota Fanning), a hypochondriac and uptight young girl in a bathroom. Ray turns out to be the daughter of Roma Schleine (Heather Locklear), a well-known record company owner. There she also meets an ambitious Australian singer Neal (Jesse Spencer), who is trying to get Roma to sign him a record deal. Molly immediately falls for him and invites him to her apartment after the party. When at her apartment, Molly shows an amazed Neal the collection of guitars that her father left behind when he died. Bored by Molly's strange behavior, which includes owning a pet pig named Mu, eating Pez, speaking French, and various other oddities, he eventually leaves her for his career, but she does not give up on him. When Molly's accountant vanishes with her US$100,000,000 inheritance, she is left with nothing but debts, and she needs to find work in order to survive. But she has no previous experience or skills. She moves in with her best friend, Ingrid (Marley Shelton), who tells her that in order to stay with her, she must find a job. She is hired to be Ray's babysitter. Ray, as it turns out, lives in a fancy uptown apartment with her mother, who is too busy with work and clubbing to pay attention to her. Ray's father is in a coma, and under the care of a private nurse in the apartment. Ray doesn't seem fazed by her father's state at all. When they first meet, Ray is extremely rude towards Molly and disapproves of her carefree attitude and tardiness. The two get in a fight while they wash the dishes, which leads to Molly attempting to leave the apartment. She is stopped by Ray, who says "When you work for me, you leave when I say you can leave". Molly informs her that she in fact doesn't work for her; that she is employed by her mother. Ray responds by saying that because of Roma's work schedule and Molly's status, she is technically working for her. Molly yells that she quits, and angrily storms out of the apartment, giving herself a bloody nose as she slams a swinging door. Ray attempts to maintain order in her life by stifling her emotions - she often quotes Mikhail Baryshnikov: "Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun." She even feels this way about ballet, her beloved passion, leaving practice early when the class begins dancing freestyle. The day after the dish washing confrontation, Molly meets Ray at one of her ballet classes, apologizes for her behavior and asks for her job back. Molly gives Ray her pet pig Mu as a gift. Molly attempts to show Ray how to have fun, which at first causes them to fight. The two go to the amusement park Coney Island, only to find out that it is closed for the season. That night, as they ride back home on the subway, Molly tells Ray about the night her parents died. As Ray goes to bed, the two get into a conversation about Molly, in which Ray accuses her of being scared of growing up. Molly begins to talk about an incident in her childhood shortly after her parents' death in which she ran away to Coney Island and sat down in the Spinning Teacup ride, spinning round and round over and over again. Molly begins crying and tells Ray that she had hoped they could go to Coney Island together. Ray holds Molly as she cries, and the two fall asleep in Ray's bed. The next morning, Molly wakes up to find Ray gone. When she looks for her in the kitchen, she sees Neal there, and she finds out that he is sleeping with Roma in order to get a record deal. Later, Molly learns that Ray was in her father's room reading. She advises Ray to share her life with her father for his better recovery, telling her about a show she once saw about comatose people who recovered because their friends and relatives talked to them while they were still comatose. Ray does this, telling her comatose father all about Molly, ballet, and Mu. The next day, Molly arrives at Ray's house to find that Ray's father is gone from his room. She learns from the nurse that he had died that afternoon. Devastated, Molly rushes to Ray to offer her condolences. Ray is disturbingly emotionless, and calmly orders Molly to leave. Later that night, Molly is called to Roma's office, where she is informed that she is fired. Molly begins to criticize Roma on her relationship with her daughter, saying she doesn't "...give her respect, you give her whatever she asks so that you don't have to deal with her." She then asks Roma if she knows certain things about Ray, such as what stage she is at in ballet, or how she likes to drink her tea. Molly tears up the payment Roma had given her, and angrily leaves her office. Neal tries to get back together with Molly; since leaving her, he hasn't written a single song. But Molly refuses to be with him, as she now sees how selfish he is. She auctions her father's legendary guitar collection for financial support, and the whole collection is bought by a stranger on the phone. Days later, Molly gets a call from Roma, who tells her that Ray is missing and asks her for help. Molly searches desperately for Ray and eventually finds her in an amusement park sitting in the Teacup ride. The two ride the teacups for a bit, and afterward, as Ray vomits into a garbage can, Molly tries to comfort her. Ray at first reacts angrily and violently, but the two end up in a tearful embrace. Later, Molly attends Ray's father's funeral, where she reconciles with Ingrid, and sees that Roma is taking more of a part in Ray's life. Before Ray comes out to meet the rest of the guests at the funeral, she requests to speak to Molly alone. After they talk, Molly tells Ray that they are going to be best friends. Ray says that grown-ups are never friends with kids, to which Molly responds, "I don't see any grown-ups around here." Molly applies for Fashion Institute of Technology and gets positive reactions from them. She attends Ray's ballet recital. In the recital, Ray wears the tutu Molly made for her, and Neal makes an appearance as the lead singer, singing "Molly Smiles", a song Molly's father wrote for Molly. As he sings, he plays on one of her father's guitars, and some of the ballerinas hold his other guitars as they dance, proving that Neal was the one who bought the entire collection. Near the end of the recital, Ray does a freestyle dance, much to Molly's amusement. The scene fades with a shot of Molly smiling in the audience, and the credits roll as a voice of Ray is heard: "Every story has an end. But in life, every ending is just a new beginning."

Detroit 1995, Jimmy is an aspiring rap artist, trying to make a music career for himself. Although encouraged by his friends, Jimmy worries about his potential as a rapper. One night, Jimmy 'chokes' during a rap battle at a local venue (with a stage name of B-Rabbit), the Shelter, and he leaves the stage humiliated. Jimmy becomes speechless when the African American rappers (from the group called "Leaders of the Free World") attack his white trash background, and term him as privileged and out of touch with reality. Jimmy's friends include Future, Cheddar Bob, Sol George (Omar Benson Miller) and Iz (De'Angelo Wilson). Jimmy Smith (Eminem), a young and unhappy blue-collar worker from a poor family, struggling with different aspects of his life. He has moved back north of 8 Mile Road to the rundown trailer home in Warren, Michigan of his alcoholic mother, Stephanie (Kim Basinger), his sister Lily (Chloe Greenfield), and Stephanie's abusive live-in boyfriend Greg (Michael Shannon). Jimmy has to move in with Stephanie as he has been fired from the pizza place for being late too often. He needs a place to stay till he can get a job and make rent. Jimmy is focused on getting his music career started, but he seems unable to catch a break. Just recently, he ends a relationship with his girlfriend, Janeane (Taryn Manning) (Jimmy left her his car as she claimed that she is pregnant) and begins a new relationship with Alex (Brittany Murphy), whom he meets at the factory when she shows up one day looking for her brother. Jimmy comes to realize that his life has remained largely the same since he graduated high school (Greg used to be classmates with Jimmy and Future at school). At first, Jimmy considers himself a victim of his circumstances and blames others for his problems. Over time, though, Jimmy begins to take more responsibility for the direction of his life. Stephanie discovers an eviction notice as Jimmy is getting ready for work. Stephanie wants to hide the notice from Greg as he is supposed to get a fat settlement check from an accident, and Stephanie hopes that she and Lily can move into a new house with that money. She doesn't want to freak out Greg and wants Jimmy to help with the money. Jimmy appears to decide to take his day job more seriously, and this becomes evident to his supervisor at the factory. Initially, when Jimmy requests extra shifts, his supervisor Manny laughs at him (because of his tendency to be late to work), but by the end, Jimmy's improved attitude and performance earns him the extra work he had originally asked for. Jimmy is friends with Wink, who has ties to a record label promoter. Wink has promised Jimmy that he will take Jimmy along for a record deal with the promoter. Jimmy's friend Future does not trust Wink and considers him to be a negative influence. Through Jimmy, Wink meets Alex. Jimmy relationship with Wink becomes strained after he discovers that Wink does promotional work for Jimmy's rivals, a rap group known as "Leaders of the Free World". Papa Doc is the leader of this group and he particularly dislikes Jimmy. He even pulls a gun on Jimmy during one of their confrontations but is pulled back by his entourage. At one point, Jimmy and his friends get into a violent brawl with the Free World crew (When Jimmy watches Wink with Papa Doc, having a meeting), which is disrupted when Jimmy's friend, Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones), threatens them with a gun and accidentally shoots himself in the leg; he survives after being rushed to the hospital. During a lunch break at work, one of Jimmy's co-workers performs a freestyle rap insulting his co-worker, Paul, insinuating Paul is gay. Jimmy raps a freestyle defending Paul, which improves his confidence after a positive reception. Alex arrives and is impressed by Jimmy's talent, and they have sex. Despite her best attempts to keep the eviction notice a secret, Greg discovers it and confronts Stephanie. When Jimmy punches Greg for pushing his mother to the ground, they fight, ending in Greg leaving Stephanie for good. Jimmy's relationship with Alex ends when Jimmy walks in on his friend Wink (Eugene Byrd) having sex with her. Jimmy beats up Wink, which later causes Wink to officially join forces with Jimmy's enemies, the Leaders of the Free World. Later, Wink and the Free World gang jump Jimmy outside of his mother's trailer, but when one member pulls a gun on Jimmy, Wink stops him, and they leave. After the group has left Jimmy alone, his mother arrives with enough money to pay to avoid eviction, having won $3,200 at a bingo tournament. As Jimmy finds Stephanie lying on the porch, they have an argument, prompting Stephanie to kick Jimmy out of the house. Jimmy's friends hail him as an incredible rapper, and his friend Future (Mekhi Phifer) puts pressure on Jimmy to get his revenge by competing against the Leaders of the Free World at the next rap battle. However, Jimmy's late-night shift conflicts with the next battle tournament. A visit from Alex changes his mind about competing. Paul (Craig Chandler), a gay co-worker who Jimmy stood up for earlier, agrees to cover for him and he participates in the battle. The battle acts as kind of a "final conflict" with the Leaders of the Free World gang who have harassed Jimmy. It has three rounds, and in each of them Jimmy faces a member of the gang. Jimmy wins both of the first two rounds with progressively more impressive freestyle raps. In the last round, he is paired against Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie), the tournament's most feared battler. Jimmy is aware that Doc knows all his weak points, so he decides to address them preemptively with his freestyle. Jimmy acknowledges without shame his lower-class white trash roots and the various humiliations the Free World gang have inflicted on him, and then uses the difficult life he has had as a springboard to reveal the truth about Papa Doc: Doc, whose real name is Clarence, despite passing himself off as a thug, has a privileged background, having attended Cranbrook, a private high school, and growing up in a stable two-parent household. With nothing to say in rebuttal, Papa Doc hands the microphone back to Future and Jimmy wins the battle. As Jimmy leaves the venue, Future suggests that he stay and celebrate his victory while also offering a position that would allow him to host battles at The Shelter. Jimmy turns him down, claiming he has to get back to work and to find success his own way. He then starts walking back to work, feeling more confident about his future.

A single mother, with dreams of becoming a writer, has a son at the age of 15 in 1965, and goes through a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father. Seriocomic story based on the memoir by Beverly Donofrio, the movie follows a young woman who finds her life radically altered by an event from her teen years. Born in 1950, Beverly grew up bright and ambitious in a working-class neighborhood in Connecticut; her father was a tough but good-hearted cop who listened to his daughter's problems, and her mother was a nervous woman eager to imagine the worst. From an early age, Beverly displays a keen intelligence and an interest in literature, and dreams of going to college in New York and becoming a writer. However, she also develops an early interest in boys, and at 15 finds herself madly in love with a boy from her high school. However, an attempt to get his attention leads to an embarassing incident at a party, and Ray, a sweet but thick-headed 18-year-old, steps forward to defend her. Beverly and Ray end up making out, and after one thing leads to another, Beverly discovers she's pregnant. Telling Ray is only marginally less difficult than informing her parents, and at 16, Beverly is a wife and mother. Against the odds, Beverly is determined to still finish high school and go on to college, but that goal becomes more difficult with time, especially after Beverly's marriage begins to fall apart. Ray tries to do the right thing but has trouble holding a job, and becomes addicted to heroin.

Ryan Dunne (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is a local baseball player who dreams of playing in the Major Leagues. He helps his dad with his landscaping business and takes care of Veteran's Field, where his team, the Chatham A's play. Ryan is poor. Over the summer, the town is full of hopeful youngsters who want to play in the local Cape league and show off their talent to the big-league scouts. This includes kids like Billy Brubaker (Matthew Lillard), Mickey Dominguez (Wilmer Valderrama), Miles Dalrymple (Marc Blucas) & others. Ryan, in his dedication to making the pros, has sworn off girls and drinking to avoid distractions. Chatham A is coached by Coach John Schiffner (Brian Dennehy), who is a tough cookie and doesn't appreciate Ryan taking the league lightly (Ryan shows up to training late and often in thongs as a result of his previous late-night debauchery). This changes when Ryan sees Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), as he and his father Sean (Fred Ward) are mowing the Parrish family's lawn. Tenley is a rich girl whose family summers at cape cod. Tenley is smoking hot. Tenley is interested in Ryan. Tenley's sister Katie Parrish (Zena Grey) is a huge fan of the Chatham A's and a fan of Ryan. Mickey has a unique problem that her Lusty House Mother (Beverly D'Angelo) has the hots for him. Billy tells Mickey to go for her. Mike Dunne (Jason Gedrick) is Ryan's brother and is a bartender at a local watering hole. Mike is a failed ball player and is always tough on Ryan. Mike fells Ryan is very talented but is wasting his life away. Mike thinks Ryan is acting like a victim ever since their mom died, and that Ryan feels that the world owes him something. The next day, the A's have their first game of the season where rival Van Leemer (Corey Pearson) shines pitching a shut-out, while Ryan is told to walk the stands for donations. That evening Ryan and Tenley have their first kiss. The next night Ryan is pitching in his first game of the season. The game goes well for the A's until the last innings when Ryan gives up a grand slam, allowing the other team to win the game. Billy continues to struggle for the first hit of his season, while Miles is hitting home runs at will. Ryan returns home to find his dad drunk and upset about the loss. Billy wants to quit and leave, but Ryan convinces him to stay by hooking him up with the town slut Dede Mulligan (Brittany Murphy). Later, Ryan visits Tenley, where he confides about his rocky relationship with his father and concerns about failing as a baseball player. The next night, Ryan and Tenley take an evening swim in her pool as it's raining, falling in love with each other, before being chased off by her dad Rand (Bruce Davison). Ryan is distracted by Tenley and feels a lot of pressure from scouts, family, the Parrish family, and friends. He is told that he's getting the start for an upcoming big game. That night, Mike has a tough chat with Ryan and Ryan feels very low. He goes to meet Tenley and finds that her ex-boyfriend has come to meet her, and this is guy whom her father favors as the right match for Tenley. For Ryan this is a devastating blow as he feels he is just a summer fling for Tenley. The next night, Ryan starts out well, but comes apart later. Billy scores his first runs. The loss causes Ryan to be demoted to the bullpen in a relief position. Despite the bad outing, Hugh Alexander (John C. McGinley), a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies in attendance, shows interest in Ryan's talent. Ryan's friends tell him not to pity himself and continue believing in himself. Rand calls Ryan and tells him that if he doesn't leave Tenley alone, he and all his rich friends will pull away their businesses from Ryan's dad. Rand wanted Tenley to take a job with her uncle in SFO, even though she wanted to study architecture. Ryan tells Tenley to take the job in SFO, even thought that would mean that the both of them will never be together. When Sean finds out about Rand's threat, he quits Rand's business and presents him with a final bill. Eric Van Leemer and Dale Robin (Christian Kane) are kicked off the team not only for their bad behavior, but also for accidentally burning down a press box, and since Ryan has the freshest arm and the most rest, he is designated to start the final game. Tenley tells Ryan that she's leaving for San Francisco for a job opportunity the following night, which is the night of the final game. She tells him to let himself be great, before tearfully hugging him goodbye. Mike (finally sheds his hostility for once) also gives Ryan a pep talks before the game. Mike tells Ryan not to throw his fast ball at every instance and bring variations. Inspired by Tenley's words of encouragement, Ryan pitches one of the best performances ever seen in the Cape League, dominating the game with a no-hitter, with his friends, dad and brother, and several major league scouts, including Alexander, in attendance. Late in the game, he notices that Tenley has stopped by on her way to the airport to watch him. He proceeds to strike out the current batter, marking his eleventh strike-out of the game, and looks back to see that Tenley is gone. Ryan rushes to the airport where he catches Tenley before she boards her plane. They both profess their love for each other, and she agrees to forgo her job in San Francisco and stay. Ryan's dad and brother soon arrive with the scout Alexander, to tell him that his team won the game with a combined no-hitter. Alexander offers Ryan a contract with the Phillies that will start him out at their minor league affiliate, which he happily accepts. Later, everyone is gathered to watch Ryan in his Major League debut as a relief pitcher for the Phillies. He delivers his first pitch to Ken Griffey Jr., who launches it into the stands for a home run.

Susanna Kaysen is a young woman of eighteen, and her life isn't exactly what a normal eighteen-year-old's life is suppose to be like. To her, any kind of sex is casual, and it doesn't matter who she does it with or when, as long as she gets it. At graduation, she falls asleep, proving she has little interest for the norms of prize-givings or anything to do with what's accepted by society. At her father's birthday party, she is under dressed and is of course moaned at by her hypocritical mother. Here we learn that her parent's friends are just as false as what is accepted by everyone. And then it becomes clear that Susanna has been sleeping with her mother's friend's husband. This drives her to try to commit suicide with aspirin and a bottle of vodka to get it all down. At the ER, she claims that she doesn't have bones in her wrists anymore, and tells the psychiatrist at home that the bones grew back by the time she got to the hospital. So she is shipped off to Claymoore, a local mental institution and put in the ward for women only. Here she meets a multitude of people who really do have problems: a sardonic anorexic, a girl who burned herself as a child, a lesbian (at the time was thought of as a mental disorder), a bulimic, and her roommate, a compulsive liar. The ward is managed by Nurse Valerie Owens, who is very clever, but is unable to become a doctor due to her race. All the nursing staff and the patients are kept marginally sane by Valerie, and she and Susanna have a complex relationship. Susanna is questionably diagnosed with having borderline personality disorder. Things really get started when the sociopath runaway patient, Lisa Rowe, returns to the ward and turns Susanna's world upside down and inside out. She is a force to be reckoned with - she is magnetic, rebellious, doesn't take her meds and is unhealthy for the other patients as she breaks down their self-esteem regularly. Due to the fact that her last best friend, Jamie, couldn't hack this when she ran away, Lisa befriends Susanna and together they start a world of trouble. Susanna keeps a diary of all her thoughts and feelings, also illustrating in it, and telling the tale of her stay through her daily entries. Her ex-boyfriend, Tobias Jacobs, comes to visit her and she very nearly tries to have sex with him in her room. He tells her he wants them to run away to Canada together so that he doesn't have to go to Vietnam. He tells her she isn't crazy and that the girls in the institution aren't really her friends. But she refuses to go with him, subconsciously beginning to rely on Lisa. Then she meets the head psychiatrist, Dr. Sonia Wick, and claims she is ambivalent, saying it means she doesn't care. But Dr. Wick sees through this mask and decides to have Susanna see her from now on. Afterwards, Lisa is taken into see the doctor, but doesn't return and Susanna falls into a depression. Nurse Valerie has had enough and throws her into an ice cold bath to wake her. She tells Susanna, after Susanna attacks her verbally and says that she doesn't know what she is doing, that she is a spoiled, lazy little girl who is driving herself crazy! And that if Susanna isn't careful, she will throw her life away on some stupid rebellion. That night, Lisa breaks into the ward, wild-eyed and crazy, and Susanna runs away with her so they can get to Disneyland. There they hook up with hippies and eventually crash at the bulimic Daisy's house after bribing her with promises of meds. But all turns bad when Lisa tells Daisy that she is a freak herself and that this apartment is all a mask to hide what's really happening. She breaks Daisy down, finally saying that Daisy probably likes her father molesting her and that it's probably all she has ever known. The next morning, Susanna wakes up and goes for a walk, to escape the sound of Lisa's voice and returns to find Daisy playing a record over and over again and Lisa in the kitchen. She goes up the stairs and finds Daisy's wrists slit and she hangs herself in the bathroom. Susanna goes back to the institution without Lisa, (who runs away again) and begins anew with Dr. Wick and her diary. When Susanna is ready to leave, Lisa breaks out of her padded cell and steals Susanna's diary. Beneath the ward in the maze of corridors, Lisa reads the diary aloud and tells the other girls what Susanna thinks of them. Susanna runs away from Lisa when she begins to chase her with a needle filled with a toxic-looking chemical. Susanna breaks her hand while trying to close a sliding metal door on Lisa and then they finally confront each other. Susanna finally tells Lisa that no one cares if she dies because she is already dead and her heart is cold. She also tells Lisa that she will begin her life again out of this hospital without Lisa and the others. Lisa has a mental breakdown and attempts to commit suicide but the other girls dissuade her from doing so. In the morning, Susanna is about to leave, but first she goes to visit Lisa and talks to her again. Now restrained to a bed, Lisa says that she isn't really cold and that she didn't mean to hurt Susanna. When she leaves, she says goodbye to all her friends, and gets into the taxicab saying that being crazy isn't about keeping a secret, it's just about everyone being personified. And by the seventies, most of her friends were out of the institution and leading lives. The girl who was just interrupted by herself and everyone else, is finally recovered from being a supposed borderline.

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is a wealthy, popular 15-year-old living in Beverly Hills with her widowed father, Mel (Dan Hedaya), a successful lawyer. Though good-natured, Cher is naive and caught up in a superficial lifestyle revolving around expensive clothes and the social hierarchy of her high school. Her best friend Dionne (Stacey Dash) has a similar outlook on life, though she dates a high school boy named Murray (Donald Fasion), which Cher claims is a pointless endeavor. Cher's debate teacher, Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn), gives her a C grade for the semester, which starts a dramatic chain of events. Dionne, who got a lackluster grade as well, hatches a plan with Cher to find a romantic interest for Mr. Hall, thus hypothetically making him happy enough to consider boosting their grades. They select another teacher, Miss Geist (Twink Caplan), as the chief candidate, and spark a mutual interest between her and Mr. Hall with a forged love letter and some subtle manipulation. The teachers soon become a couple, and both become much more lenient with their grading. Cher works her grade up to an A minus, greatly impressing her father. At home, Cher interacts with Josh (Paul Rudd), the college-age son of one of Mel's ex-wives, who often stays at the Horowitz home to avoid his mother and new stepfather. Josh is nearly the polar opposite of Cher: an earthy environmentalist with an interest in societal welfare. The two have a generally amiable but lightly contentious relationship, with Cher teasing Josh about his alternative lifestyle and Josh criticizing Cher's materialism. Mel openly approves of Josh's self-assurance and focus, encouraging Cher to find similar direction in her life. Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy), a grungy artist with a trusting disposition and a clueless grasp of high school popularity, transfers to Cher's school. Cher and Dionne befriend Tai, and decide to give her a makeover to improve her social standing. However, Tai sparks up a romance with cheerful skateboarding stoner Travis Birkenstock (Breckin Meyer). Cher, fearing for Tai's reputation, attempts to steer her toward the rich, popular, newly-single Elton (Jeremy Sisto). Cher leads Tai in after-school workout sessions, guides her in cultivating a new wardrobe, and expands her lexicon with trendy vocabulary. Josh disapproves of Cher's project with Tai, accusing her of attempting to turn an innocent girl into a superficial brat, but Cher maintains that she is doing Tai a kindness. Through a series of orchestrated interactions, Cher gets Tai and Elton to notice each other. Tai is giddy with excitement, and while Elton is surprisingly receptive, he pays much more direct attention to Cher. To present the newly made-over Tai to the high school elite, Cher and Dionne bring her to a party. Once again, they attempt to steer her toward Elton, and believe that they made a connection when Tai is knocked unconscious with a projectile shoe, and Elton revives her with an ice pack. However, when departing, Cher winds up being driven home by Elton, who makes a pass at her, confirming that he had never been interested in Tai. Cher is shocked and repulsed, and Elton abandons her in a parking lot far from home. She is immediately mugged, and is forced to call Josh from a payphone to ask for a lift. On the drive home, Cher suggests that they pick up food for Mel and his colleagues, who are working on a difficult case at the house. Impressed by this considerate suggestion, Josh begins to form a new opinion of her. Another transfer student, the suave and handsome Christian (Justin Walker), arrives in Mr. Hall's debate class. Cher is taken with him immediately, and considers breaking her own rule of never dating a high school boy. The two become friends, and soon plan to attend a party along with Tai. Christian arrives at Cher's house to pick her up, and both Mel and Josh are put off by his relaxed, jazz-cat persona. Josh is clearly envious and tells Mel that he will trail them to the party for Cher's protection. While Cher and Christian bond on the dance floor, Tai self-consciously stands alone watching Elton dancing with his new girlfriend, Cher's snotty social rival Amber (Elisa Donovan). Josh arrives and dances with Tai to help her feel more included and comfortable. Cher is pleasantly surprised by this thoughtful gesture. Cher decides to move things forward with Christian, and invites him over one evening when her father is out. To her disappointment, he ignores her advances in favor of watching Tony Curtis movies. When driving with Dionne and her boyfriend Murray the next day, Cher laments Christian's lack of sexual interest in her, causing a highly amused Murray to point out that Christian is obviously gay. Embarrassed by her misconception of Christian, she abandons her romantic pursuit of him in favor of maintaining their genuine friendship. While at the mall with Cher and Christian, Tai experiences a traumatic incident when some male acquaintances nearly drop her over the upper-level railing as a prank. Christian angrily reprimands the culprits and comforts Tai, who is shaken but unharmed. Over the next few days, news of this dramatic event spreads throughout school, causing Tai's popularity to skyrocket. Cher watches, unnerved, as Tai is caught up in the attention, becoming the shallow, snobbish brat that Josh accused Cher of creating. Cher is further disturbed when Tai coldly rebuffs the sweet-natured Travis in favor of a more popular entourage. Cher, an atrocious driver with only a learner's permit, prepares to test for her license, but finds it difficult to focus after the shift in her friendship with Tai. She ultimately fails the driving test, and dejectedly returns home to find Tai and Josh playing a flirtatious game of hacky sack. Tai immediately speaks to Cher in private, excitedly revealing that she has overcome her disappointment about Elton because of her newfound attraction to Josh. Cher is startled by the discomfort she feels in response to this news, and tells Tai that she does not think Josh is a good match for her. Tai is affronted, and insults Cher before departing. Cher embarks on a solo shopping trip to clear her head, and realizes that she herself is in love with Josh. In an unusually vulnerable mood, Cher goes to her father for advice. Explaining that she is interested in a "do-gooder" type (though not revealing that her love interest is Josh), she expresses concern that she is too shallow and selfish to win his approval. Mel tenderly assures his daughter that she is an incredibly caring person, much like her late mother had been, who constantly goes out of her way to help her friends and family. Cher, heartened, resolves to become more compassionate on a wider scale. Not long after their fight, Tai approaches Cher apologetically and the two become friends again. After watching Travis participate impressively in a skateboarding competition, and after learning that he has given up his drug habit, Cher realizes that he is indeed worthy of Tai's affection, and is pleased when they reconcile. In an effort to impress Josh, Cher volunteers to help with a donation drive headed by Miss Geist for victims of the Pismo Beach disaster. Josh takes appreciative notice, and Cher herself feels unexpectedly fulfilled by engaging in this charitable endeavor. She and Josh also spend considerable time helping Mel and his colleagues process paperwork for their important case. While working with one of Mel's stressed-out underlings at the house, it is discovered that Cher had erroneously sorted some crucial documents, causing the panicked lawyer to cruelly insult Cher and storm out of the house. Cher is crushed, but Josh defends and comforts her, leading to them both revealing their feelings for each other. Mr. Hall and Miss Geist are married with many of their students in attendance, including Cher (who has brought Josh as her date), Dionne, Murray, Tai and Travis. The girls congregate as the bride prepares to throw the bouquet, and their boyfriends watch the ensuing scuffle with amusement until Cher triumphantly surfaces, bouquet in hand.