The Challenge (2003 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Challenge |
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DVD cover
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| Directed by | Craig Shapiro |
| Produced by | Neil Steinberg Natan Zahavi Executive producers Mary-Kate Olsen Ashley Olsen Robert Thorne |
| Screenplay by | Elizabeth Krugger Michael Swerdlick |
| Starring | Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen |
| Studio | Dualstar Entertainment Group Tapestry Films |
| Distributed by | Warner Home Video |
| Release date(s) | May 3, 2003 |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Language | English |
The Challenge is a fun movie from 2003, starring the famous twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. This was their last movie made directly for video, meaning it didn't play in cinemas first.
Contents
The Story of The Challenge
The movie is about twin sisters, Shane (Mary-Kate Olsen) and Elizabeth Dalton (Ashley Olsen). They live far apart because their parents divorced years ago. Shane lives with her mom in Los Angeles. She loves nature, is a vegetarian, and enjoys spiritual beliefs. Her sister Lizzie lives with their dad in Washington, D.C.. Lizzie is a very smart student with a strong, organized personality.
What they don't know is that they both apply for a reality game show. The show is called The Challenge and it's filmed in Mexico. It tests how strong and skilled contestants are at surviving. They work in teams to win college scholarships.
Marcus (Brian Skala) is the main intern for "The Challenge." He tells the show's producer, Max (Joe Michael Burke), that the twins don't get along. Max knows they dislike each other. So, Marcus puts both girls on the same team, called Team Mayan. This is a plan to make the show's ratings go up.
Backstage, Shane meets Adam (Lukas Behnken). He's a relaxed jock and they become friends. Adam is put on the other team, Team Aztec. Team Aztec also has Kelly (Sarah Bastian), a very competitive swimmer. JJ (Diana Carreno) is a bit silly and dreams of becoming a star. Charles (Ty Hodges) is a calm and smart city boy who wants to study how people's minds work.
On Team Mayan, along with Shane and Lizzie, are Anthony (Theo Rossi) and Justin (Zakk Moore). Anthony loves Italian food. Justin is a surfer and skater from sunny Florida. When they first meet, Max tells everyone the rules. One rule is that contestants cannot have romantic relationships. If they do, they could be kicked out of a challenge.
Challenges and Rivalries
During the first challenge, Shane and Lizzie argue a lot. They can't work together, so Team Aztec wins the points. Anthony and Justin help them see that they need to cooperate. The twins then start to put their differences aside for their team.
Over the next few days, Shane and Adam become closer. Kelly, from Team Aztec, starts to suspect something is happening between them. At the same time, Lizzie spends time with Marcus behind the scenes. Max still asks Marcus to spy on the girls. Marcus finds out that Shane is afraid of heights. He also learns that Lizzie is scared of snakes. Max plans to use this information later.
Team Mayan wins the fourth and fifth challenges. This makes the score 3-2, with Team Aztec still ahead. Shane and Lizzie begin to respect each other's strengths.
One night, the girls sneak out to meet Marcus and Adam. Max follows them but can't get video of their meeting. However, Kelly takes a picture of Adam and Shane kissing. She shows it to Max. Max then disqualifies both Shane and Adam from the next round. Team Mayan still wins that round, which ties the score for "The Challenge."
Making Up and Winning
Team Mayan gets a boat party as a reward for their win. Team Aztec has to serve food at the party while wearing costumes. At the party, Marcus tells Lizzie that he was helping Max cause trouble. Lizzie gets upset and breaks up with him. Later, Shane and Lizzie finally make up for good. They realize they are not so different after all.
The final challenge will decide who wins "The Challenge." It's a tough obstacle course with many tasks. One part involves walking high over a canyon on a bridge. This uses Max's knowledge of Shane's fear of heights. Another part has them walking on narrow planks over a pit of snakes. This uses Max's knowledge of Lizzie's fear of snakes. The girls help each other through these challenges. Team Mayan reaches the finish line first, making them the winners! All the contestants receive college scholarships.
As the experience ends, Kelly says sorry for her actions. Lizzie makes up with Marcus. Then, the girls get back at Max by tipping slime on him while taking a picture!
At the very end of the movie, there's a short scene. Some of the twins' boyfriends from their past movies and TV shows appear. They start arguing about who the girls loved more. This makes the girls leave together. They say, "Boys may come and go, but we'll always have each other—and that's not just in the movies."
Meet the Contestants!
- Shane Dalton (Mary-Kate Olsen): She is a relaxed vegetarian who lives with her mother in California. She is Lizzie's twin sister. Shane is very peaceful and uses yoga to feel calm. She is afraid of heights. Shane wants to become an earth scientist.
- Elizabeth "Lizzie" Dalton (Ashley Olsen): She is a modern city girl living with her father in Washington D.C. She is the more serious twin. Lizzie pays close attention to details, which helps her in the game. She has a fear of snakes.
- Adam (Lukas Behnken): He is an easy-going, normal boy. He plans to go to college to study journalism. He becomes good friends with Shane early in the movie. Like Shane and Lizzie, Adam's parents are divorced.
- Kelly (Sarah Bastian): She is a very athletic and super-competitive girl from Knoxville, Tennessee. She is a great swimmer. Her strong desire to win sometimes makes her seem unfriendly to others, even her own team.
- Anthony (Theo Rossi): He is an Italian-American boy. He wants to use his winnings to go to cooking school. His dream is to be a famous chef like Emeril Lagasse. He loves both eating and cooking. He becomes best friends with Justin.
- Justin (Zakk Moore): He is a typical 'surfer dude' from Orlando. At first, he seems like just a fun-loving skater-boy. But he is actually very smart! He plans to study astrophysics and can easily answer hard science questions.
- JJ (Diana Carreno): She calls herself a "triple-threat" (meaning she can sing, dance, and act). She dreams of becoming a star. She is a bit silly and lives in her own world. It's hinted she might not be very smart, as she first thought she was trying out for American Idol. In the end, she gets an invitation to be on the show.
- Charles (Ty Hodges): He is a very calm and smart boy. He plans to study how people's minds work (psychotherapy). He tries to keep his team calm and focused. He also helps Kelly calm down when her competitiveness gets too strong.
Behind the Scenes Crew
- Max (Joe Michael Burke): He is the proud and ratings-hungry host of "The Challenge." He will do anything to make the show popular.
- Sasha (Jeannette Weegar): She is Max's assistant with red hair. She only appears in a few scenes.
- Big Joe (Pablo Recasens): He is Max's main helper and camera operator.
- Marcus (Brian Skala): He is the head intern at The Challenge, and it turns out he's the only intern there! He is from L.A. and wants to direct films in the future.
