Brink Movie (1998) is the third Disney Channel film (original), and it has both excellent and poor aspects. It’s about rollerblading (technically, inline skating, but more people frequently call it rollerblading) in Southern California.
Penned by Jeff Schechter and under the direction of Greg Beeman, the movie stars Erik von Detten. He plays Andy Brinker “Brink,” an inline skater in high school who unites with many skaters to support his financially disturbed family. This film was also the third Disney Channel original movie ever to release.
Table of Contents
Plot
The plot of the Brink movie is based on an 1865 Mary Dodge novel with the name The Silver Skates or Hans Brinker.
Andy “Brink” Brinker, a high school inline skater, enjoys skating with his buddies for enjoyment. Still, when his family runs into financial difficulties, he joins a sponsored inline skating group to get money.
Brink Cast
The Brink movie cast comprises the following:
- Erik von Detten played Andy “Brink” Brinker
- Christina Vidal played Gabriella Dellama
- Sam Horrigan played Val Horrigan
- Robin Riker played Maddie Brinker
- Patrick Levis played Peter Calhoun
- Geoffrey Blake played Jimmy
- Joey Simmrin played Arne “Worm”
- Asher Gold played Jordy
- Walter Emanuel Jones played “Boomer”
- Katie Volding played Kate Brinker
- David Graf played Ralph Brinker
- Kevin Clifford played Garbage Man
Production
The filming of the Brink Disney movie took place in Kirkland, Washington, and Los Angeles, California.
The Simi Valley Skatelab Skatepark, California, was used to film scenes in the warehouse of the X-Blade.
San Pedro, California, was used to film the downhill practice skate shots. Brie Larson auditioned for the character of Katie Brinker, but they cast Katie Volding instead.
Soundtrack
In the Brink Movie, J. Peter Robinson composed the original music, and Phil Marshall provided additional music.
- The Suicide Machines’ “Give”
- Fastball’s “Sooner or Later”
- Clarissa’s “Apology”
- Mark Mason and Rick Allen’s “Come on Brink”
The Brink Movie Details
- The release date of the movie was August 29, 1998 (DVD or streaming)
- Erik von Detten, Sam Horrigan, and Christina Vidal star in the Brink movie
- Greg Beeman is the director
- Produced by Disney Channel Original Movies
- Family and Children’s Films
- Sports and Martial Arts, Friendship, Great Female Role Models, and High School are some topics the movie covers
- Communication and teamwork are two of Brink’s character strengths
- 99-minute running time
- MPAA rating is NR
- Rodney Charters shot the film
- Lee Haxall edited the film
- Allison Gordon-Kohler and Judy Taylor were in charge of casting
- Corey Kaplan did the production design
- Steven R. Miller was in charge of the art direction
- Timothy Stepeck designed the set
- Yasmine Abraham created the costumes
Department of Makeup
- Dena Green (celebrity hairstylist)
- Christine Steele (makeup artist)
Management of Production
- Bernadette Caulfield is in charge of unit manufacturing
- Post-production supervisor Michael T. Elias
- Pat Young is the production manager.
- Department of Sound
- Mary Jo Devenney (production sound mixer)
- Pete Elia (re-recording mixer)
- David Hankins (supervising sound editor)
- Mark F. Dennett (boom operator)
- Dave Weathers (supervising sound editor)
- Larry Stensvold (re-recording mixer)
- Department of Costumes and the Wardrobe: Maeve Guesdon
Brink Movie Review
Andy Brinker is the protagonist of the Disney movie Brink. He is a part of the skating team alongside his mates Gabriella, Jordy, and Peter. Together they are a close unit that refuses to agree with Team XBlaz, another skating team in a Californian school. Brink’s team considers themselves the Soul Skaters because they don’t follow this sport for money but their passion and soul.
Both the teams have a face-off on the very first day of school. One member from the opposite team named Boomer gets injured in the process. It makes Brink stop his game and rush to help the player. However, the school authorities apprehend Brink and the other racers and place them on probation.
The movie then shifts to show the backstory of Brink and his family. The young lad finds out that his family is not in a good financial position. Brink’s father has been specially-abled for the past six months. Moreover, the family is unsure if he will be able to go back to work or not.
The situation makes Brink make a tough decision. He leaves his group and joins the opponents. He even gets the opportunity to do so because Boomer cannot play after his injury. The best part? Brink will earn $200 every week to play for the team. Ralph tried to stop Brink from taking this decision to discourage him from skating.
But Brink does not listen to him. Soon, Ralph stops Brink from doing a part-time job at Pup-N-Suds. He assists the business that revolves around dog grooming. He was surprised to see Brink do this job as he never stated he would work. However, he told his ex-teammates about this job.
What he did not inform both his friends and family is that he was working for Team X-Bladz. The boy juggles school and also keeps practicing for Soul Skaters. However, his teammates find out that he is playing for the opponent team and think he betrayed them.
What Happens Next?
Now, Brink tries to make his friends understand and help him join Soul Skaters. But they trash him and reject his plea. Val, the opponent team captain, asks Brink to return and play for them.
Now both the teams have come to play against each other, and this time Brink has to face his teammate, Gabriella. Val creates problems by placing gravel across the road and telling Brink not to take that route. Gabriella falls prey to what Val did, and Brink finds out his true colors.
Gabriella states that Brink was a sell-out when he visited her after her injury. Gabriella’s mother tells Ralph about her daughter’s injury and how Brink joined the opponent team. Ralph now knows that Brink did not listen to him.
The story then focuses on a deep conversation between Ralph and Brink. Ralph inquires why Brink didn’t inform anyone about this. Brink admits that he wanted to be a part of the team.
Brink also tells Ralph that his life seems like a mess because although this was what he wanted, he didn’t know what he was getting into. After knowing what Val did, he doesn’t want to be a part of that team and misses his friends. Ralph tells Brink that he must know skate for money but only for passion even through the tough times in his family.
Inspiration From His Father
After speaking to Ralph, Brink quits Val’s team and returns their belongings, including helmets and skates they owned. Val and Brink get into a fight, and Brink throws a milkshake on Val’s face.
Before the tournament, Brink meets his old teammates and places the desire to name the squad Team Pup’ N Suds. He also hands them new skates for them to use for the tournament.
When they ask him where the skates came from, he tells them that he took advance payments from his company and paid for them. Brink’s friends find his honesty noteworthy and forgive him for his mistake. They also take him back and compete once more as a team.
The families of the students help them to make this possible. The tournament is intense and ends with Val’s face-off with Brink.
Val tries to push Brink off the course, but Brink is unstoppable. At one moment, it looked like Brink was giving up, but he quickly managed to get up and beat Val.
Owing to his failure, Val storms out in anger. His team’s boss, Jimmy, catches his foul play and throws him out of the team. Brink gets Val’s position offered in Team X-Bladz. But no more; Brink now wants only to be a part of Soul Skaters, and the movie ends with a trophy on their end!
Reception
Brink Movie was voted number one on Complex’s list of the 25 best Disney Channel Original Movies in 2012(DCOMs).
Brink! Movie was also ranked number four on a list of the top 30 DCOMs by Entertainment Weekly’s Dylan Kickham in December 2015.
“Brink movie deserves its position in the pantheon of great DCOMs by marrying excitement, drama, and one-time Disney golden boy Erik von Detten,” Kickham stated.
MTV’s list of the top DCOMs, which included 99 films, ranked the picture 37th in March 2016. Collider’s Aubrey Page also graded every Disney Channel Original Movie released up to that date in May 2016.
The writer said Brink Disney movie was ranked 17th on the page, “Brink! is a classic, and it’s been that way since it first aired. It’s probably the best aggressive inline skating film ever made — however, it could also be the only one.”
Awards and Accolades
- The Writers Guild of America is a professional organization of writers in the United States (1999)
- Jeff Schechter [Nominated] for WGA Award for Children’s Script
What Should Every Parent Know?
Parents should be aware that Brink Movie is a live-action Disney TV movie about rollerblading released in 1998 and contains mild verbal and physical interactions.
The movie actively promotes the sport and the importance of wearing the appropriate protective gear.
Andy “Brink” Brinker (Erik von Detten) is the leader of the “Soul Skater” rollerblading squad. The “X Bladz,” a locally sponsored squad that the Soul Skaters refer to as “sell-outs,” is their primary adversaries.
The film supports the Soul Skaters, and Val (Sam Horrigan), the leader of the X Bladz, is particularly unpleasant, both verbally and physically.
He causes injuries by sabotaging a race at one point. Two examples are tossing a milkshake in someone’s face and inserting live worms inside a sandwich.
They even use sexist and racist language with Gabriella (Christina Vidal), a Peruvian girl, being urged to “get back to Mexico.”
With Brink’s father out of work, Brink sees a spot on the sponsored squad as a way to supplement his income, which he also hides from his buddies.
The film doesn’t detail why sponsorship is problematic, other than to follow the widely held belief among 1990s youth that working for a corporation lacks ethics.
It comes across that a sport is most significant when you play it for fun. Positive gender representation, excellent parent-child interactions, and teenagers chatting honestly about their home life are also featured in the film.
Is It Worth It?
The Brink movie is a terrific sports film with plenty of rollerblading action segments that work emotionally. Learn about: ifvod , Mbc2030 liveand mbc2030
Brink (von Detten) matures from a happy-go-lucky kid to a teen burdened by his family’s financial concerns, moral difficulties, and judgmental friends.
Every step of the way, Von Detten makes Brink relatable. On the other hand, Val is an overbearing bully, and Sam Horrigan plays a slimy role.
Christina Vidal also shines as Soul Skater Gabriella, who chastises people for referring to the team as “boys,” dislikes clothing, and is prepared with razor-sharp retorts to prejudice and sexism she meets News.
Periphery characters get emotional beats as well, according to screenwriter Jeff Schechter. Brink’s father, Jimmy (Geoffrey Blake), is particularly passionate during a heart-to-heart with his son, and Soul Skater Peter (Patrick Levis) discloses his stepfather’s troubles.
The father-son moment is a treat to witness, with emotional heaviness and a positive message that provides equal attention and respect to father and son, much like Schechter did in an identical sequence in Beethoven’s 3rd. Brink movie is a successful sports movie and an emotional journey with a groovy ska-punk soundtrack.
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