Frenemies (film)

Frenemies is a 2012 television film and anthology based on the novel of the same name by Alexa Young premiered on Disney Channel. It features an ensemble cast of Bella Thorne, Zendaya, Stefanie Scott, Nick Robinson, and Mary Mouser. The film follows three pairs of friends that go from friends to enemies and back again.

Halley Brandon and Avalon Greene are two girls who have a website called GeeklyChic. The girls tell three stories. The first story is about how a kid and a dog who are best friends become frenemies and how they become best friends again. The second story is about how two BFFs become total frenemies over a senior editor job. The last story is about two lookalikes (possibly twins) who swap lives with each other, like The Prince and the Pauper.

synopsis

Jake and Murray

The first story is about a science whiz teenage boy at Waterbury High School named Jake Logan (Nick Robinson) who is best friends with his dog, Murray (Winston). A popular girl named Julianne (Stefanie Scott) tries to come between them as she tries to get Murray out of her way as Murray sees right through her ruse. Determined to get another "A", she makes Jake her "boyfriend" (a usual tactic to get boys to do her assignments). When she finds out that Murray tried to flush her love letter to Jake down the toilet, she hatches a plan to get Murray out of her way for good. She steals Jake’s national prize certificate in molecular astrophysics from NASA, drenches it in her perfume like she did with her love letter, and drops it through the mail slot in Jake’s front door. Just like Julianne expected, Murray takes Jake’s NASA certificate into the bathroom and attempts to flush it. Jake, who is able to save his certificate, gets angry and yells at Murray to go away. Murray follows his command and runs away from home. A classmate named Savannah O'Neal (Mary Mouser), who loves to skate board and has a crush on Jake, finds Murray and takes him to her house. The next day, Jake starts to worry that Murray might not return, but manages to finish his and Julianne's science project. At school, Jake attempts to dress cool to impress Julianne, but Avalon Greene (Bella Thorne) and Halley Brandon (Zendaya) intervene and tone down his appearance. When Jake discovers Julianne's scheme, he refuses to give her the project. Savannah uses this opportunity to expose Julianne’s ruse of using "boyfriends" to get A’s which results in Julianne being caught. Murray runs in and knocks over Julianne and the science project. Although the project is destroyed, Jake is happy to see Murray and they become best friends again.

Avalon and Halley

The second story is about Avalon Greene (Bella Thorne) and Halley Brandon (Zendaya) who created a web magazine called "GeeklyChic." In the school library, Halley gets a call from her and Avalon's favorite New York City publishing company, Burns Publications, run by the stunning Cherie St. Claire (Jessalyn Wanlim). Halley thinks her elder brother Kendall (Jascha Washington), who is into men's fashion, is playing a prank on her until she sees him doing a service project right out the window of the library and realizes she really has received a call from Cherie St. Claire. Cherie St. Claire invites them to go to the publishing company’s headquarters in the beautiful Manhattan, New York to ask them something that could change their lives. During the talk, Cherie St. Claire tells Avalon and Halley that she likes their web magazine and offers to buy it, but decides to only let one of them be the senior editor, because she believes that the quality of the writing will be better. Cherie St. Claire decides to let each of them write a cover article and will judge who wrote the best article as that writer will become the senior editor. Avalon and Halley, who both want to be hired as senior editors, both decide to interview a French singer named Jean Frank after his first American sold-out concert which leads them to become frenemies. At the end, they decide that they will share the article. Cherie St. Claire becomes angry and decides not to hire either of them, because of their immaturity with the situation. The television show “Teens Now” picks up their article about Jean Frank changing his image as he was only posing as a singer from Paris, France. “Teens Now” also broadcasts their blog’s website for their audience to check out. Seeing that their web magazine has gone global on their hit counter map, Avalon and Halley make up as best friends again.

Savannah and Emma

The last story in the film is about Savannah O’Neal and Emma Reynolds-alter egos (Mary Mouser plays both roles) who trade places (much like The Parent Trap) because they each believe the other's life is better. Savannah is a tomboy who loves skateboarding and lives with her dad and three brothers. She has a crush on Jake Logan and attends Waterbury High School with Avalon, Halley, Jake, and Julianne. Emma is a rich girly-girl who goes to a private school. They trade places when they meet at the mall. Emma (disguised as Savannah) gets a date with Jake and Emma starts acting romantic causing Savannah to get mad and say "That's my boyfriend!" The two start fighting. Later, at Emma's birthday ball the girls forgive each other and switch back. Avalon and Halley lead everyone in a dance to "Pose" by Stefanie Scott as the film ends.