D.E.B.S. (2004 film)

D.E.B.S.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Angela Robinson
Screenplay by	Angela Robinson
Based on	D.E.B.S. by Angela Robinson
Produced by	Andrea Sperling Jasmine Kosovic
Starring	Sara Foster Jordana Brewster Meagan Good Devon Aoki Jill Ritchie
Cinematography	M. David Mullen
Edited by	Angela Robinson
Music by	Steven M. Stern
Production companies	Screen Gems Destination Films Anonymous Content
Distributed by	Samuel Goldwyn Films
Release date	January 22, 2004 (2004-01-22) (Sundance) March 25, 2005 (2005-03-25)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3.5 million[citation needed]
Box office	$97,446[1]

D.E.B.S. is a 2004 American action-comedy film written and directed by Angela Robinson. A feature-length version of Robinson's 2003 short film of the same name, D.E.B.S. follows the relationship between spy-in-training Amy Bradshaw and supervillain Lucy Diamond. D.E.B.S. was a critically mixed box office bomb upon its initial release.

Plot[]

Embedded in the SAT is a secret test that determines aptitude for espionage. Women who score highly on the test are recruited into D.E.B.S. (Discipline, Energy, Beauty, Strength), a clandestine paramilitary academy. Four D.E.B.S. — squad leader Max, naïve Janet, promiscuous Dominique, and Amy, who dreams of attending art school despite being the academy's top recruit — are tasked by Ms. Petrie and Mr. Phipps, the heads of D.E.B.S., to surveil Lucy Diamond. Diamond is an infamous supercriminal, known for her operations, thefts, an alleged attempt to sink Australia, as well as supposedly killing every agent that goes up against her. Amy in particular is interested in Lucy due to writing a senior thesis about her. It is believed that Lucy is meeting a Russian assassin Ninotchka Kaprova. Unbeknownst to them, Lucy is a rather neurotic woman, who has trouble opening up to people. Her meeting with Ninotchka is in fact, a blind date.

In the meantime, Amy has recently broken up with her pushy and controlling boyfriend, Bobby, who is another agent. The D.E.B.S observe Lucy's date with Ninotchka, and are interrupted by Bobby, who is on his own stakeout, with several intelligence agencies also observing Lucy. Lucy has trouble connecting with Ninotchka, and tries to call off the date. Amy gets into an argument with Bobby, demanding answers on their breakup, which catches Lucy's attention. A shoot out breaks out, and Lucy flees while being chased by the D.E.B.S. Lucy is caught in a standoff with Amy, about the end up having a friendly conversation, where Amy informs Lucy about. Lucy escapes when Amy's attention wavers, and the D.E.B.S. praise Amy for being the only person to have ever faced Lucy and lived.

Lucy quickly takes a liking to Amy, and against the advice of her friend and henchman, Scud, sneaks into Amy's dorm. Lucy initially says she wants to help Amy on her thesis, but ends up coercing her into joining her at a nightclub, along with Janet, who witnesses Lucy speaking with Amy. During this trip, Lucy and Amy grow closer and have a conversation about their lives and relationships. Lucy even clarifies that the deaths of the agents sent after her were happenstance. Janet and Scud also befriend each other. When the two open up to each other, Lucy and Amy are about to kiss, but are interrupted by Janet.

Later, Amy is promoted to squad leader, replacing Max, much to Max's jealousy. Ms. Petrie plans on using Amy's encounter with Lucy to boost the D.E.B.S image and reputation. Amy is hesitant to talk about her encounter due to her growing feelings for Lucy. The D.E.B.S respond to a bank heist orchestrated by Lucy, which she has committed in order to see Amy again. When Lucy and Amy are alone, the two kiss, and Lucy talks Amy into running off with her. D.E.B.S. assumes Amy has been kidnapped and organize a nationwide manhunt to find her. In the meantime, Lucy and Amy enjoy having an actual relationship with one another, while Janet covers for them (and also develops feelings for Scud, whom she has a secret correspondence with).

On the basis of a tip from a jealous Ninotchka, the D.E.B.S and Bobby discover Amy and Lucy a while they are having sex. When Amy returns to the academy, Ms. Petrie prepares to exile Amy, but Max convinces her to claim that Amy was kidnapped brainwashed in order to protect their reputation. Amy becomes depressive when forced to go along with the story, and Bobby tries to coerce Amy into getting back together with him. When Lucy tries to see Amy again, Amy is forced to reject her. In the meantime, Lucy comes to realize she's not happy with her life of crime. In an attempt to win Amy back, Lucy returns everything she has ever stolen, and publicly turns over a new leaf.

At the time of the D.E.B.S. year-end dance, Amy is to be made D.E.B. of the year, is to deliver a speech where she is to denounce Lucy. Janet talks with Dominique and Max, whos start to realize how unhappy Amy actually is. Lucy infiltrates the academy during the dance. When Bobby discovers this, he plans to track her down and kill her. Lucy evades Bobby only to hear Amy's speech about her experience as Lucy's captive. When Amy and Lucy meet eyes, Amy retracts her entire speech, and runs off-stage to be with Lucy. Petrie Bobby and the rest of the academy try to track them down, when Lucy and Amy are cornered by Max, Janet, and Dominique. At Amy's insistence, they give their blessings to Lucy and Amy, and allow them to make their escape. Lucy and Amy ride off into the night, heads on one another's shoulders.

Cast[]

• Sara Foster as Amy Bradshaw
• Jordana Brewster as Lucy Diamond
• Meagan Good as Max Brewer
• Devon Aoki as Dominique
• Jill Ritchie as Janet
• Geoff Stults as Bobby Matthews
• Jimmi Simpson as Scud
• Holland Taylor as Ms Petrie
• Michael Clarke Duncan as Mr. Phipps
• Jessica Cauffiel as Ninotchka Kaprova
• Aimee Garcia as Maria
• Jennifer Carpenter as Hysterical student
• Scoot McNairy as Stoner

Jill Ritchie was the only cast member from the short film to reprise her role in the expansion.

Production[]

Inception []

Director, writer, and editor Angela Robinson began to draw comics about the D.E.B.S. in college as a sideline to her writing (Robinson stated this in an extra on the U.S. DVD entitled "Infiltrating the D.E.B.S."). She received a $20,000 grant from Power Up to make a 11-minute short based on the concept, which toured a number of film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival.

Reception[]

Critical response[]

D.E.B.S. received a 40% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Lacking enough material for a full-length movie, D.E.B.S. is short on both plot and laughs."^[2] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 42% based on reviews from 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[3]

Box office[]

D.E.B.S. was released in 45 theaters. Over 21 days, it grossed $97,446.^[1]

Accolades[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: D.E.B.S. (2004 film)

• D.E.B.S. at IMDb
• D.E.B.S. at AllMovie