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

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. Though D.E.B.S. was a critically mixed box office bomb upon its initial release, it has found later success as a cult film.

D.E.B.S.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAngela Robinson
Produced by
Screenplay byAngela Robinson
Based onD.E.B.S.
by Angela Robinson
Starring
Music bySteven M. Stern
CinematographyM. David Mullen
Edited byAngela Robinson
Production
company
Distributed bySamuel Goldwyn Films
Release date
January 22, 2004 (2004-01-22) (Sundance)
March 25, 2005 (2005-03-25)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.5 million
Box office$97,446[1]

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 supercriminal Lucy Diamond. They observe Lucy on what they believe to be a meeting with Russian assassin Ninotchka Kaprova, only to learn the women are on a blind date.

The date ends in a shootout between Lucy and the multiple intelligence agencies surveilling her. As Lucy escapes, she is caught in a standoff with Amy, where they share a friendly moment in which Amy informs Lucy that she is writing her senior thesis about her. 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. That night, Lucy visits Amy and coerces her (along with Janet, who witnesses Lucy speaking with Amy) into joining her at a nightclub. Lucy and Amy grow closer and are about to kiss, but are interrupted by Janet.

The next day, Amy is promoted to squad leader, replacing Max. They respond to a bank heist orchestrated by Lucy, which she has committed in order to see Amy again. They kiss, and run off together. D.E.B.S. assumes Amy has been kidnapped and organize a nationwide manhunt to find her. On the basis of a tip from a jealous Ninotchka, they discover Amy and Lucy while they are having sex. Ms. Petrie prepares to exile Amy, but Max convinces her to claim that Amy was brainwashed in order to protect the reputation of both D.E.B.S. and Amy.

In an attempt to win Amy back, Lucy returns everything she has ever stolen. She infiltrates the D.E.B.S. year-end dance, where Amy is to be made D.E.B. of the year, only to hear Amy deliver a 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. Max, Janet, and Dominique 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

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 score of 42/100 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]

Awards and nominations
YearFestivalAwardRecipientsResult
2004Berlin International Film FestivalReader Jury of the "Siegessäule"Angela RobinsonWon
2005Black Movie AwardsOutstanding Achievement in WritingAngela RobinsonNominated
2005Black Movie AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleMeagan GoodNominated

References
  1. "D.E.B.S. (2004)". Box Office Mojo.
  2. "D.E.B.S. (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  3. "D.E.B.S. (2004)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
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