But true fans will never forget Cadet Kelly, her other major project from that time.
The Texas native played the role of Kelly in the Disney Channel Original Movie. It premiered in March 2002. Other beloved DCOMs were also released that year, such as Get a Clue starring Lindsay Lohan, and Gotta Kick It Up! featuring America Ferrera. But Cadet Kelly was undoubtedly the most memorable.
The movie follows Kelly Collins, who is forced to leave her city life to go to the country by her mother's marriage to Joe ( Gary Cole). Joe becomes the commandant at a nearby military school. Kelly must also attend the school because it is the only one in the area. However, her free-spirited personality makes navigating the rigidity of the institution difficult.
Kelly is able to make friends with Carla (Andrea Lewis), and she has a crush on Brad. However, Kelly also meets a nemesis in Jennifer Romano (Christy Carlson Romano), who is determined to uphold the rules at all cost. Kelly and Jennifer eventually get to know each other by the end of the movie, especially after Kelly leads the drill team to their highest regionals performance.
Although Jennifer and Kelly nurse crushes on Brad during the movie, many fans believe that the two had genuine feelings for one another. Duff didn't know that some viewers interpret the movie to be "queer-coded", until her How I Met Your Father Costar Tien Tran pointed out this.
She was like, "Oh, my god. It's a special moment for the queer community. All the close-talking and hugs with Jennifer," the Younger alum said to Cosmopolitan on January 20, 2022. I didn't know this. It helped me a lot.
Romano is happy, for her part that people still talk about the film years later.
"Even though it's a Disney Channel movie, it's still an art piece. "The reason my TV shows and films have performed well over the years is because they have substantial appeal that rings true with fans of all ages," she said to MTV News March 2017. "I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to play Jennifer Stone. I believe that she can have an influence on people going through different situations.
