Sugar & Spice

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Sugar & Spice ★★★ 2001 (PG-13)

If there is such a thing as a smart cheerleader teen pic, this is it. Satire of offbeat pep squadders who cheer by day and rob banks by night includes Suvari's rebellious Kansas and Shelton's permanently upbeat Diane. Diane meets Jack (Marsden), and two American kids do the best they can when they learn Diane is pregnant. They decide to marry, move into a seedy apartment, and take up work at a local fast food joint. After losing said employment, the motivation becomes clear for the girls' ensuing illegal capers. Littered with pop culture references: the girls rent “Reservoir Dogs” to prepare for the heist, rob the banks in “Betty” masks, and deal with one of the girls' hots for Conan O'Brien. 81m/C VHS, DVD . US Marley Shelton, James Marsden, Mena Suvari, Marla Sokoloff, Rachel Blanchard, Melissa George, Alexandra Holden, Sara Marsh, Sean Young; D: Francine McDougall; W: Mandy Nelson; C: Robert Brinkmann; M: Mark Mothers-baugh.