Sydney White

"Freshman year is no fairytale"

2007 1h 48m EN

😐

6.5

MID

🥫

36%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 1,132🥫36%Rotten Tomatoes●45Metacritic★6.2IMDB · 51,907

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

College freshman Sydney White arrives at Southern Atlantic University, determined to pledge her late mother's sorority. Unfortunately, she finds that the sisterhood has changed since her parent's day. Banished to a condemned house, Sydney joins forces with seven outcasts to take over the student government and win equal rights for nerd and noted alike.

“Freshman year is no fairytale”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Sony Pictures Core Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Amanda Bynes
Sydney White
Sara Paxton
Rachel Witchburn
Matt Long
Tyler Prince
Jeremy Howard
Terrence Lubinecki
Danny Strong
Gurkin
Jack Carpenter
Lenny
John Schneider
Paul White
Samm Levine
Spanky

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joe Nussbaum
Writers: Chad Gomez Creasey
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 83% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 19 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joe Nussbaum, shot by Mark Irwin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Deborah Lurie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Danny Saphire shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Amanda Bynes and Sara Paxton and Matt Long carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Freshman year is no fairytale".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0815244 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joe Nussbaum directs. Mark Irwin behind the camera. Deborah Lurie scores. Danny Saphire cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 83% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 19 years ago.
3Directed by Joe Nussbaum, shot by Mark Irwin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Deborah Lurie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Danny Saphire shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Amanda Bynes and Sara Paxton and Matt Long carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Freshman year is no fairytale".
8IMDB entry: tt0815244 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 20 themes, including "plumber", "college", "geek", "romance".

The technical file

Cinematography: Mark Irwin
Original score: Deborah Lurie
Editing: Danny Saphire
Production design: Mark Garner
Stunt coordinator: Jennifer Badger
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $16,500,000
Box office: $13,620,075
Return: 83% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Sydney White (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes: 36% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 45/100
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 51,907 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Also by

Joe Nussbaum

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Kamurai2021-07-10
★ 7/10
Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend. A modern day re-telling of Snow White. Not an easy task to get a modern ensemble cast to be significant, but they do a good job for the characters being mostly socially awkward societal rejects. Amanda Bynes pretty much carries the movie, but that's to be expected from a Snow White. The fun twist is they went with a "vs the rich" trope against greek row instead of her being princess-like. The movie is a lot of fun, and Amanda Bynes does a great job of competitive girl on the social battlefield as does Sarah Paxton.
Alunauwie2025-09-30
★ 9/10
Sydney White reimagines the Snow White tale in a fun, college setting with modern twists, relatable characters, and a light, feel-good storyline. Though some plot points lack logic and depth, strong performances and a charming narrative make it an enjoyable rom-com, especially for fans of fairytale-inspired teen films. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)