5 Worst Parents In Disney Channel Original Movies (& 5 Who Were Awesome)
With so many Disney Channel Original Movies in the rear-view, there are a lot of DCOM kids about which we've forgotten—and that means there are a lot of DCOM parents. In the 23 years that Disney has made these direct-to-cable films, some questionable parenting strategies have played out.
A number of the movies on the list are now somewhat obscure, so it's time that they are brought to light. It's not all bad, however! So, in addition to the movies' five worst parents, five totally awesome ones are listed. Check them out today on Disney+.
10 Worst: Samantha Maxwell and Adam Collins
You know you're on a deep dive when you put first and last names to the parents from a favorite DCOM. Cadet Kelly is a whole movement, and it rocks—but the parents don't.
Samantha Maxwell is a great mom, and it's nice that she falls in love again after her divorce. However, anyone who forces Hilary Duff into military school is not cool. Surely, there's a public high school down the road, or virtual school, or something... Kelly Collins just doesn't belong at military school. She makes it work, but her mom never should have forced her into it.
As for Kelly's dad, it's clear that he loves his daughter. He also loves his work which takes him to remote jungles. Maybe if he spent a little more time with Kelly, she would be better off. It looks like the winner parent of this family is General Joe Maxwell, the Commandant of George Washington Military Academy. He turns out to be a pretty rad stepdad for Kelly.
9 Totally Awesome: Susan and David Aarons
Stuck in the Suburbs makes it onto a lot of lists because it's such a fun movie. The parents are no exception. For a little refresher, the Aarons family is the hub of the suburb. Everyone is always hanging out there after soccer practice.
Life may look a little mundane, but it's nice to see an average family working out their day to day struggles. Brittany's dad—apparently named David in the film—doesn't do a whole lot, but her mom is a preservationist legend. Susan Aarons is desperate to save a historic landmark, and a pop star named Jordan Cahill ends up helping her out big time.
8 Worst: Linda and Ed Kingsford
Like Stuck in the Suburbs, the dad in Go Figure isn't a huge part of the movie. However, he should have talked with his wife about some big decisions she made. It may seem insignificant in the course of the movie, but Linda Kingsford transforms her daughter's room into a home office.
Katelin is away skating at a boarding school, so it makes sense for at least part of the room to be an office. However, where is the poor girl supposed to sleep when she comes home on school breaks? For not making even a small place for their teenage daughter, the Kingsford parents are not the coolest. They do rally for her and support her dreams, though.
7 Totally Awesome: Ralph and Peggy Bartlett
Read it and Weep is such a great DCOM. While Jamie Bartlett overlooks her loved ones on her journey as a published author, her parents remain steadfast confidants who try to encourage their kids to be good people. The best part is, Ralph—played by Even Stevens' Tom Virtue—owns a pizza shop and is always cooking up some creative concoctions. Watch the movie to see how his business figures into the plot, and how everyone gets to pitch in!
6 Worst: Larry and Mary Burge
The parents on Double Teamed are hard workers and love their kids, but they have some serious flaws. Larry Burge is the first dad on this list to fall into the "pushes kid to follow dad's dream, not theirs" group. His goal for daughters Heather and Heidi is athletics above all else.
Mary, their mother, encourages the girls' dreams and tries to reason with their dad. Still, she goes along with his wishes for a lot of the movie, including the precarious housing situation he puts them in as they attempt to relocate to the correct school district for the twins. Heather and Heidi thrive in the movie and in real life, but the family as a whole goes through a lot of growing pains on the way.
5 Totally Awesome: Michelle and Steve Thompson
These names might not sound familiar, but they are the parents in The Ultimate Christmas Present. Steve is a loving dad trying to get home to his family in time for Christmas. Michelle is a caterer and is taking care of her kids, Allie and Joey, while the dad is away. Part of the reason that she's one of the best DCOM moms is because she is played by Hallie Todd, also known as Jo McGuire from Lizzie McGuire.
Hallie brings something special to her role. She is a somewhat strict mom, but she does her best to teach her children right from wrong. She also shows some sass when a weatherman named Edwin barges in to find her daughter's weather machine. You just have to see it to understand.
4 Worst: Mr. And Mrs. Bolton
Probably one of the most recognizable Disney parental couples, the Boltons aren't perfect. Mr. Bolton is the coach of East High's basketball team. His nemesis in High School Musical is Ms. Darbus, drama teacher extraordinaire.
It takes some time for Mr. Bolton to accept that his son, Troy, loves to sing as much as he loves to play basketball. Disney Channel definitely played up the stereotypical sports dad in this case, and Troy's mom doesn't do much to help. She has a minimal role in the movies and mostly leaves father and son to sort out their disagreements on their own.
3 Totally Awesome: Bob and Kate Johnson
The parents in The Luck of the Irish are a lot of fun. The fanciful movie shows teenager Kyle Johnson uncovering his family heritage. His parents try to avoid genealogy discussions and claim they are from Cleveland, Ohio. While this is true of Kyle's dad Bob, his mother is definitely Irish.
In fact, Kate Johnson grew up as Kate O'Reilly, a leprechaun. They have been keeping it a secret in efforts to protect the family. Kyle helps his parents sort through some family drama, fights the bad guy, and brings his rich heritage to the fore. Watch the movie to see how they finally get to that rousing chorus of "This Land is Your Land."
2 Worst: Kenneth Daniels
While Corbin Bleu is more well-known for the High School Musical empire, he also did a movie with Keke Palmer called Jump in! It's a classic formula: driven athlete discovers his passion for another talent and must decide what is most important.
This movie adds the disapproving father element to the mix. Kenneth Daniels is played by David Reivers, Corbin's dad in real life. As Izzy, Corbin is following in his boxer father's footsteps. Things get complicated when Izzy falls in love with Double Dutch jump-roping. Though Kenneth comes around at the end of the film, it takes a while for him to warm up to his son's dreams and for Izzy to feel comfortable sharing them with his dad.
1 Totally Awesome: Reed Callum
Cow Belles is far and away one of the best DCOMs in existence. Aly and AJ Michalka are perfect in the roles of Taylor and Courtney Callum. The wealthy teenage sisters have to learn some lessons about working hard and appreciating the little things in life.
Their dad, Reed Callum, is a kind man who does the right thing in giving his daughters a job. He handles everything unbelievably well when his trusted business partner turns on the company. Reed chips in and works alongside his employees to save his dairy. He loves his kids and his company, and he doesn't let wealth go to his head or define him.