Synopsis

When Viola Hastings' girls' soccer team is cut, she disguises herself as her twin brother, Sebastian, and enrolls at his boarding school to join the boys' team. Her plan becomes complicated when she falls for her roommate Duke, who is interested in Olivia, while Olivia becomes attracted to Viola's male persona. Sebastian's unexpected return threatens to expose the entire deception.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is a modern, loosely adapted version of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The boarding school is named Illyria, after the play's setting, while several character names and relationships echo Shakespeare's originals.

• Amanda Bynes reportedly could not play soccer when filming began, but performed most of her soccer action herself.

• Bynes campaigned for Channing Tatum to be cast as Duke. He had not yet become a leading film star, and the role helped raise his profile.

• The production was filmed in British Columbia, Canada, including locations in Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster. Principal photography took place from June 6 through August 5, 2005.

• Several comic moments were improvised. During the double-date scene, Bynes ad-libbed the phrase "Lady pterodactyl," and other performers added unscripted lines.

• The name Cesario appears in the film as the name of a restaurant. In Twelfth Night, Cesario is the male identity Viola adopts.

• During a shower-room scene, Channing Tatum accidentally struck James Snyder in the eye with a towel. Snyder's reaction remained in the film.

• Released in the United States on March 17, 2006, the movie earned more than $57 million worldwide against an estimated $20 million budget.

• Although its initial critical reception was mixed, the film developed a lasting cult following and became one of the best-known teen comedies of the 2000s.