Spring Breakdown is a 2009 (but filmed in 2006) comedy directed by Ryan Shiraki and starring Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, and Rachel Dratch.
In 1992, McCormick State College seniors and best friends Gayle (Poehler), Becky (Posey), and Judi (Dratch) perform "True Colors" at the school's annual talent show as a final farewell before graduation. Nobody in the crowd likes it, and they're immediately brushed off for a much sexier and more lively act featuring numerous scantily clad, more attractive girls. The trio decides not to let it dampen their spirits, and promise each other that they'll be more confident and successful as adults.
15 years later, they're down on their luck. Gayle is stuck working at a seeing eye dog place, and one of her blind clients has a crush on her. Becky has it a little better, working for Cloud Cuckoolander U.S. Senator Hartmann, who occasionally mistreats her and has an unhealthy obsession with century-old firearms. Judi is due for marriage to William, her decent fiance, but both aren't sure that they'll make it work and start going to marriage counseling...only for her to find out he's gay. To make matters worse, Becky comes home to her cat having passed away, and afterwards the three girls discuss their annual road trip, with Gayle mentioning that they should do something fun and more active this year.
Their golden opportunity comes when the Vice President of the United States resigns after getting caught in a scandal with two 16-year-olds, opening the door for the Senator to try to take his place. To do so, she and her family need to have a perfect record, which they seem to...until her college daughter Ashley's boyfriend Doug breaks up with her because he loses interest in the puritanical Medieval Club. This causes her to defect to her provocative but abusive sorority, which is heading to South Padre Island for spring break. Hartmann, knowing how much her daughter wants to be popular like she was in college but wanting to keep her partygoing a secret to the press, wants someone to masquerade as a college girl to keep an eye on her while she's down there, and who does she choose but Becky! The girls never went to spring break in their college years, and this trip may be just what they need for a breath of fresh air. Of course, Becky's career is on the line, and whether she keeps it or not depends on whether or not Ashley ends up on the news.
Not to be confused with My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Spring Breakdown.
Spring Breakdown provides examples of these tropes:
- All Guys Want Sorority Women: Subverted; Ashley was already a sorority sister at the beginning. However she's not as provocative or hard-partying as her sisters, and it's one of the reasons Doug breaks up with her - to party with them, and he does.
- Alpha Bitch: Mason, the leader of the Sevens, who exhibits every bitchy behavior in the book. Perhaps subverted in her treatment of Gayle, though, at least at first.
- Artistic License – Politics: The President of The United States does not directly choose the new Vice President if for whatever reason their term ends early. Should the Vice President die or resign before the end of their term, the Speaker of the House becomes their immediate replacement. As Hartmann was a senator, she would have no immediate chance to take over for the Vice President.
- Bar Brawl: After finding out that Becky works for her mom and she sent her down to watch her, Ashley tries to assault Becky. Both get arrested and taken to jail for the night, and Judi bails them out.
- Beautiful All Along: Downplayed; Amy Poehler was always attractive, but even more so after the Sevens gave her a makeover.
- Beauty Is Bad: Mason and the Sevens are a group of a very attractive women, but they are also manipulative and cruel as well.
- Book Ends: The movie begins with the girls performing a song less lively and fast than others in the same show. It ends the same way, with both trios.
- The Cameo: Christopher Knight, Bruce Vilanch, and LaLa as the talent show judges.
- Catholic School Girls Rule: Judi dons a short-skirted outfit for the bar party. Lampshaded by William when he visits her in the hotel room to reconcile with her.
- Conversation Cut: After Becky explains her plan to carry out their mission of watching Ashley for the week, Judi asks if that's really her plan. Cut to the girls getting out of a taxi to go to a club when Becky answers yes.
- Crowd Surfing: Gayle gets to do it after introducing everyone in the bar to the electric slide for a keychain.
- Curse Cut Short: After seeing the news broadcast of her daughter being caught for spring breaking, Hartmann lets out a "Motherf-" before it cuts to Mason being interviewed.
- Fanservice: Given its a spring break movie, tons of it.
- Girl on Girl Is Hot: Defied by Mason, who forcibly makes out with Ashley on the bar stage.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Everyone except Becky, Lydia, and Truvy, but especially The 4 Seasons' receptionist, Charlene, who's been one for 18 YEARS!
- Hoist by Her Own Petard: A defied heroic example. Following Gayle's departure of the Sevens, she believes her training them on their dance routine for the talent show will cause them to win by a landslide. Subverted in that we're never shown the winner, although it can be implied Becky's Friendz ended up winning thanks to Dan the announcer cheering louder for them and chanting "Dead Dog! Dead Dog!"
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Judi and Juan. They're at least a foot difference from each other when the share their Big Damn Kiss at the end.
- Jerkass: Mason. She had already been insulting Gayle's weight, but her kicking a dog off her leg is what causes Gayle to snap and quit her act.
- Ms. Fanservice: Mason seems to really enjoy strutting her stuff as she always acts promiscuous in public especially at the end of her and the Seven’s dance in the talent show where she flashes the audience with her breasts.
- No Party Given: It's never stated which party Hartmann is a member of, but she seems to have hints from both main ones (decreasing oil consumption as a Democrat, and playing around with guns as a Republican). However, it's implied that she's a Democrat when she and Becky excitedly discuss their platform of environmental protection in the ending.
- No-Tell Motel: The girls believe that their hotel is a Four Seasons before they get there, but it turns out to be a cheap knockoff with AWFULLY dirty rooms.
- Older Than They Look: The girls slightly de-age themselves to make it look like they're still in college so as to not get called out. Becky lies about being a grad student when she introduces herself to Ashley, Lydia, and Truvy.
- One Head Taller: Closer to TWO heads with Judi and Juan.
- Only Sane Woman: Becky, the only one who focuses on the task at hand. She eventually berates the other two for getting so out of control. Subverted when Gayle and Judi finally talk her into having fun at a bar.
- Precision F-Strike: Gayle after she takes a huge bite out of a thickburger Becky gave her.Gayle: This tastes so fucking good!
- Product Placement: Quite a bit for Hardee's/Carl's Jr, as well as some Pepsi products.
- Sleazy Politician: The plot gets triggered by the Vice President getting caught in an incident with teens.
- Smash Cut: From the bikini-top-and-shorts-clad Pan-Asian Club's performance at the talent show to fully clothed Judi and William discussing their impending marriage, which still doesn't happen after Judi finally realizes he's truly gay because he never wants to have sex with her.
- Team Power Walk: The main trio when walking into the bar.
- Wet T-Shirt Contest: One occurs at the bar party; the Sevens and Ashley participate while Becky tries to get the latter out before it ends up caught on camera.
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: The final name of Ashley's talent show band is Becky's Friendz. With a Z.
- You Are Number 6: How the Sevens refer to each other; Gayle eventually refers to herself as number Eight, then Mason accepts her (without changing the name, though.)
