Remember the Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) hype of the late nineties? Honestly, it was a weird, golden era of television. If you grew up then, you probably have a blurry memory of Andy Lawrence playing a teen who accidentally clones himself using a high-end science kit. That movie is The Other Me. If you’re looking to watch The Other Me 2000 today, you aren't just looking for a nostalgia trip; you're looking at a specific cultural moment where we were all collectively terrified—and obsessed—with the idea of cloning.
It’s funny.
Back then, Dolly the Sheep was fresh in the news. We actually thought we were about five minutes away from seeing double in our own hallways. This movie tapped into that specific brand of suburban anxiety.
The Plot That Defined a Generation of Slackers
Will Browning is basically the patron saint of the "C gets degrees" crowd. He's unmotivated. He’s failing science. His dad is threatening him with military school. Desperate to pass, he buys a "Hyper-Clone" kit from a shady mail-order catalog. He thinks it’s a toy. It isn't. Through a series of events involving a stray hair and some spilled soda, he ends up with "Two," a clone who is better at everything. Two is polite, he's a genius, and he actually cares about homework.
It’s the ultimate lazy kid’s dream. Or so it seems.
Watching it now, the pacing is frantic. It has that distinct Disney Channel rhythm where a problem is introduced in scene one, escalates by scene five, and involves a chase sequence by the final act. Most people remember the slapstick, like the "clones in the same room" trope where they have to hide behind doors. But beneath the cheese, there’s this weirdly heavy subtext about identity and whether our achievements define us. Or if we're just the sum of our DNA.
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Where to Find a Copy Today
If you want to watch The Other Me 2000, you might notice it isn't always front-and-center on streaming homepages. Disney+ is usually your best bet. They’ve done a decent job of archiving the DCOM catalog, though the "remaster" is basically just a slight upscale of the original broadcast master. Don't expect 4K. It’s grainy. It’s 4:3 aspect ratio. It looks like the year 2000.
Sometimes it rotates out of availability based on regional licensing, though that's rarer for Disney-owned IP. You can also find it for digital purchase on platforms like Amazon or Apple TV.
Physical media collectors? Good luck.
Finding a DVD of this specific title is like hunting for a needle in a haystack of High School Musical sequels. It was released on VHS back in the day, but those tapes are likely degraded by now. If you find a copy at a thrift store, grab it. It’s a relic of a time before streaming wiped out the concept of "owning" a movie.
The Lawrence Family Dynasty
You can’t talk about this movie without talking about the Lawrence brothers. In the 2000s, they were essentially the royal family of basic cable. You had Joey, Matthew, and Andrew. Andrew (Andy) was the "kid brother" who finally got his leading man moment here.
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He actually pulls off a pretty difficult task.
Playing two versions of yourself isn't just about putting on a different shirt. He had to create two distinct physicalities. Will is slouchy and frantic. Two is upright and precise. For a kid actor in a made-for-TV movie, he actually put in the work. It’s easy to dismiss these movies as fluff, but the technical side of filming "double" scenes in the year 2000 involved a lot of locked-off cameras and "split-screen" editing that required the actor to hit the exact same marks every single time. One inch to the left and the illusion is shattered.
The Science (Or Lack Thereof)
Let’s be real. The science in this movie is absolute nonsense. You don't clone a human being in a basement with a kit that costs fifty bucks and arrives in a cardboard box.
But that’s the charm.
The "Hyper-Clone" kit is a great example of the Y2K aesthetic: translucent plastics, glowing liquids, and UI that looks like a neon fever dream. It reflects how we viewed technology at the turn of the millennium—powerful, slightly magical, and incredibly dangerous if it fell into the hands of a middle schooler.
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Common Misconceptions About the Movie
- It’s a sequel: People often confuse this with other "clone" movies of the era. It isn't. It’s a standalone story based on the book Me Two by Mary C. Ryan.
- The ending: Without spoiling too much, people often remember it being a "Parent Trap" situation where the clone stays forever. The resolution is actually a bit more nuanced regarding the clone's autonomy.
- The cast: Some people swear Matthew or Joey Lawrence are the leads. They aren't. They might have cameos or be in the "Family" promos, but this is Andy's show.
Why We Still Care About This Movie
Why do people still search for ways to watch The Other Me 2000 twenty-five years later? It isn't because it’s a cinematic masterpiece. It’s because it represents a specific kind of safety. In 2000, the biggest problem we could imagine was a clone taking our place in math class.
The movie deals with "The Secret Life" trope. We all wanted a version of ourselves that could handle the hard stuff while we went to the mall. It’s a fantasy of efficiency.
Also, the fashion. Cargo pants. Spiked hair with too much gel. Oversized shirts. It’s a time capsule.
What to Do After You Watch
If you’ve managed to track it down and finish your rewatch, don't just stop there. To really get the full experience of that era, you should look into the "DCOM Golden Age" (1997-2004).
- Check out the source material: Read Me Two by Mary C. Ryan. It’s interesting to see what Disney sanitized for the screen. The book has a slightly different tone.
- Compare it to "The 6th Day": That Arnold Schwarzenegger movie came out the same year. It’s the "adult" version of the same cloning paranoia. It makes for a hilarious double feature.
- Explore the director’s work: Manny Coto directed this. He went on to do much bigger things in sci-fi, including Star Trek: Enterprise and 24. You can actually see his interest in high-concept stakes even in this "kids" movie.
If you’re struggling to find it on your specific streaming app, check your settings. Sometimes "Junior" modes on streaming profiles hide older live-action content if the metadata is tagged weirdly. Toggle that off, search for "The Other Me," and prepare for a very specific type of Y2K vertigo. It’s a short watch—under 90 minutes—and honestly, it holds up better than half the stuff they put out today because it doesn't take itself too seriously.
Just don't try the "Hyper-Clone" kit at home if you find one on eBay. Dealing with one of you is probably enough.