Tagline: It’s not called gym-nice-tics.
Curiosity: This one was my buddy Drew’s doing. Although, seriously, it’s a gymnastics film written/directed by Jessica Bendinger (Bring It On) and starring Jeff Bridges (Tron, Tron Legacy).
Plot: After getting arrested for the umpteenth time, rebellious extreme sports enthusiast Haley (Missy Peregrym) has two options – attend military school or a gymnastics academy run by Burt Vickerman (Bridges), who has a reputation for pushing his students to the point of injury. Her father forces her to go to the latter. There, Haley chafes the craw of everyone around her, from Vickerman (“No one cares what you do,” he tells her often) to fellow students like Joanne (Vanessa Lengies). Over time, though, her sassy brand of independence teaches her peers that gymnastics can be a sport about individuality instead of a forced routine meant to entertain the evil, baby-killing judges in this heartwarming tale of feminism or whatever.
Thoughts: While I generally hate the phrase, “guilty pleasure” sums up my appreciation for Stick It, as it liberally uses one of my biggest pet peeves, narration, to skip over character development. Everything we know about Haley’s family and gymnastics outside of Vickerman’s gym comes from narration. Speaking of Vickerman, we’re told that he’s a terrible coach with a knack for hurting his students, yet he never exhibits those qualities during the film’s 103 minute running time. The narration is lame.
And yet, when Electric Six comes on and the spinning, flying, psychedelic gymnastic visuals kick in, I don’t care. Let the record show that this is the first “bad” movie discussed here that my girlfriend actually liked. Oh sure, she spent the first hour or so trying to figure out why I was so absorbed in a film geared towards 13-year-old girls, but once the athleticism kicked in, she was astounded. More importantly, she was entertained by the way strong female characters subverted authority figures – BAM INSTANT FEMINIST MANIFESTO I WIN. This shit is uplifting, I’m a good person, the end forever.
Reflection: Seriously, who thought to include “Dancer Commander?” Fast-forward to 4:11:
this movie is srsly so good. i feel the same way about it as i do "since you been gone" by kelly clarkson: it should be bad, and in many ways it is - it panders, it's largely soulless, it was designed in some laboratory to elicit every emotional response that some corporation wants you to feel.
ReplyDeleteand yet you find yourself alone in yr room, sipping whiskey and crying a little because despite all that, it's STILL REALLY GOOD.
I have only recently watched this movie, and I also think it is very good. I am a parent with two children, and both of them are teenage athletes. While neither of them are gymnasts, this little fluffy movie is more realistic that anyone wants to admit when it comes to sports programs, no matter what type it is. Vickerman reminds me of a basketball coach my son had, who was also legendary in our small town. Bottom line was you were going to respect him, respect the sport, and "be better" as he so often said. He also had a penchant for getting technical fouls, questioning bad calls, and supporting his players. Officials didn't like him and often made bad calls against our team, but I digress. Bottom line....athletes talk smack to each other and the opposition, coaches talk smack just like Vickerman and DeFrank did, and when you're good you're disliked by the competition; your name precedes you.
ReplyDeleteIn your blog you mention that Vickerman has a reputation for letting his players get injured, but he doesn't exhibit that in the movie. That is because he has decided that after being injured himself and maybe contributing to his gymnasts getting hurt, he is going to have to play it safe and boring. When Haley finds him, he is too complacent and has gotten lazy with his coaching. When he starts investing in Haley and teaching her how to control her tricks so she can be innovative and safe at the same time, he starts to remember what it is he loves about gymnastics to begin with. He begins to become a present coach not just going through the motions. He has to find humility and admit his less than truthful ways of what he is feeding the parents about the students abilities. Haley also realizes how she is being transformed by requiring more of herself, giving respect to gain respect, and admitting she doesn't know it all. The scene at the beginning when he knocks the cap off her head and pushes her off the beam to let her know he is not going to put up with her lip is priceless and reminds me of the "old school" ways, including my own coach when I was in school.
This is a positive movie with a focus on the coach/athlete relationship, that despite its MTVish presentation at time, has very realistic components to it. One final comment is that I have read other reviews where it is critized that the girls rebel against the judges at the end, and that Vickerman allows it. I would encourage people to remember that with any sport, a truly good coach realizes it is about more than just the sport or that one competition. Good high school coaches, which is basically what Vickerman is, are trying to teach their athletes about how to equate their sport to life and to ultimately become good members of society. Just watch "Facing the Giants" ,which is another excellent 2006 movie about high school football, to understand what I mean. When Haley tells her nemesis at Nationals that what is going on is "bigger than them", she is starting to get it. It rings back to the previous competition where Vickerman has reminded Haley that not everything is about her all the time.
I commend Bendinger for her film. I think it very possible for adult viewers to watch it and get something out of it. For all its stylized look, I think Bendinger promotes a positive message that teenagers will absorb without even knowing it. That is almost as hard as throwing a double back, right?