Stick It

This is one of my favorites. It's the "North Dallas Forty" of gymnastics. The main difference is that after seeing this, I took an interest in gymnastics. No matter how much I enjoyed "North Dallas Forty", I still have no interest football. Is it flawed? Sure. Is it high art? Naaa. But it doesn't have to be perfect to be enjoyable. Its an underdog movie. You watch it to see the struggle of the hero, and even though you know they are going to win, you want to see how they manage to come out on top. It would probably have a higher rating if it weren't for all the movie snobs that prefer to pick a movie to pieces rather than rating it by how well it accomplishes what it set out to do. I think this one does its job and then some.

It seems like a pretty run-of-the-mill teen movie. Bad kid goes some where they don't want to be and turns into a good kid, winning in the end. This movie has that theme, but it has humor, smart writing, and a lot of hard core falls, bumps, bruises, and just generally amazing stunts. If any of the actresses aren't real gymnasts (excluding Vanessa Lengies), I'd eat my hat! Well, maybe I wouldn't bet money on it. I'm sure these days you can superimpose the actress's head on a stunt person's body. Still, most of the time, you see the stunt, you see the actress's face. I loved seeing the camera shots from above, ground level, from the actress's POV. The slow motion, the sound effects . . . it just made each scene exciting. Loved it.

Between the drama and the fun soundtrack, it is pure teen-flick in the best way. In the vein of "Bring it On", this film stands out in the attitude it brings to the screen with characters like Haley Graham and Poot. It reveals the underbelly of competitive gymnastics with heart and laughs. The characters are people that we all know, with problems, fears, and dreams. When you consider the others like it, it's solid in every way. Not to mention, boys in prom dresses and some amazing gymnasts (i.e. Nastia Liukin making cameo appearances). It's a fun flick!