Consider it stuck.
It’s not Shakespeare, but “Stick It” may be the most underrated family movie of the year so far. Equal measures ode to gymnastics and parody of the personalities who tend to become obsessed with the sport, “Stick It” is a sharply written comedy with more action than an NBC Olympics broadcast.
When she reviewed it for our Screen section in April, Lisa Kennedy was one of the few critics who stuck the landing.
Other critics didn’t seem to get the hip, sarcastic attitude of the girls and their not-so-quiet rebellion against the ridiculous power structure of their sport. They complained there wasn’t enough sport to make it a sports movie, giving it a sour 32 percent rating on the scale at rottentomatoes.com.
Ridiculous. “Stick It” has more sport and genuine ‘tude than “Invincible,” “Gridiron Gang” and “Glory Road” put together.
The movie stars a remarkably charismatic Missy Peregrym as a surly gymnast angry at her parents, at her judges, at anybody who refuses to question the status quo.
“Stick It” is a great tale for teenagers or ‘tweens who want to do the right thing but are starting to wonder if adults always know what that right thing is. The movie is crammed with smart, beautiful, athletic, funny women. Which, of course, is never a bad thing for teenage boys to watch, either.
Peregrym’s Haley Graham rides a trick bike through a plate glass window in the movie’s opening scene, and can’t pay the $14,000 restitution. She’s given a choice: juvie hall or a strict gymnastics camp run by Jeff Bridges.
Turns out Haley used to be a top-flight gymnast who walked out on her team before the final rotation at the world championships, costing the U.S. a medal. Going back to the constant catfights of the gym is only slightly less horrific to her than jail.
My eldest daughter blew off homework, stayed up too late and nearly missed the bus the next morning in order to finish watching “Stick It,” which should give you some idea of its appeal. The disc ($29.99) comes crammed with extras aimed at teenagers: a set of bloopers, deleted scenes that explain a few gaps in the story, plus music videos of the catchy “We Run This” and “Crowded” tunes used in the movie.
There are also gymnastics extras that extend the movie’s claim to real sport: a featurette about the stunt doubles who performed the “Stick It” routines and another showing routines from the world’s elite gym athletes.
While mild for a PG-13 film, “Stick It” does include some realistic teenage language. But don’t escort your 8-year-old soccer players out of the room – they just might learn a valuable lesson in succeeding on their own terms, and playing a sport for the right reasons.
Reach Michael Booth at mbooth@denverpost.com; try the “Screen Team” blog at denverpostbloghouse.com
