Stick It

The Vickerman Gymnastics Academy is run by a hard driving coach who goes by the name of – no points for guessing – Vickerman with a Burt before it (Jeff Bridges). He is responsible for putting together some of the best gymnasts that America has ever seen. He isn’t the most loved person around in the gymnastics world because of his outspoken behavior and because he pushes the game to the limit – his students, the officials, everyone around him actually. But that’s what makes him a successful coach I guess and he isn’t about to change the way he is.

Cut to – Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) – Amercian gymnastic team @ the World Championships. Leaves her team in the last round for reasons best known to her. A rebel without a cause. Her sole purpose in life seems to be to buck the system. Her team mates are obviously shattered because suddenly a potential gold medal turns into no medal – yikes. Most peeved is Tricia Skilken (Tarah Paige) who was most looking forward to it. A few years later, as she continues to break the rules – and coincidentally break the law as well a few times – she finds herself in a situation that pushes her back to gymnastics And again – no points for guessing where she lands up.

Stick It takes a look at the fascinating sport of gymnastics, and how some silly archaic rules have taken away the beauty of the sport and pushed it down to controlling what is termed as “deductions”. So you don’t score a perfect 10 because you are brilliant but more so because u did nothing wrong, By wrong, one would mean not showing your bra strap inadvertently. Or not picking a song that is without lyrics for your floor exercise routine. It comes down to Haley to pick up the courage and as the title says – Stick it – to the face of these officials who take away the joy from a difficult and beautiful sport.

I am not sure if there are any other movies made that cover the topic of gymnastics or gymnasts and that is such a pity. On that count, full points to Jessica Bendinger to have picked a topic that has not been dealt with before. Add to it the fact that she has, as a first time director, probably cast everyone who has been or is a gymnast. If not, then she has done a fabulous job editing or morphing it or doing whatever it is that is done to make the stunts and performances look just brilliant.

Although it isn’t much of a movie for the acting performances, I would still recommend it to audiences. I think its playing on Sony Pix or Zee MGM or something like that. Worth spending a couple of hours on. 6 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDExqBXKw4k