Stick It (2006)

After a run-in with the law, Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) is forced to return to the world from which she fled some years ago. Enrolled in an elite gymnastics program run by the legendary Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges), Haley's rebellious attitude gives way to something that just might be called team spirit.

Director:

Jessica Bendinger

Writer:

Jessica Bendinger

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Missy Peregrym, Vanessa Lengies

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Burt Vickerman
Missy Peregrym	...	Haley Graham
Vanessa Lengies	...	Joanne Charis
Nikki SooHoo	...	Wei Wei Yong
Maddy Curley	...	Mina Hoyt
Kellan Lutz	...	Frank
John Patrick Amedori	...	Poot
Mio Dzakula	...	Ivan
Svetlana Efremova	...	Dorrie
Jon Gries	...	Brice Graham
Gia Carides	...	Alice Graham
Tarah Paige	...	Tricia Skilken
Polly Holliday	...	Judge Westreich
Julie Warner	...	Mrs. Charis
Annie Corley	...	Officer Ferguson

Storyline

Haley Graham is a former gymnast-turned-juvenile delinquent who, after one too many run-ins with the law, is forced to enroll at an elite gymnastics academy, the VGA in Houston, Texas which is run by the legendary Olympic gymnast Burt Vickerman. But the rebellious Haley is not welcomed into the academy by the other teenage gymnasts who despise her for walking out on her Junior Olympic team years earlier during a competition which cost them the gold medal. But Haley is not a docile person either and makes every effort to provoke conflicts with the other girls. Vickerman takes it upon himself to coach Haley in his own way to make her regain her self respect for the VGA's coming spot on the Gymnastic Nationals.

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Plot Keywords:

gymnastics | coach | houston texas | texas | orange county california | 

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Taglines:

Defy and Conquer.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some crude remarks

Details

Official Sites:

Disney [us]

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Atithaso talento

Filming Locations:

Fairfield, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£131,043 (UK) (13 October 2006)

Gross:

£131,043 (UK) (13 October 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kaltenbach Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the gymnasts asks "Who died and named you Nadia?" This is a reference to gymnast Nadia Comaneci.

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Goofs

Right after Haley tries to apologize to Tricia, as she walks up the stairs and on to the stage and then to her spot in line, the camera is set far back watching the entire stage, as the girls step forward and raise their hand as their name is called, Haley is just getting into line, when Joanne is stepping forward, but when it does a close-up, Haley is already in line, and the person before Joanne is stepping forward, then Joanne proceeds to step forward.

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Quotes

Burt Vickerman: You're popping your clutch, losing traction.
Haley Graham: I'm not popping shit.
Burt Vickerman: Are you sure?
Haley Graham: I'm so sure I'm practically deodorant.

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Connections

References Shrek (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Soul Suspect"
Written and Performed by Michael Simpson
Courtesy of L.A. Produce, Inc.

User Reviews

It's my favorite guilty pleasure from 2006

Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) is a rebellious teen forced to attend a tough gymnastics academy after driving a motorcycle through a window. There, she gets into it with the tough coach (Jeff Bridges) and other girls, but they all have to work together if they want to win a gymnastic championship.

Stick It is a delightful comedy that features memorable dialog and fun performances. The film itself is pretty standard but it was still a lot of fun to watch. I think the screenplay played a big part in the entertainment factor. There were many great lines and scenes which was surprising since the trailer was kind of lame. However, I went in expecting a cheesy comedy and I had a good time. It was pretty corny yet director and screenwriter Jessica Bendinger had a good balance of the cheesiness so that it never became too much to bear.

There were a couple of things I didn't like about the film though. The second half was a bit more serious and therefore not as funny. As in most comedies, there's always a serious shift and it was just awkward when it happened. This had more to do with the performers rather than the director. Another thing, the message of the film was kind of stupid. I know, this is a harmless comedy and it shouldn't be taken seriously yet it was kind of lame to have all the contestants scratch because they weren't getting their way. It could have been a good idea because contestants do seem to get mad at the judges all the time but I didn't like the way they carried it out here.

The acting was pretty good with Missy Peregrym giving the best performance. Her line delivery was perfect and she had many charming scenes. Hopefully, there will be more of her in the future. Jeff Bridges was decent although he could have done this role in his sleep. Vanessa Lengies was good as a supporting player even though her character was pretty annoying. The rest of the performances were passable except for both Nikki SooHoo and Maddy Curly. They were just too wooden and just appeared awkward throughout the movie. Overall, Stick It was purely a guilty pleasure for me. It's no masterpiece but I did have fun while I was watching it. Rating 7/10