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Stick It

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Gymnasts fall short -- it's no Bring It On.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 12–13

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Competition drives adults to behave unfairly; coaches cheat clients for money; coaches sleep with parents; judges adhere to archaic rules; girls are cruel to one another; and in the end, girls teach adults lessons in creativity and working together.
  • Violence:

    Film starts with bike/rider crashing through window, then picked up by cops for vandalism; some gymnastics tricks lead to falls and injuries (a couple of these treated as comedy).
  • Sex:

    Some shots of gymnast's mother's cleavage; close-ups of gymnasts' bottoms; discussion of a coach's affair with Haley's mother; mention of "boobs" (as in, what the gymnasts don't have); girls show bra straps at a competition to challenge rule that they can't; team member develops crush on a boy (chaste flirtation); boys wear gowns at department store during "at-the-mall" montage.
  • Language:

    References to (and acts of) farting; a couple of s-words and other minor curses; assorted colorful phrases and malapropisms.
  • Consumerism:

    Product names on display at competitions include Motorola, Yahoo, Luna, Energizer, Neutrogena, Nexcare; t-shirts feature brand names (Orange Crush) and band names (Bad Brains, Motorhead, Black Flag, etc.).
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Drunk coaches and judges at a post-competition party, drinks ordered at the bar.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Stick It was written by Cynthia Fuchs

Parents need to know that the film includes some mild language, including adolescent girls talking back to adults (coaches and parents), as well as mouthing off to one another ("crap," piss," bitch," s-word, for examples). Movie opens with a girl on a bike crashing through a house window, which leads to her arrest (sirens, handcuffs). The film explores some mature themes in mostly satirical manner: lying, cheating, career-ending injury, jealousy, holding grudges, divorce, and rebellious teens. The movie features several close-up shots of gymnasts' bottoms, some scenes where gymnasts are injured (for example, a girl falls off a beam, writhes in pain, and the coach disdains her, creating a "comic" moment). Characters discuss a painful moment from the past when a girl learned her mother was sleeping with her coach, divorced parents fight. Adults at a party appear drunk.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about "teenage rebellion": How can this typical situation be a healthy experience, offering opportunities for kids and adults to learn from each other? How does Haley's anger at her parents initially block her ability to work with her teammates and coach? How might gymnastics, which involves judges' subjective assessments, be changed to make it fairer for competitors?
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More on Stick It

What’s the Story?

STICK IT follows Haley (Missy Peregrym), introduced as she crashes her bike through a house window, whereupon she's arrested. Haley's parents' divorce has been difficult, and she's doing her best to forget her own past in elite gymnastics. The onetime floor exercise star earned the enmity of her fellow competitors and coaches when she walked away from "the Worlds" two years earlier, and now, just when she thought she was out... they pull her back in! As punishment, Haley is sentenced to train with a disgraced coach, Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges). Eventually, student and coach learn to appreciate one another's stubbornness, while bringing out each other's morality and compassion. While it's a good thing that Haley is now free of her at-wits-end dad, she now must decide whether to participate in a sport she sees as corrupt (full of petty tensions among competitors and archaic regulations prohibiting creativity). She does, of course, but along the way helps some of her teammates.

Is It Any Good?

Not so sharp or witty as it needs to be, Stick It features appealing performers and a too-little-too-late rousing finale. Revisiting themes better served by Bring It On, the film sets up a familiar tension between rebellion (via Haley) and conformity (the old-school, restrictive gymnastics establishment).

Haley's journey is hampered by awkward plotting, unnecessary characters, and some inexplicable editing. That said, the girls' flips and vaults are often dazzling, as are the film's superbright look and a couple of overlap-editing sequences, showing the routine of training as well as the hard work involved. But Jessica Bendinger's movie takes too long to get to the showdown/point and makes poor use of the ever-cool Bridges.

Movie Details

Studio: Buena Vista, Director: Jessica Bendinger
Run time: 105 minutes
Theatrical release: 4/28/2006, DVD release: 9/19/2006
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some crude remarks

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Awesome movie

    I loved this movie. I thought it had a good message that you cant be perfect and people make mistakes. The language in the movie wasnt bad at all. I thought that the moive was great!

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    lol good & funny movie

    i think it is a pretty good movie. i sure enjoyed it when i 1rst saw it. some language including b---h sh-t a-- & words simular 2 that.

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative role models

    Fun...

    Hayley isn't exactly the best role model, but I loved the film. It's rare that you find a teen flick that's actually funny with a decent storyline.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0

    Hilarious teenage rivalry film....

    The lead character Hilary (Missy Peregrym) brings certain comedy colour to this movie. It is hilarious and is worth watching.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 5.0

    Funny Teenage Rivalry Movie

    It is hilarious, The lead character Hilary (Missy) is very funny and ands colour to this movie. It is worth watching :)

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