Stuck on Stick It.

I've never been athletic.  I've never been close to being a gymnast; my body just doesn't move that way.  I cannot, however, help but want to be of those girls and the way they can bend their bodies and move.  They defy gravity.  And I am supremely jealous of that ability.  I wish my body were that flexible and I could handspring through every room for the rest of my life.

This fact, alone, makes me love this movie.

I think the reason I love this movie is Haley Graham.  I love movies with sarcastic teenagers that are out to defy everyone and every convention set against them.  Other examples would be Kat Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You, Missy from Bring It On, or Juno from Juno.  

What makes Haley special, however, is that the movie goes deeper into her character.  She's not just some angry, authority-hating, angsty teenager.  It goes into the reason as to why she is angry at everyone and everything.






I love it when movies go into the reason WHY a person is the way they are.  The reason WHY something happened.   I think it gives the audience a better and deeper understanding of the character and movie.  Most viewers, I believe, would appreciate that deeper connection.

Also, this movie is extremely visually appealing.  

Take the In House Championship: it was a kaleidoscope of girls in colorful leotards flipping, hand-springing, practically flying and some how managing to avoid one another.


Also, there is the scene when Haley first enters the VGA gymnasium.  The distinct colors white and red really make the characters stand out.  It's especially fun when Vickerman and Joanne are brought up.  The actors spin while their data is displayed to their left.  It's funny as it is amazing.

Another reason to love the movie is a dialogue.  Like Juno, this movie is full of sarcastic, conversational gems:

"I'm so sure I'm practically deodorant."

"Gymnastics tells you no all day long.
It mocks you over and over again.
Telling you you're an idiot. that you're crazy
 If you like running full speed towards a
stationary object,vaults for you.
If you like pealing pieces of skin the size
of  quarters off your hands... bars is for you.
Because the only thing more fun then rips,
is when your rips get rips. It's super sexy.
And floor, are you serious, I mean who doesn't want to
parade around in a leotard getting wedgies
and doing dorky choreography? It's delicious.
If you like falling, then gymnastics is the sport for you!
You get to fall on
y  o u r     f a c e ,
y o u r     a s s  ,
y o u r     b a c k  ,
 y  o u r     k n e e s  ,
& y  o u r   p r i d e   !
It's a good thing I didn't like falling
  I loved it."

and my personal favorite:

"There are things you wish for before big moments. I wish my friends were here. I wish my parents were different. I wish there was someone who got what was happening, and could just look at me and tell me we weren't crazy, that we weren't being stupid. Someone to say "I'm proud of you, and I got your back... no matter what."  

The final thing that makes this movie so great is the soundtrack.  Every note played is intended to induce a feeling in the audience, whether it be suspense, laughter, or tensions.  The scene that comes to mind the most was the part where Haley was on the breams during the Classics.  You see her straining and trying to do the routine through her tears and the audience feels that. You can't help, but cry a bit with her because you know her pain and what she's going through.  This doesn't happen because of the visual, it's the music that does it.

And, in the end, the title "Stick It" is not just about sticking the landing. It's about sticking it to the judges.  It's about sticking to who you are, despite the fact that the world is completely against you.  I'm good with that message.