Stick It Nails Its Landing

C. Robert Cargill October 24, 2006

You know, it wasn’t like I planned to sit down and watch this. Sure, I’m a sucker for these kinds of films, but I try to keep it toned down a bit. You know. Gotta maintain a rep and all. But when a friend’s wife rented it and subjected a roomful of guys to it, well, I had no choice. I sat down with a beer (manly) to watch Stick It.

Let me tell you, there’s nothing I love more than being pleasantly surprised. And Stick It failed to disappoint. I spend an awful lot of time and energy railing against the crop of films most often offered to young girls. And Stick It is exactly the type of movie that proves why. Because you can make a solid, well written, all-ages comedy marketed to teen girls – and yes, it can be really good.

What is so surprising about Stick It is how sharply written it is. While the trailer emphasizes the weaker jokes and moments in the film, the film itself is easily as smart, if not smarter, than writer/director Jessica Bendinger’s most famous effort, Bring it On. Clearly a student of John Hughes’ great slew of ‘80s classics (The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles), Bendinger lends a level of class and weight to this film, treating its teenage audience to ideas and humor far sharper than are typically offered them.

But what makes Stick It well worth watching is the care the film gives to its positive theme. Rather than simply dumping some schlocky, run of the mill, family thematics, Stick It’s theme is one of rebellion from within the system and the power of protest. It is a film entirely about challenging an unfair system by using your head. And all the while it is offering a bevy of positive, strong, female role models to an audience inundated with images of Paris Hilton while being force-fed Lindsay Lohan movies.

And it’s both genuinely funny and gorgeously shot. Seriously, there’s an amazing Busby Berkeley sequence that will just drop your jaw if you’re a fan of such things. This isn’t the level of film you’re accustomed to seeing in this genre. Hollywood tends to aim low when it comes to family fare. This instead aims high and hits every mark.

And come on, let’s face it. The hot girls in body suits don’t exactly hurt to watch. If you enjoy well made teen comedies, or have a daughter you want to treat this weekend, then this one is definitely worth the rent.