STICK IT

Year: 2006
USA: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
UK: Buena Vista International UK
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Missy Peregrym, Vanessa Lengies, Nikki SooHoo, Kellan Lutz, Tarah Paige, John Patrick Amedori, Mio Dzakula, Svetlana Efremova, Jon Gries, Gia Carides, Polly Holliday, Julie Warner, Annie Corley, Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Elfi Schlegel, Harrison Wills, Brian Gattas, Terri J Vaughn, Andrea Bendewald, John Kapelos, Lee Garlington, Corinne Reilly, John Balma, Emily Wagner, Ricky Trammell, Dona Jones, Karine Mauffrey, Cassandra Nelson, Aimee Rose Ambroziak, Isabelle Severino, Marc C Geschwind, Rif Hutton, John Balma, Lance Bruyette, Christine Cameron, Gia Carides, Tamara Downs, Shannon Factor, Lee Garlington, Jamey Geston, Sara Holden, Kira Legg, Karine Mauffrey, Corinne Reilly, Rachelle Roderick, Jasen Salvatore, Kandice Stroh, Carlyle Taylor, Ricky Trammell, Shorty Welch, Ronita Neeta Wooten, Alicia Saari, Allana Slater, Andree Pickens, Annabeth Eberle, Annie Gagnon, Calli Ryals, Carly Patterson, Erin LaBarr, Jaime Maybray, Jamie Saas, Jennifer Greene, Jessica Hoffman, Kari Muth, Kate Stopper, Lenika De Simone, Maddy Curley, Meloney Greer, Nastia Liukin, Nicole Doherty, Stefanie Aeder, Tacia Van Fleet, Tania Gener, Tiffany Chan, Yang Yun
Director: Jessica Bendringer
Country: USA
USA: 105 mins
UK: 103 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for some crude remarks
UK Certificate: PG contains mild language
USA Release Date: 28 April 2006
UK Release Date: 13 October 2006


Synopsis

Stick it / stik it 1: Slang term used for when a gymnast executes a landing with correct technique and no movement of the feet 2: A contemptuous exclamation that is used when something is not wanted, not going one's way, etc.

The writer of the hit comedy BRING IT ON, Jessica Bendinger, now writes and directs an exuberant portrait of a spirited young heroine while taking on the world of competitive gymnastics in the new comedy STICK IT, from Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment.

Independent 17 year-old Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) has gotten very good at defying both authority and the laws of gravity. Haley's single dad finds it next to impossible to keep his teenage daughter in line (or simply at home, for that matter). For her and her neighborhood-cruising, dirt-bike-riding pals, there is no jump or course around that's too intense for Haley to try—just dare her.

So when her latest joyride results in a short trip to juvenile court, the judge hands down her sentence: rebellious Haley has to do time at Vickerman Gymnastics Academy, an elite gymnastics academy run with military regimentation by legendary and hardnosed coach Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges). Unfortunately for Haley, it's a return to a world she knows all too well—a former Junior Finals gymnastics champion herself, Haley inexplicably walked out in the middle of the prestigious Championships competition, betraying her teammates, scrapping her own Final Championships aspirations and trashing her reputation in one afternoon.

So it's back to rules, back to conformity, back to spandex—bummer.

Haley's reputation precedes her at VGA, and her headstrong ways and quick-witted comebacks instantly score her both friends and enemies...with the Academy's rising star (in her own mind, at least), Joanne Charis (Vanessa Lengies), firmly in the latter category. But Coach Vickerman knows innate talent when he sees it, and he's committed to helping Haley come back to a world she could easily rule, whether she wants to or not. Haley has little choice but to play the game—so what if it's played with her rulebook? Vickerman's response: "Don't hurt yourself. And don't get blood on the equipment."

What begins as a battle of wills between coach and athlete soon evolves into guarded mutual respect, and Haley's talent and one-of-a-kind personality galvanize the elites' squad, who find a hero in their new teammate and learn that, along the way, some rules are meant to be broken.

After all, it's not called gym-nice-stics.

STICK IT is written and directed by Jessica Bendinger, who makes her feature film directorial debut and stars feature film newcomer Missy Peregrym leads a cast of young, emerging talent as Haley Graham. Vanessa Lengies (THE PERFECT MAN, AMERICAN DREAMS) stars as Joanne, Haley's nemesis. Four-time Academy Award® nominee Jeff Bridges also stars as Burt Vickerman, the legendary gymnastics coach at VGA.

The starring cast also includes Nikki Soohoo, Maddy Curley, Kellan Lutz (HBO's THE COMEBACK), John Patrick Amedori (THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT), Jon Gries (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE), Julie Warner and Gia Carides (MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING). The film features cameo appearances from several celebrated names in the professional gymnastics world, including 2004 Olympic champion Carly Patterson; two-time Olympic champion Bart Conner; two-time Olympian Allana Slater; two-time U.S. junior champion Nastia Liukin; and NBC gymnastics commentators and former gymnasts Elfi Schlegel and Tim Daggett (the first Olympic Gold Medalist in U.S. Men's Team history). French gymnast Isabelle Severino, who recently won a gold medal at the European Individual Artistic Gymnastics Championships, serves as Missy Peregrym's gymnastics double.