Stick It
Encyclopedia
Stick It is an American teen comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film starring Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
, Missy Peregrym
Missy Peregrym
Melissa "Missy" Peregrym is a Canadian actress and former fashion model. She made her feature film debut in the 2006 gymnastics comedy drama Stick It. She played a recurring role as Candice Wilmer on the NBC television series Heroes, and starred in the CW television series Reaper...
, and Vanessa Lengies
Vanessa Lengies
Vanessa Lynne-Marie Lengies is a Canadian actress best known for starring in the drama American Dreams as Roxanne Bojarski...
. It was written and directed by Jessica Bendinger
Jessica Bendinger
Jessica Bendinger is an American screenwriter and novelist.She has written several films, including 2000's Bring It On, 2004's First Daughter and 2006's Aquamarine. She was also a writer and creative consultant for Sex and the City as well as a producer of the 2005 film The Wedding Date starring...
, writer of Bring It On
Bring It On (film)
Bring It On is a 2000 teen comedy film about two competing high school cheerleading squads, starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union...
; the film marks her directorial debut. It was produced by Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
and was released in theatres on April 28, 2006.
Plot
Haley Graham (Missy PeregrymMissy Peregrym
Melissa "Missy" Peregrym is a Canadian actress and former fashion model. She made her feature film debut in the 2006 gymnastics comedy drama Stick It. She played a recurring role as Candice Wilmer on the NBC television series Heroes, and starred in the CW television series Reaper...
) is a rebellious 17-year-old who is forced to return to the regimented world of gymnastics after a run-in with the law. A judge sentences Haley to her ultimate nightmare, attending an elite gymnastics academy run by legendary coach Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
).
Haley was once considered one of the most talented gymnasts in the US. She made it to the World Championships
World Gymnastics Championships
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique organises World Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines:...
, but she walked out of competition in the middle of the finals, costing the American team the gold medal and leaving many people hurt and crushed, making her one of the most hated people in gymnastics. She walked away because her mother and her gymnastics coach were having an affair.
Haley has a talk with Coach Vickerman, who convinces her to take up the sport once again – at least until she can enter an upcoming invitational competition. Vickerman convinces her that she can use the prize money from the competition to repay some property damage debts she still owes and leave gymnastics once and for all. Disliking the sport's rigid rules and intense training schedule, Haley is reluctant to come out of retirement. Her attitude toward her fellow gymnasts – as well as her past – causes conflicts. After getting the cold shoulder the first day at the gym, Haley realizes what she is up against.
At the invitational, Haley's talent shines and her return from gymnastics retirement seems for the better. But all is not what it seems in the scoring system. She starts to remember one of the many reasons she retired – the flaws in judging. The panels do not look at the difficulty of the move nor do they look at the technique; they merely take deductions for unimportant minor errors. As Haley Graham says, "It doesn't matter how well you do. It's how well you follow their rules."
In addition, Haley is severely stressed
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
by her dominating mother, who has arrived to watch the meet. Her conduct at the World Championship ("Worlds") has not been forgotten by the other athletes, and they treat her with open hostility. Haley finally breaks down in the middle of her balance beam routine and, in a repeat of the World Championships, leaves the arena before completing the competition. Before she leaves, she reveals to Vickerman the reason she walked out of Worlds: she had just discovered that her mother was having an affair with her then-coach, and her parents were divorcing as a result.
Although she did not complete the invitational, Haley continues to train and, with three of her teammates Mina (Maddy Curley), Wei Wei (Nikki SooHoo
Nikki SooHoo
-Life and career:She attended the Orange County High School of the Arts and is currently attending the University of California, Los Angeles.She is best known for playing the gymnast Wei Wei in the 2006 teen comedy Stick It and playing Fiona Lanky in the Disney Channel show Phil of the Future...
) and Joanne (Vanessa Lengies
Vanessa Lengies
Vanessa Lynne-Marie Lengies is a Canadian actress best known for starring in the drama American Dreams as Roxanne Bojarski...
), qualifies for the National Championships. The biased judging leaves her far back in the all-around standings, but this does not keep her out of the event finals. In the first event final, vault
Vault (gymnastics)
The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...
, Mina executes an extremely difficult maneuver perfectly but receives a low score (9.500 out of 10). When Vickerman questions the judges, he learns that Mina was deducted on the technicality of showing a bra
Brassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
strap. Haley is next up, however, instead of vaulting, she shows her bra strap to the judges and forfeits her turn in disgust (otherwise known as a "scratch"). The other gymnasts follow suit, earning a string of zeroes and forcing the judges to award Mina the vault gold medal anyway.
Haley's bold action sparks a movement. The gymnasts talk amongst themselves and realize that if they could choose the winner, the judging would be fair. They convince all the others in the competition to do the same, choosing one person from each event who they deem the best to be the "winner". The winner completes her routine; the others jump on and off the apparatus and scratch, whilst bra is not continuously out. It seems the movement will be ruined when Trisha Skilken, a long-time judges' favorite, arrives and threatens the choice of winners by competing herself. Trisha finally comes to her senses, though, and realizes that scratching is for the good of the competition to make a point.
What started out as a gymnastics competition turns into a small revolution for the rules and Haley. Her talents are recognized once more and her future seems to be set with numerous colleges offering her athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
s to compete in NCAA gymnastics
NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship
The NCAA introduced Women's Gymnastics as a championship sport in 1982. Since then, only four universities have claimed the overall Division I championship; Division II competition was discontinued in 1987. During the early years of competition, the University of Utah under the leadership of head...
.
Cast
- Missy PeregrymMissy PeregrymMelissa "Missy" Peregrym is a Canadian actress and former fashion model. She made her feature film debut in the 2006 gymnastics comedy drama Stick It. She played a recurring role as Candice Wilmer on the NBC television series Heroes, and starred in the CW television series Reaper...
as Haley Graham - Jeff BridgesJeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
as Burt Vickerman - Vanessa LengiesVanessa LengiesVanessa Lynne-Marie Lengies is a Canadian actress best known for starring in the drama American Dreams as Roxanne Bojarski...
as Joanne Charis - Maddy CurleyMaddy CurleyMadelyn "Maddy" Jane Curley is an American actress and former gymnast. She competed for North Carolina Tar Heels. She was academic All American for four years....
as Mina Hoyt - Nikki SooHooNikki SooHoo-Life and career:She attended the Orange County High School of the Arts and is currently attending the University of California, Los Angeles.She is best known for playing the gymnast Wei Wei in the 2006 teen comedy Stick It and playing Fiona Lanky in the Disney Channel show Phil of the Future...
as Wei Wei Yong - Kellan LutzKellan LutzKellan Christopher Lutz is an American fashion model, and film and television actor, who is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in the Twilight series.-Early life:...
as Frank - John Patrick AmedoriJohn Patrick AmedoriJohn Patrick Amedori is an American actor and musician.His most notable role has been as the 13 year old Evan Treborn in The Butterfly Effect. He has also appeared in a number of TV shows, including Law & Order, Nip/Tuck, Joan of Arcadia and Ghost Whisperer. He also appeared in the movie Stick It...
as Poot - Tarah PaigeTarah PaigeTarah Paige is an American gymnast, dancer and actress. She has played minor and supporting roles in various television shows and movies, including Malcolm in the Middle, A Cinderella Story, Stick It, Bring It On: All or Nothing, and The Summoning...
as Tricia Skilken - Jon GriesJon GriesJonathan Francis "Jon" Gries is an American actor, writer and director. He is also credited under the names Jon Francis and Jonathan Gries. He is known for his role in Napoleon Dynamite as Uncle Rico, and more recently as recurring character Roger Linus on Lost...
as Brice Graham - Gia CaridesGia CaridesGia Carides is an Australian actress. She is best known for her portrayals of Liz Holt in Strictly Ballroom, Susy Connor in Brilliant Lies, and Cousin Nikki in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.-Early life:...
as Alice Graham - John KapelosJohn KapelosJohn Kapelos is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in The Breakfast Club and Detective Donald Schanke in Forever Knight....
as Chris DeFrank
Cameos
- Tim DaggettTim DaggettTimothy P. Daggett is an American gymnast born in Springfield, Massachusetts and an Olympic gold medalist. He is a graduate of West Springfield High School and UCLA, who competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, along with Bart Conner, Peter Vidmar and Mitch Gaylord...
– Himself - Elfi SchlegelElfi SchlegelElfi Schlegel-Dunn is a sportscaster for NBC Sports and a former college and national champion gymnast from Canada.- Early years :...
– Herself - Bart ConnerBart ConnerBart Wayne Conner is a former American gymnast who, as a member of the gold medal-winning men's gymnastics team at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games won an individual gold on the parallel bars...
– Himself - Carly PattersonCarly PattersonCarly Rae Patterson is an American singer and former gymnast. She is the 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion and a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame...
– Herself - Nastia LiukinNastia LiukinAnastasia Valeryevna "Nastia" Liukin is a Russian-American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic individual all-around Champion, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars...
– Herself - Valeri LiukinValeri LiukinValeri Viktorovich Liukin is a retired competitive artistic gymnast who competed for the former Soviet Union. Liukin is the 1988 Olympic Champion in the team competition and individually on the horizontal bar and Olympic silver medalist in the all-around and the parallel bars...
– Himself (Nastia Liukin's spotter in her uneven bars routine)
Doubles
- Isabelle SeverinoIsabelle SeverinoIsabelle Severino, born 9 April 1980, is a French gymnast and actress from Montmorency, Paris, France.Severino was a member of the 1996 and 2004 French Olympic teams where the French team placed 8th and 6th respectively...
– Missy Peregrym's gymnastics double (main) - Annie Gagnon – Vanessa Lengies's gymnastics double
- Jessica Miyagi – Missy Peregrym's gymnastics double (beam routine – IG Classic)
- Kate Stopper – Maddy Curley's gymnastics double
- Tacia Van Vleet – Nikki SooHoo's gymnastics double
Vickerman Elite Gymnasts
- Annabeth Eberle
- Annie Gagnon
- Kate Stopper
- Tacia Van Vleet
- Alicia Saari
IG Classic/Neutrogena National Championship Gymnasts
- Stefanie Aeder
- Belinda Archer
- Mohini BhardwajMohini BhardwajMohini Bhardwaj is a retired American gymnast who competed at the 1997 and 2001 World Championships and earned a team silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
- Tiffany Chan
- Lenika de Simone
- Nicole Doherty
- Nadia Fairfax
- Tania Gener
- Jennifer Greene
- Meloney Greer
- Magaly Hars
- Jessica Hoffman
- Erin Labarr
- Jaime Mabray
- Stephanie Moorhouse
- Melissa Munro
- Aleea Newton
- Andree Pickens
- Jamie Saas
- Emilie Schutt
- Allana SlaterAllana SlaterAllana Amy Slater is a retired Australian artistic gymnast. The Australian senior all-around National Champion in 2000, 2003 and 2004 and a multiple medalist at the Commonwealth Games, Slater is considered to be one of Australia's most internationally successful gymnasts.-Early life and...
- Yang YunYang YunYang Yun is a Chinese gymnast. She won the bronze medal on the uneven bars at the 2000 Summer Olympics along with a fifth place finish in the all around, where a fall off the balance beam cost her the gold medal, finishing less than three and a half tenths behind eventual champion Simona Amânar...
- Carly PattersonCarly PattersonCarly Rae Patterson is an American singer and former gymnast. She is the 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion and a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame...
- Nastia LiukinNastia LiukinAnastasia Valeryevna "Nastia" Liukin is a Russian-American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic individual all-around Champion, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars...
Soundtrack
- We Run ThisWe Run This"We Run This" is the third U.S. single from rapper Missy Elliott's 2005 album The Cookbook, and the lead single from her 2006 compilation Respect M.E.. It samples elements from the The Sugarhill Gang version of The Shadows' song "Apache" and was released in early 2006 in the U.S., where it peaked...
– Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
(Stick It Edit) - Abra Cadabra – Talib KweliTalib KweliTalib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
- Beware of the Boys – Panjabi MCPanjabi MCRajinder Singh Rai , better known by his stage name Panjabi MC is a British Indian musician.-Career:...
(Mundian To Bach Ke) - Fire FireFire FireFire Fire is the second American album released by the Japanese metal band Ezo. It was released in 1989 on Geffen Records.-Track listing:All songs by EZO and Jody Gray except where indicated#"Love Junkie" – 4:44#"Night Crawler" Fire Fire is the second American album released by the Japanese metal...
– FannypackFannypackFannyPack was a New York City-based electronic/hip hop group that was formed in 2002 by music producers Matt Goias and "Fancy". The band featured vocals by Jessibel Suthiwong, Belinda Lovell, and Cat Hartwell....
/Mr. VegasMr. VegasMr. Vegas is a Jamaican dancehall star.-Biography:Smith was born in Kingston in 1974. The moniker "Mr. Vegas" was given to Smith by his schoolyard football-mates, who thought that he kicked the ball like a Las Vegas dancer... - Dance Commander – Electric SixElectric SixElectric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
- Game, The – Jurassic 5Jurassic 5Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
- If I Only Knew – Lisa LavieLisa LavieLisa Lavie is a Canadian singer and songwriter originally from LaSalle, Québec, Canada.Lavie is known for using the Internet to independently promote her own music and concerts...
- Breakdown – The Toques
- Nu Nu (Yeah Yeah)Nu Nu"Nu Nu" was the second single for Chicago house music artist Lidell Townsell from his 1992 Mercury/PolyGram Records album release, Harmony. The song, which featured duo M.T.F., reached #1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Maxi Singles chart and #2 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart...
– FannypackFannypackFannyPack was a New York City-based electronic/hip hop group that was formed in 2002 by music producers Matt Goias and "Fancy". The band featured vocals by Jessibel Suthiwong, Belinda Lovell, and Cat Hartwell....
(Double J & Hayze Extended mix) - CrowdedCrowded"Crowded" is a 2006 R&B song released as the first official single from Jeannie Ortega's debut album, No Place Like BKLYN. The song was also featured on the soundtrack to the film Stick It. The song also features underground rapper Papoose. The song charted on the Hot 100 and did well on Pop 100...
– Jeannie OrtegaJeannie OrtegaJeannette "Jeannie" Ortega is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. She made her recording debut in 2006 with the album No Place Like Brooklyn at the age of 19. The album featured the hit single "Crowded," which topped the Billboard Hot 100.- Biography :Jeannie Ortega was born in...
/PapoosePapooseA papoose is an American English loanword whose present meaning is "a Native American Indian child" or, even more generally, any child, usually used as a term of endearment, often in the context of the child's mother. The word came originally from the Narragansett tribe... - Anthem Part Two – Blink-182Blink-182Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
- Halen – Mike SimpsonMike SimpsonMichael Keith "Mike" Simpson, D.M.D. , is the member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the Idaho House of Representatives....
- Come Baby ComeCome Baby Come"Come Baby Come" is a song by rapper K7 of freestyle group TKA, from his debut album Swing Batta Swing. The song peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1993 and #3 in the UK charts in early 1994. It was produced by Joey Gardner for Tommy Boy Records, and featured a jazzy scat vocal by Camille...
– K7K7K7, K07 or K-7 may refer to:* K-7 , a state highway in Kansas* Bluebird K7, a high speed hydroplane raced by Donald Campbell* Daewoo Precision Industries K7, a submachine gun with an integrated suppressor... - Outta My Way – DamoneDamoneNot to be confused with singer Vic Damone.Damone is an American rock band with distinct elements from power pop in their sound. The band originated in Waltham, a city located just west of Boston, Massachusetts, and comprises Noelle , Mike Woods , Vazquez and Dustin Hengst .-In popular culture:The...
- Love Song – J.P. Amedori (Bonus Track)
- Brain Stew – Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
- HolidayHolidayA Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
– Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
The movie also features brief pieces of other songs, which were not included in the soundtrack, including Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
.
Reception
Stick It was released on April 28, 2006 in 2,044 theaters and grossed $10,803,610 in the opening weekend. The movie grossed $26,910,736 in the domestic market and $5,066,112 overseas for a total of $31,976,848 after 13 weeks at the box office.Stick It received mostly negative reviews from critics, with the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer stating that only 31% of critics gave the film a positive review. The critic's consensus is, "Director Jessica Bendinger is unable to transfer her winning Bring It On formula to the world of gymnastics, despite Missy Peregrym's strong lead performance."