History Film / StickIt

A 2006 teen sports drama written and directed by Jessica Bendinger (''Film/BringItOn'') and starring Creator/JeffBridges and Missy Peregrym.

''Stick It'' is the story of 17-year-old Haley Graham, a former world-level gymnast, who is thrust back into the world of gymnastics as a sentence from her run-in with the law for vandalism. She ends up at Vickerman Gymnastics Academy, where Coach Burt Vickerman persuades her to compete in an upcoming invitational, and to use the winnings to help pay off some of the property damage. Haley's presence is badly received by her fellow competitors, and so instead of practicing with the group, she practices on her own out in the old gym. Haley likes to perform wild and extreme tricks, not "cookie-cutter routines", but has a hard time controlling them, and sticking her landings. She ends up having to go to Vickerman for help.

Haley and her teammates eventually make it to the National Championship. When one of the girls, Mina, is denied her rightful '10' for the reason of having a bra-strap showing (an ancient and rarely-invoked rule, only brought up because of Mina's teacher), the other girls band together in an attempt to fight the judging system. As a whole, they choose who has the best routine for an event, and allow that girl to do her full routine, while all others forfeit their chances, effectively choosing the winners and breaking the system.

* CastTheExpert: Quite aside from the NCAA and elite gymnasts filling in the supporting and extras ranks, Tricia Skilken was played by former senior elite gymnast Tarah Paige, and Mina Hoyt by Division I NCAA gymnast Maddy Curley.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Gymnastics fans will recognize Nastia Liukin, the girl [[spoiler:chosen to win the bars event]], [[EarlyBirdCameo two years before she became a superstar at the 2008 Olympics]], and keen viewers will also spot 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion Carly Patterson at the end of the film.

* RealitySubtext: Nastia Liukin was, in fact, the real-life U.S. Uneven Bars Champion in 2006 -- for the second time in a row.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/StickItPoster_7478.PNG

* SpiritualPredecessor: To ''MakeItorBreakIt''.
* TheSnarkKnight: Haley, so much.
* TalentDouble: Of course. But the talent doubles are very, very good, and the additional competitors at both competitions were virtually all either NCAA or elite amateur gymnasts - including names like Nastia Liukin, Mohini Bhardwaj, and Allana Slater. Tarah Paige (Tricia Skilken), a former senior elite gymnast, did her own stunts, as did Liukin.

* ShownTheirWork: When Haley lists off the named skills (aka "insanely high mountains") she is training - Geinger, Rulfova, Chusovitina, Shaposhnikova - the skills she is shown performing correspond exactly with the name of the gymnast who first performed them. For instance, when the narration says 'Chusovitina', Haley is seen doing a full-twisting double backflip dismount from the uneven bars, a skill which Oksana Chusovitina had named after her.[[note]]Specifically, the dismount Chusovitina debuted was a "full-out" -- a double backflip with a full twist on the second flip.[[/note]]

* TalentDouble: Of course. But the talent doubles are very, very good, and the additional competitors at both competitions were virtually all either NCAA or elite amateur gymnasts - including names like Nastia Liukin, Mohini Bhardwaj, and Allana Slater. Tarah Paige (Tricia Skilken), a former senior elite gymnast, did her own stunts, as did Liukin, and Maddy Curley (Mina Hoyt) competed for the Division I North Carolina Tar Heels gymnastics team during her college years.

* TalentDouble: Of course. But the talent doubles are very, very good, and the additional competitors at both competitions were virtually all either NCAA or elite amateur gymnasts - including names like Nastia Liukin, Mohini Bhardwaj, and Allana Slater. Tarah Paige (Tricia Skilken), a former senior elite gymnast, did her own stunts, as did Liukin.

* ShownTheirWork: When Haley lists off the named skills (aka "insanely high mountains") she is training - Geinger, Rulfova, Chusovitina, Shaposhnikova - the skills she is shown performing correspond exactly with the name of the gymnast who first performed them. For instance, when the narration says 'Chusovitina', Haley is seen doing a full-twisting double backflip dismount from the uneven bars, a skill which Oksana Chusovitina had named after her.

* ShoutOut: Haley lives with her dad in Plano, Texas, which may be a subtle shout-out to the fact that Nastia Liukin lives in the same area. It may also be a shout-out to the fact that the women's national training center, the Karolyi Ranch, is in Texas[[note]]before 2001, the Karolyi Ranch was in fact also an elite level gym, training names like Mary Lou Retton, Kim Zmeskal, and Dominique Moceanu[[/note]], or the fact that Texas is currently home to two international quality gyms -- WOGA (World Olympic Gymnastics Academy) and Texas Dreams.

Haley's team eventually makes it to the National Championship. When one of the girls, Mina, is denied her rightful '10' for the reason of having a bra-strap showing (an ancient and rarely-invoked rule, only brought up because of Mina's teacher), the other girls band together in an attempt to fight the judging system. As a whole, they choose who has the best routine for an event, and allow that girl to do her full routine, while all others forfeit their chances, effectively choosing the winners and breaking the system.

* ShoutOut: Haley lives with her dad in Plano, Texas, which may be a subtle shout-out to the fact that Nastia Liukin lives in the same area.

* ShownTheirWork: When Haley lists off the named skills (aka "insanely high mountains") she is training - Geinger, Rufolva, Chusovitina, Shaposhnikova - the skills she is shown performing correspond exactly with the name of the gymnast who first performed them. For instance, when the narration says 'Chusovitina', Haley is seen doing a full-twisting double backflip dismount from the uneven bars, a skill which Oksana Chusovitina had named after her.
* SpiritualPredecessor: To MakeItorBreakIt

* OnlyInItForTheMoney According to Haley's mom nobody would take her on. She had to [[spoiler: bribe Vickerman to take her on. It's probably true, Vickerman might not have taken her back if he wasn't bribed, given with what happened at Worlds.(Haley scratched causing her team and teamamtes to forfeit) His attitude seems to change though and he does seem to care and stick up for her even if he is hard on her. ]]

* AsHimself: Nastia Liukin had a small role two years before she won Olympic gold. Gymnastics fans will recognize Bart Conner, Tim Dagget, and Elfi Schlegel as commentators, and some of the gymnasts in the background as NCAA gymnasts.

* ShoutOut: Haley lives with her dad in Plano, Texas, which may be a subtle shout-out to the fact that Nastia Liukin lives in the same area

* TalentDouble: Of course. But the talent doubles are very, very good, and the additional competitors at both competitions were virtually all either NCAA or elite amateur gymnasts - including names like Nastia Liukin, Mohini Bhardwaj, and Allana Slater. Tarah Paige (Tricia Skilken), a former senior elite gymnast, did her own stunts.

* FootFocus: Lots of closeups of feet...and hands

'''This film contains examples of the following tropes:'''

* AlphaBitch: Joanne

** Also Frank is [[{{Twilight}} Emmett Cullen]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Gymnastics fans will recognize Nastia Liukin, the girl [[spoiler:chosen to win the bars event]], two years before she became a superstar at the 2008 Olympics, and keen viewers will also spot 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion Carly Patterson at the end of the film.

* {{Pettanko}}: Discussed by the gymnasts when they see "civilian" girls with boyfriends, and one blames their lack of romance on their lack of breasts.

* MandatoryUnretirement: Haley was forced back into Gymnastics after getting into her trouble with Vandalism Though Not everyone seems happy she is back. She shocked everyone after she scratched out of Worlds basically screwing her team and teammates like Tricia which she takes heat for when she comes back. See RetiredBadass.

* OnlyInItForTheMoney According to Haley's mom nobody would take her on. Hhe had to [[spoiler: bribe Vickerman to take her on. It's probably true, Vickerman might not have taken her back if he wasn't bribed, given with what happened at Worlds.(Haley scratched causing her team and teamamtes to forfeit) His attitude seems to change though and he does seem to care and stick up for her even if he is hard on her. ]]

OnlyInItForTheMoney According to Haley's Mom nobody would take her on she had to [[spoiler: bribe Vickerman to take her on. It's probably true, Vickerman might not have taken her back if he wasn't bribed, given with what happened at Worlds.(Haley scratched causing her team and teamamtes to forfeit) His attitude seems to change though and he does seem to care and stick up for her ]]

* TeenGenius: Only briefly stated, but apparently Haley got her GED when she was only 15.