The subject matter really drew me in. The cast did a superb job. (Those cheerleaders were GREAT, all of them!) Yet this film possesses the same basic problem as most other Moment Of Truth Movies...it's tame where it should be gritty and routine where it should be novel.
Case in point: the whole bit with Kyle Wilson, the cheer-captain's younger brother, who is torn between his teammates (who introduce him to slam books and worse) and his family (who berate him for turning against his own sister). Kyle goes "over to the Dark Side and back" too fast; there's no chance to get involved with his plight. His entire story arc is the picture's most original, by far...but it gets abandoned too quickly, and too soon, in favor of relatively-familiar material. There's also too little insight into the jocks' sexist behavior.
As with other Moment Of Truth Movies I have seen, it would have been better if the producers had pushed the envelope more...like increasing Kyle's rift with his elder sister and their parents, until they pull him off the team and send him to military school, where he goes cheerfully (to be rid of them)...and/or having "Mom" Wilson not only fired by the school but raped by the jocks, which lands her in the hospital AND causes "Dad" Wilson to publicly assault the leading jock, which lands him in jail...basically, something to better help Kyle see his teammates' true colors and patch things up with his big sis (after all their parents could think to do had failed).
Anybody agree with this?
Case in point: the whole bit with Kyle Wilson, the cheer-captain's younger brother, who is torn between his teammates (who introduce him to slam books and worse) and his family (who berate him for turning against his own sister). Kyle goes "over to the Dark Side and back" too fast; there's no chance to get involved with his plight. His entire story arc is the picture's most original, by far...but it gets abandoned too quickly, and too soon, in favor of relatively-familiar material. There's also too little insight into the jocks' sexist behavior.
As with other Moment Of Truth Movies I have seen, it would have been better if the producers had pushed the envelope more...like increasing Kyle's rift with his elder sister and their parents, until they pull him off the team and send him to military school, where he goes cheerfully (to be rid of them)...and/or having "Mom" Wilson not only fired by the school but raped by the jocks, which lands her in the hospital AND causes "Dad" Wilson to publicly assault the leading jock, which lands him in jail...basically, something to better help Kyle see his teammates' true colors and patch things up with his big sis (after all their parents could think to do had failed).
Anybody agree with this?