Haven’t we all wished for a chance to live that one moment over again?
Scott (Brian Presley, who also produced) has that opportunity in “Touchback,” the story of a man who wants to go back to his days as a star high school football player, before a career-ending knee injury on a game-winning goal ended his days as a player. He gets that chance to see what could have happened in this touching story reminiscent of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” But will he choose his knee over the win? Will winning the game keep him taking his success for granted and overlooking the girl who isn’t the popular cheerleader but who understands integrity and loyalty? And would she notice him if he was still the arrogant jock?
(Cue Garth Brooks’ “Unanswered Prayers.”)
Kurt Russell, Marc Blucas, Christine Lahti, and Melanie Lynskey co-star in the film, which is sure to lead to some good family conversations.
This “Freaky Friday” with basketball keeps throwing airballs.
It’s the story of Brian (Taylor Gray) a sixteen-year-old kid who wishes he could have the skills of Olympic gold medalist and NBA star Kevin Durant playing himself, not very convincingly but with an engaging low-key unpretentiousness.
A magical basketball (don’t bother trying to figure it out; the movie doesn’t) switches their abilities. Suddenly Brian can’t miss and KD can’t even make a free throw. Brian goes from being the subject of jeers and humiliation in the school cafeteria to being a big man on campus, with the entire student body wearing shirts in his honor. And to the dismay of his agent (Brandon T. Jackson) and the poor director moaning “take 47” as they try to film a commercial for KD’s new shoes, KD can’t get out of his slump.
Brian first meets KD at half-time, when he has just been given the chance to do a free throw for a big prize. Instead of hitting the basket, he hit the mascot. “I wish I had your talent,” Brian says. “I wish you did, too,” KD tells him, but then says that it is hard work that matters more than talent. That is a good message for kids but the entire premise of the movie is the opposite. Both Brian and KD work very hard but it makes no difference in either case. This is typical of the carelessness of the script. Even the good guy characters are self-centered and without any interest in learning anything new. The coaches (Jim Belushi and his son, Robert) have no understanding of the game’s skills or strategy and no interest in the team other than winning. “Don’t suck!” is their charming mantra. When it comes time for the big pep talk before the championship game, the best they can do is recite some lines from “Hoosiers.” Plagiarism and insincerity — a nice lesson for the kids, both those on the team and those who are watching.
Parents should know that this movie has some schoolyard language (“it sucks,” “crap”), crotch hits, brief potty humor, and some bullying.
Family discussion: Why did Kevin and his agent react differently when Kevin lost his talent? Why did Brian become thoughtless and hurt his friends’ feelings? If you could have someone’s talent, who would you pick?
If you like this, try: “Like Mike” and “Rookie of the Year”
As we prepare for the memorable moments of the 2012 Olympics, let’s take another look at this one, when a black American competed in Hitler’s Berlin and, as the world watched, he put the lie to Hitler’s claims about Aryan superiority. He won four gold medals. He then came home to an America still 20 years away from meaningful progress on civil rights. His life was not easy. He had to take the freight elevator to the reception honoring him. He was not invited to the White House to celebrate his achievements.
I was privileged to meet the great Jesse Owens many years ago in Chicago. I will always remember his graciousness and how thrilling it was to shake hands with a legend.
Interview: Jade Pettyjon of the New American Girls Movie: McKenna Shoots for the Stars
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:48 pm
I absolutely loved the new American Girls movie, McKenna: Shoots For The Stars. Based on the stories about the American Girl of the Year doll for 2012, a young gymnast. So it was a treat to get to interview the girl who plays McKenna, Jade Pettyjohn. Her co-stars include Nia Vardelos of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” who plays her mother, and real-life gymnastics champion Cathy Rigby, who plays her coach. In the movie, McKenna’s challenges include an injury and a learning disability but her family and friends provide a lot of support. I especially appreciated the way that kids with disabilities are portrayed — in addition to McKenna’s learning issues, her tutor is in a wheelchair — it is frank and sympathetic but not at all condescending or marginalizing.
I have one copy of the DVD to give away! If you want to enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “McKenna” in the subject line and tell me your favorite doll. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I will pick a winner on July 28.
What was your audition like? And how did it feel to get the part?
It wasn’t a gymnastics movie when I did the audition. They didn’t want to give away the idea, so I thought it was a dance movie. They gave me lines to memorize and had me read them with the casting director. I was in the car when I found out I got the job and so I couldn’t jump up and down but I was super-excited! And it shot in Canada and that was really exciting because I had never been out of the country before, so that made it even better.
My favorite thing in the movie is the way it portrayed the friendships between the girls, even those of different ages and those who were competing against each other. Are your friends like that?
My friends don’t have as much drama! But I liked that the characters in the movie all made up in the end and were better friends. And the girls on the film had a lot of fun together on set and off set. We would invite each other to where we were staying and watch movies and have classes with my mom and we celebrated Canada Day and watched the fireworks!
It was great to see disabled characters in the movie. Do you have disabled friends?
I knew gymnastics was hard but I did not know how much hard work and dedication it takes. I was amazed by it. I did a little bit before. I could do cartwheels and a few things but they flew me out a few weeks before so I could learn the gymnastics. One thing me and my character have in common is that we both love to make something come out right and work until it is perfect — for me it’s acting and for her it’s gymnastics.
What movies do you like?
It changes but right now I love “We Bought a Zoo.” And I love “The Help.” And the “Step Up” movies. I am so excited for the new one!
You wore some great clothes in this movie!
I loved my characters outfits and stuff. They were amazing! I loved the dress at the end. But it was really hectic on set and I had seven or eight costume changes in one day!
Did Cathy Rigby give you any pointers?
She is so amazing! She is my role model. I love her! She helped with double cartwheels and splits — it was really cool to work with her.
What’s the best advice you ever got about acting?
It is really important to understand every word in the script. I’ve learned a lot of new vocabulary words that way!
What do you want people to learn from this movie?
I want them to learn that it is important to have balance, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. You can’t do just one thing because you might stop loving it and getting fun out of it.
The Olympics have inspired a lot of great (and not-so-great) movies, both fact-based and fictional. Which ones can you identify?
1. A warm-weather country competed in a cold-weather sport in which fact-based Disney film?
2. Which Oscar-winning movie was the story of two Olympic runners?
3. There are two different movies about which real-life Olympic champion runner?
4. Which Olympic decathlete played himself in a movie based on his life?
5. Athletes from rival countries fall in love in this movie that is fiction in more ways than one — it has America competing in an Olympics that in real life the US boycotted.
6. One of the wildest Olympics movies ever made has a team from an almost-bankrupt country where all the citizens have super-athletic ability. Which classic comedian starred?
7. Animals compete in the Olympics in which animated feature?
8. Who stars in a movie about a gold medalist who defects who has to fight for his life when his former coach comes after him?
9. Which real-life Olympic star appeared in one of the biggest musical movie flops of all time and now appears in reality television?
10. Which movie is the tragic story of one of America’s greatest Olympic athletes being stripped of his medals?
11. Which Olympic medalist appeared in a movie about an athlete starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy?
12. Which movie about the Olympics featured Cary Grant?
Bonus question: Which Olympic and world champion became one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood?
Haven’t we all wished for a chance to live that one moment over again?
. Based on the stories about the 
