Kick (1999)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Lynda Heys

Writer:

Stuart Beattie (screenplay)

Tagline:

Sometimes you have to risk everything to follow your heart

Plot:

A champion high school rugby player has a secret desire to be a ballet dancer, having spent 11 years in ballet school...

Plot Keywords:

Ballet | Rugby | Loyalty | Dead Mother | Prejudice

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Russell Page	...	Matt Grant
Rebecca Yates	...	Claire Andrews
Martin Henderson	...	Tom Bradshaw
Radha Mitchell	...	Tamara Spencer
Paul Mercurio	...	David Knight
George Spartels	...	Jack Grant
Philip Holder	...	Mr. Power
Peter Gwynne	...	Dr. Derrick
Zoe Bertram	...	Sonia Quaid
Laurence Breuls	...	Steve
Rainey Mayo	...	Danika
Jason Clarke	...	Nicholas Ratcliff
Kip Gamblin	...	Roland
Walter Grkovic	...	Duncan
Jack Mayers	...	Coach Carruthers

Also Known As:

James

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Luna Park, Milsons Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Trivia:

The motto 'Virile Agitur' of the fictitious North Shore Sydney school attended by the film's characters, is the actual motto of Knox Grammar School, also located on Sydney's North Shore. Former students of Knox Grammar include actors Adam Garcia, Hugh Jackman, Andrew Johnston, Reg Livermore, Hugo Weaving, writer Stuart Beattie and radio host 'John Laws'.

Kick of the desert

I was quite excited to see the ads for Kick, looked like a great Aussie film. Somewhat disappointed to see then a predictable storyline (let's see- rugby player (Matt) has a conventionally beautiful girlfriend (Tamara) and a desire to please everyone, but also a burning desire to Dance! and a not-so-boldly-attractive female dance partner (Claire). Where will this take us, guys? Do you think maybe the big game and the big performance might be held on the same night?)

The dialogue was annoying, seemed to be more from the school of Daytime American Movie of the Week then the more gritty Aussie films that actually sound like how Australians talk. The plot doesn't make much sense. Seemingly, we're meant to dislike Tamara for being upset when she thinks her long-time boyfriend is cheating on her (he is, but the movie never pays that any attention because, you know, it's Tru Luv). Tamara is A Popular Girl, gorgeous, and wears a beret to school. You know she can't be the one. Claire is a Free Spirit, can inspire our hero to follow his dreams, and naturally they fall in love... because she dances well and she looks like a knockoff Reese Witherspoon. Actually, without bias, Matt has more chemistry and better timing with his best friend then either of the girls (Martin Henderson was a crackup, stealing every scene he was in.)

Come to think of it, Radha Mitchell's Tamara was fantastic too, (her reaction when she finds tights in Matt's room was priceless). She went on to play the captain in Pitch Black, which she was also very good in, and deserves better then the standard Evil Materialistic Girlfriend bit.

Oh, and for god's sake, these kids were meant to be high school students? Not many of them could pass for anything under early twenties, especially Matt, who looked like he should be teaching by now.

So. There we have it, folks. If you're a gorgeous rugby player with a burning heart's desire, if you can dance a musical at the Sydney Opera House in under three songs, if you have the strength to stand up to your blonde girlfriend who supported all and everything you did up until you decided to completely change your life while hiding this change from her, you too can achieve your goals, keep your yobbo friends, and make the old man happy.