good back-story, and good acting

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear - the only reason why I watched this is because I got a five pack of movies with My Girl, My Girl 2 (which were great movies), Matilda and Judy Moody and The Not Bummer Summer (Which has to be one of the worst family movies ever!) so this was the last one on there and the only one I heard nothing about prior to watching and for a movie that's basically a premise that's been recycled a thousand times before - this isn't bad.Okay so the plot. McKenna is a child gymnast who is struggling at schoolwork. Her parents decide to give her a tutor - a paraplegic named Josie. When a gymnastics demonstration is up to show all the children's parents, McKenna is accidentally bound to a cast on her foot, which has to stay on until three weeks before a qualification to compete in gymnastics. As she works on her studies Josie and her become friends and they help each other. Josie helps McKenna with her schoolwork - obviously and McKenna helps Josie to achieve a dream she has of riding horses.Okay so one of the things I liked when it comes to this movie is that there isn't a villain. Everyone who you could point a finger to and say "That's the villain" usually changes before the movie is over. To see that in a movie that is almost every sports movie ever made this is a very refreshing change of pace.If there was anything I didn't like it would be the predictability and the pop songs. I'm not kidding most of the soundtrack are pop songs that aren't that good. And I also didn't really like the dance/gymnastics sequences, especially the only dance sequence about half an hour in. This goes on for 3 minutes and adds nothing to the plot, which begs the question of "why did they show it?".So if you're looking for an interesting take on a story that has been told endlessly then this movie is for you. I personally thought it was okay and there are a few things going for it like there being no villain, the relationships between characters are somewhat believable but it's predictability drags it down massively. You can almost guess "okay this is something she will rise above by the end of the movie" "oh this is the obstacle to make her battle against all odds to get into competitive gymnastics". If you're fine with stuff like that then you might even love this movie, me personally - I liked it but it isn't great.

This is a wholesome movie, featuring young girls from about 9 to about 15. Some are gymnasts, there is no foul language, no sexual innuendo. The parents are all nice. The only hint of anything improper are a few "white lies" a couple of girls tell because the truth would be embarrassing. Like having your best friend know you need a tutor.Cute Jade Pettyjohn, about 9, is 4th grader McKenna Brooks. She is a naturally gifted gymnast and is putting a lot of pressure on herself for an upcoming tryout. Her goal is to get to the 2016 Olympics as a gymnast. Her parents want to make sure she doesn't neglect other things, like school studies.Two things take the story where it goes. First McKenna's grades are in danger, she has trouble focusing on what she reads and as a result has little actual comprehension. So another student, about 14 or 15, helps her. Second she ignores her coach's instruction and does a difficult balance beam dismount, fracturing an ankle requiring her to be in a cast for 8 weeks.The story is handled well and young Pettyjohn plays McKenna very well. Her tutor, confined to a wheelchair, is Kerris Dorsey as Josie Myers. Best friend gymnast is Ysa Penarejo as Toulane Thomas. It was nice to see Cathy Rigby, still looking good at 60, playing the coach.We pretty much know where the story will go, there are several side stories that help make it interesting. It was set in the Seattle area with nice shots of Mt Ranier in the background, but it was filmed in Canada.

McKenna Brooks is in the fourth grade but hopes to be an Olympic gymnast someday. She pushes herself really hard, and Coach Isabelle worries she's not ready for some of the moves she attempts. McKenna's best friend Toulane also aspires to be an Olympic gymnast because her older sister was hurt and lost her opportunity. Correction: Toulane's mother aspires for Toulane to be an Olympic gymnast, and Toulane can't tell her mother how she really feels. Meanwhile, McKenna is having trouble in school, and her parents expect her to improve her grades or no gymnastics. Her teacher Mr. Wu suggests Josie as a tutor. Josie is in a wheelchair, which gives the movie another opportunity for an inspiring story. But even though she is quite friendly and patient, her techniques make McKenna feel like a little child who has to start over. It will be a long road uphill, with plenty of obstacles to overcome.This movie offers a lot of lessons about responsibility, determination, and the real meaning of friendship. It is kind of preachy but gets the message across with feel-good moments and plenty of humor.Kerris Dorsey and Ysa Penarejo, as Josie and Toulane respectively, both do a reasonably good job acting, and both have their moments, but one can tell they are acting when they deliver dialogue. Dorsey does a very good job when it is her turn to be frightened, after Josie has been so strong and confident.Nia Vardalos and Ian Ziering both do okay as McKenna's parents, but they're not quite up to the superior level one might hope for. Vardalos has more to do and does it better.Jade Pettyjohn, however, becomes McKenna and does an outstanding job. She is so adorable and easy to like.I didn't know Cathy Rigby could act, but I did not know which one was her. I figured she might be the coach, but she was so good.The gymnasts also do an excellent job. In McKenna's case, we can't see her face and her hair is slightly different when she is doing her most difficult stunts, so I think we know what that means. It's hard to believe they're just kids. It's a beautiful thing to watch all these kids going through their routines--almost like Esther Williams without the water.As would be expected for a movie targeting young girls, there's not a lot of music. There is a lot of what young girls think is music. But the movie does offer four exceptions to the rule. There is generic background music which is listenable for someone with my taste. And a song with the lyrics "Breathe in, breathe out" is sort of good. But two of the movie's funniest scenes have good music. One is a hilarious sequence where McKenna tries out different tutors. In another, Toulane behaves like a spy because of her jealousy when McKenna has secrets and other friends. In the library she uses her gymnastics skills to sneak around. The music resembles the "Mission: Impossible" theme.The movie makes effective use of visual effects and editing, illustrating McKenna's problems with concentration, and dramatically showing her difficulty, through rapid-fire editing, taking a test when she can't remember anything.This is a very good effort and one that is really worth seeing. There is no offensive content here. Just a few scary scenes, but this is appropriate for all ages.

American Girl is a rare gem, one of the few companies that truly understands the nurturing of its young audience.Based on its 2012 Girl of the Year doll, McKenna is the story of McKenna Brooks, a young gymnast with dreams of becoming a competitive gymnast. As with all the American Girl movies, the production is bright, colorful, and upbeat, with plenty of tender moments between McKenna and her friends and family.Jade Pettyjohn is thoroughly engaging as McKenna, with fine support from Nia Vardalos, Ian Ziering, and Cathy Rigby playing (of course!) McKenna's gymnastics couch. The American Girl movies obviously strive for a pure and sensitive approach, and this movie is no different. There is a delicacy and innocence to it that could make a cynic very uncomfortable, but for families who are looking for clean, wholesome, old-fashioned children's entertainment, the American Girl movies always fit the bill.