Jessica Bendinger

Jessica Bendinger is the author of The Seven Rays, writer/director of "Stick It" writer of "Bring It On," co-writer of other scripts, and film producer.

www.jessicabendinger.com

CP: "Stick It." The thing that made this film truly great was absent from the trailers and teasers that I saw. Namely, how judgment affects not just young people, but people period, how it can be wielded as a weapon to force conformity, and how one's response to that judgment can be destructive or constructive. If it had been up to you, what if anything might you have done differently in promoting and advertising "Stick It," so that the real universality and core of this pic might have come across more?

JB: Thank you for your kind words about the movie, and I appreciate your perspective. Yes, the movie explores some really universal themes that appeal to all ages, and - given the campaign, as you said - most people are surprised they like it. So to answer your question, I would have preferred to have had newspaper ads opening day, and we certainly would've maximized Jeff's appeal with women and older audiences and done some selective Jeff Bridges-centric print and spot buys that had some nice tailoring to them. Perhaps this may have conveyed the universality you speak of, but that presumes a great deal. The fabric of the movie is about judgments and misjudgments, but that is a very tough concept to articulate in :10-:30 second television spots!

CP: Both "Stick It" and "Bring It On" deal with the issue of authenticity. Are you conscious of what has made you so aware of this societal issue, in all its permutations?

JB: We all have masks, and putting down those masks and revealing more of who we are, or becoming more 'real' is a very rich vein for me creatively and psychologically. There is so much masking and pretense going on in the world (which is why we are addicted to tabloid fodder as a culture, I believe), and it's fun to play with that. For Bring It On, I was fascinated with appropriation. I am very interested in how appropriation works, but became originally fascinated with that idea from music. The way samples in hip-hop are a form of re-appropriating, and the way that musical genres from rock to hip hop to pop have a tendency to blossom from the black/urban roots into the mainstream is simply a fact. Bring It On was really using cheerleading to illustrate a personal journey out of appropriation and towards integrity and authenticity. At the risk of sounding like a psycho-babbler, I am obsessed with personal growth, integration and becoming whole, so I try to imbue that into everything I work on. I guess since my mom was a Dixieland Jazz trombone player (a "white" musician profiting in an originally "black" genre), the seeds and sensitivities were probably sown at a young age!

CP: Have you found that people "get" this film? What has your interaction with the press and moviegoers led you to conclude? Seems like few things could be worse than having people hear something that you didn't actually say - other than never hear what you DID say.

JB: Well, you do have to let go of the response. You hope for the best, but it's out of your hands. Of course people aren't going to get everything. I have received some amazing emails from child psychologists and teachers who really got the message in a big way, and that has been rewarding. The movie is entertaining on a surface level and has a lot more to chew on if you are willing to look a little deeper, so while it would be great if everyone got it...that's not a realistic expectation! Let's just say, there's a great deal of meaning layered into the movie if people want to look for it! I don't want to give it all away and spoil the scavenger hunt, but I will say to those who enjoy a symbolic "Where's Waldo?"? Waldo is everywhere in STICK IT (smile).

CP: While this pic draws in the teens, I think a lot of adults could benefit from thinking about the main character's scenario: parents who make dysfunction-generating choices and then point at their victim-kids, and us adults in general, who don't necessarily realize how deep acting out can get - or how convincing minors can be when they do it. Have you had adults and teens approach you and say thank you, or how dare you, or anything? In other words, have any nerves been hit?

JB: I have had some "gymnastics parents" respond in the negative around how the gym parents were portrayed in the movie. To which I say, supportive parents aren't dramatic! Kids all love it and get it. It's a movie for kids who don't have healthy families. I wanted to do a movie that was a message of hope for kids from dysfunctional situations, in fact. Sometimes you have to find new role models and mentors in the world, because you can't always make peace and put a bow on a situation. This movie shows kids that some "great people had jerks for parents." I think it's irresponsible to shove the nuclear family down throats when we have such a high divorce rate in this country. Let's create and show some positive alternatives ...

CP: Thanks for taking the time out, Jessica.

JB: I hope this is useful for whoever is reading. I wish everyone the best on their journey! Thanks, Steve.