This mildly strained premise mostly holds up despite a consistent flow of smartass remarks from Haley and catty putdowns from the other girls. Vickerman is level-headed (as you’d expect from film veteran Bridges) and issues just the right mix of challenges and chastisements to make Haley a member of the team again. Her bitchiest rival Joanne (Vanessa Lengies) begins to lighten up after meeting the slightly goofy Hoot and Frank and after realizing her mother (Julie Warner) is pushing her too hard. The younger Mina (Maddy Curley) and Wei Wei (Nikki SooHoo) admire Haley in spite of her attitude.

These four form the team that competes at a pre-Olympic tournament that makes up the last third of the film. The resolution of Haley’s rebellion with her vast talent at that tournament is a calculated audience-pleaser, but more important is her admission – and her coach’s overdue realization – that family problems, not disregard for her talent or teammates led to the walkout for which she is despised.

Peregrym is plenty engaging and comes close to carrying the film. Tall and in tremendous physical shape (we see plenty of bare arms, legs, and midriff on these athletes), she also plays multiple emotional levels and avoids some obvious choices. Acting opposite the ever-engaging Bridges doesn’t hurt. These two earn the film at least 1½ of my 2½ Art stars.

The other girls are fine, the switches from actors to more highly trained gymnasts is seamless, the highly supportive guy friends are funny, and writer/director Jessica Bendinger augments the plot with a lot of action shots, including many falls and missteps and some creatively choreographed group routines. Throw in an upbeat Gen Y soundtrack featuring a couple of Fall Out Boy tunes and there’s plenty for the teen moviegoer to enjoy.

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