WOW! I really enjoyed this movie! As a middle school teacher! I appreciate the efforts of the cast and the writer/director to deliver a much-needed anti-bullying message in an accessible, highly entertaining way. School authorities, stressing their serious commitment to zero tolerance of bullying, often promote their message in a heavy-handed manner.
Not Contest.
Sure, the subject matter is serious (one character even contemplates suicide briefly). But this script also embraces the foibles present in teens, tweens and adults: namely, being used to doing certain things (like being a loner or a bully) for our "right" reasons and then having to deal with those reasons being challenged. And the cast--especially, but not limited to, the five leads--demonstrate their talent as their characters respond to those challenges, for better or worse.
Kudos! To Kenton Duty (bully Matt) and Daniel Flaherty (victim & teen chef Tommy) to realistically portraying the rocky relationship between their characters, with its twists & turns of ingrained mistrust vs. building trust. To Katherine McNamara's strong-minded & lovely Sarah, an observant, forthright blogger who challenges both Tommy & Matt in her quest for the truths underlying their unlikely partnership. To Mary Beth Peil and Kyle Dean Massey: the lovingly supportive Gran contrasts well with Matt's manipulative older brother Kyle. How these adults dispense their respective wisdom (Gran's selfless vs. Kyle's self-driven) to the teens they're raising reminds us how "children live what they learn."
Just like life, Contest is funny, eye-opening and touching. Tommy and his teen chef crew's lively run-ins with the female Bartosh cousins' team and every appearance of obnoxious teen chef opponent Dennis (a hilarious Dan Fabi) cracked me up. Ravi Ullman's frazzled but smooth TV host kept me smiling. Alex Boniello scarily impressed me as Joe, Matt's friend & swim teammate, with his funny yet vicious streak. And Owen Teague's Bobby (a Team Tommy member) won my heart whether he was impishly flaunting his success with the Bartosh girls or brokenheartedly crying when targeted by a cyber-bully.
Contest send an uplifting message: be open to friendships with people who might not seem to be your "type"--a reminder that well serves tweens & teens beyond their school experiences.
I highly recommend Contest for students 4th grade & up through early high school. Ideally, families would benefit from watching it together. (Also recommended by Stuart Snyder, president of The Cartoon Network where Contest first premiered in October, Anti-Bullying Month.) I also purchased a copy for my classroom library--principals take note!
Not Contest.
Sure, the subject matter is serious (one character even contemplates suicide briefly). But this script also embraces the foibles present in teens, tweens and adults: namely, being used to doing certain things (like being a loner or a bully) for our "right" reasons and then having to deal with those reasons being challenged. And the cast--especially, but not limited to, the five leads--demonstrate their talent as their characters respond to those challenges, for better or worse.
Kudos! To Kenton Duty (bully Matt) and Daniel Flaherty (victim & teen chef Tommy) to realistically portraying the rocky relationship between their characters, with its twists & turns of ingrained mistrust vs. building trust. To Katherine McNamara's strong-minded & lovely Sarah, an observant, forthright blogger who challenges both Tommy & Matt in her quest for the truths underlying their unlikely partnership. To Mary Beth Peil and Kyle Dean Massey: the lovingly supportive Gran contrasts well with Matt's manipulative older brother Kyle. How these adults dispense their respective wisdom (Gran's selfless vs. Kyle's self-driven) to the teens they're raising reminds us how "children live what they learn."
Just like life, Contest is funny, eye-opening and touching. Tommy and his teen chef crew's lively run-ins with the female Bartosh cousins' team and every appearance of obnoxious teen chef opponent Dennis (a hilarious Dan Fabi) cracked me up. Ravi Ullman's frazzled but smooth TV host kept me smiling. Alex Boniello scarily impressed me as Joe, Matt's friend & swim teammate, with his funny yet vicious streak. And Owen Teague's Bobby (a Team Tommy member) won my heart whether he was impishly flaunting his success with the Bartosh girls or brokenheartedly crying when targeted by a cyber-bully.
Contest send an uplifting message: be open to friendships with people who might not seem to be your "type"--a reminder that well serves tweens & teens beyond their school experiences.
I highly recommend Contest for students 4th grade & up through early high school. Ideally, families would benefit from watching it together. (Also recommended by Stuart Snyder, president of The Cartoon Network where Contest first premiered in October, Anti-Bullying Month.) I also purchased a copy for my classroom library--principals take note!