Chicks with Sticks

Watched "Chicks" last night on MovieCentral. This is leagues beyond the appalling "Men With Brooms" and smacks of hockey love and dressing-room-stink authenticity. You can almost hear Margot Kidder's false teeth clack with conviction! I found the mix of hand-held camera verite and the small town Alberta cinematography to be intoxicating. People who slag off Canadian movies should have a look at this unpretentious gem. I hope it comes out on DVD soon. It makes no apologies for its' setting or characters and is obviously filmed miles away from any studios. I'm amazed this got the financial go-ahead to proceed to film, though I doubt it played at any actual theaters except those within the legendary "200 mile radius" of Calgary.

Paula (Jessalyn Gilsig) is a single mother of a young son, fresh from an extremely painful divorce. She barely makes enough money to cover her bills in a small town in Alberta, Canada, and she may be seeking a buyer for her home. But, as for men, she has no use for them anymore. That is, until the day she visits a local watering hole and gets a challenge she can't resist. You see, Paula was once a fine female hockey player and she came close to making the Olympic team. But, the men's team of the area can't resist making fun of her and they ask if she would be willing to risk money on a female team, of her choice, in a future hockey match against the boys. Against all reason, she says yes. While getting her gals assembled, Paula meets a local man (Jason Priestley) who may be able to turn the key of her chastity belt. But, its hockey first. Can Paula win the slapshot battle of the sexes? This is a cute little romcom, nothing spectacular, but quite a pleasant couple of hours. Obviously, its a Canadian film with stars unfamiliar to most, except for Priestley. Nevertheless, they all charm the audience. Settings, costumes, story and direction are only slightly above average but the film still succeeds for those ever-thirsty romantic comedy fans. If you are one of those, like me, try to get your hands on this one. You may have to look for it under the title Hockey Mom, however, for its American distributors have chosen a new name. What a shame, Chicks with Sticks has such possibilities!

to me,this movie proves that you don't need a huge budget and big special effects to be successful.this is an independent Canadian movie.i found it to be funny,entertaining and dramatic.i liked the hockey scenes,and the scenes in the locker room.the end result may or may not be realistic,but so what.the movie was charming and well written.the acting was very good from all involved,as far as a i could tell.many of the actors are probably people that many of us haven't seen too much of if at all,but that does not take away from their performances at all.i thought these performers were as good as many so called "great" Hollywood actors.this is what i would consider a great family movie,with maybe a few scenes of minor language,and nothing offensive,but parents should always use their discretion.for me "Anyone's Game"(AKA "Chicks With Sticks")is a 9/10

The title suggests that this movie is the sister companion to the Curling epic "Men With Brooms" and, indeed, it has many similarities: they are both set in small town Canada; their plot involves local sports heroes with one last chance at athletic victory and everlasting pride; they both star Peter Outerbridge. "Chicks With Sticks" has much to distinguish it to similar themed films like "Paperback Hero" or even "Slapshot". They even pay homage to the name "Chiefs" from the Paul Newman classics. Their female rivals have a very witty name considering they are trying to destroy their all-male team: they are called the Black Widows. The movie seems to be a labour of love for many of its hockey loving cast: singer Beverly Mahood, actress Margot Kidder, and actor Jason Priestley. It also includes Canada's star rapper Meechie Mee, who many will recognize from CBC's "Smart Ask" game show in 2003. Her scenes as the hip-hop playing DJ who gets Hutterite girls to shake their booty are what give this movie flavour, both local and visual. Many hockey fans will have missed the film's television premier as it aired at the same time as Calgary Flames first home game in the 2004 Stanley Cup finals. I was astute enough to have the VCR rolling. For those less fortunate, keep your eyes open for the next time it airs. "Chicks With Sticks" scores a winning goal for hockey lovers and movie lovers too.

Chicks with sticks is the story of a bet: a hockey team of women against a hockey of men.In the history of sports there are some interesting stories of challenge: woman against,por example the famous victory of Billie Jean King over Bobby Riggs in 1973.But let's come back to Canada.Chicks with sticks is an independent Canadian movie .It's a pleasant, entertaining and funny story with a little touch de suspense,because the chicks have only some days for training and build a team. I enjoyed very much the performances of Jessalyn Gilsig and Peter Outerbridge in this comedy. PS. For the soccer fans there are two films with the same title : F.C Venus, one Finnish and the other German (remake) about women playing soccer against men as consequence of a challenge.