The first feature film by D. W. Waterson, co-directed by Devery Jacobs (who also shines in the lead role) and produced by Elliot Page, Backspot is an independent Canadian film about cheerleading, and really about cheerleading. Understand: the queer issue is not in the foreground, but rather just in the background.
In other words: forget But I’m a Cheerleader (!), there is no story here of a character troubled by his orientation. Quite the opposite. All that is settled, thank you, good evening, now let’s talk about real things, namely: competition. And all the motivation, strength and precision required to perform all these complex movements.
When it comes to competition, the spectator is served. On the menu: several beautiful takes on catchy music for the occasion, rounds, flicks, spins, falls and nasty injuries included. No, the activity is not watered down here, no pompoms on the horizon, rather very realistically depicted. If you doubted that it was really a sport, you will think again. And bleed. Or pluck your eyebrows…
Once admitted to the team, the two young girls face their two coaches, who at first we believe to be formidable and merciless, in short, stereotypical. We have it all wrong again, these ultimately turning out to be much richer and more complex than they appear, and delivering a good dose of gentleness, empathy, even wisdom to their athletes.
“If you want to survive in this world, you can’t show weakness,” the trainer (Evan Rachel Wood) will say. The world is not kind to weak people. » We don’t really know if she’s talking about the world of sport in general, women or queer people in particular, but the fact remains that it all resonates very strongly.
A word about Deverly Jacobs (Mohawk actress, screenwriter and director, who we saw in the series Reservation Dogs), who did competitive gymnastics in her youth, who delivers here a frankly convincing performance, whether in the sport, in his relationship with Amanda (equally fair and endearing Kudakwashe Rutendo) or in his paralyzing anxiety (illustrated by almost impressionistic scenes, here and there).
A downside, despite everything: while we certainly appreciate the assumed diversity of the scenario, the narrative remains a little tenuous. Did we, by avoiding all the traps of clichés, reduce the story to a line that was a little too straight? Fortunately, the complexity and solidity of the characters skillfully make up for everything.