Movie Reviews
Kids Like Ours
Reversal — The Movie
Description
Leo Leone has been wrestling since he was seven years old. As the only son of wrestling coach (and ex-state champion) Edward Leone, Leo’s dedication to the sport was tied up in his love for his father.
Now Leo is seventeen. His life has been an endless cycle of training, sacrifice, and starving to make weight — a process that is becoming ever more difficult during adolescence. He’s tired of denying himself everything, and is feeling the lure of a world beyond the mat.
Living paycheck to paycheck, working a dead-end job in the mines while coaching for no money, Leo’s father Ed sees a wrestling scholarship as his son’s only chance to escape the treadmill of life in a small Pennsylvania town. But though his motives are good, Ed is pushing his son too hard.
As the high school state championships near, the struggle between father and son escalates. The pressure leads Leo into excessive training and life-threatening behavior, and creates rivalries within the team.
With the help of his friends and the love of his girlfriend Shaw, Leo finds the strength to grow up and make serious choices: live his own life or let his father live through him; follow the path prescribed or follow his dreams.
In the end, REVERSAL is a triumph of the spirit that demonstrates there must be a balance between discipline and freedom — and that sometimes you must give up what you have to get what you want.
Our View
I am what some might call a late bloomer. I spent most of my life just existing. Although I had dreams (as a child/teen) they were not fulfilled as I lacked the discipline to make them happen. Well all that changed a few years back. You see I let go and gave God who I was and He showed me who I was meant to be. I realized that unless I followed the path laid out before me (been who I was created to be and do what I was created to do) that I would never find any lasting peace or fulfillment.
The main character Leo was as completely opposite as you can get from me at his age: He was very disciplined (albeit for the wrong reasons), I was undisciplined and just followed the crowd; his father was overly involved, mine was uninvolved. But as I watched the movie I saw myself in him because I to had to learn to balance discipline and freedom. I too had to give up many things to get even more.
This really is a wonderful movie. I watched it with my fourteen-year-old daughter who enjoyed it as well.
As a Christian I really screen what my children (and yes even my teen) are allowed to watch (or listen to). I can totally recommend this movie for your family (there are a few curse words but compared to regular TV that is nothing).
This movie acted as a springboard for us to talk about many things (anorexia, peace — in a marriage — and in life, living a balanced life, and her plans for her future to name a few).
My daughter excels in school (she easily gets good grades) and while I think she would make a great lawyer, or doctor (who doesn’t want their kids to do better than they did), I have always supported her dream of being a teacher. I have always told her that she will never be happy living anyone¹s dream but her own and I think that that is the most important message that every teen should take away from this movie.
I pray that many teens see it so they won’t be 35 (like me) before they start down their path.
All in all this video is thought provoking, morally sound, and a 100% entertaining, this is a MUST BUY!
Please if you are like me and abhor the movies being marketed to teens, then TAKE A STAND and SUPPORT MOVIES LIKE THIS! Let the film industry know (by purchasing this film) that you want more morally sound films on the market!
