“The last girl died or broke her toe, I can’t remember which. This is ambitious shit,” says Thomas Antony Olajide’s assistant coach Devon. He’s serious, with a tiny touch of camp, which sums up the tone of Backspot, the queer cheerleading drama from director D.W. Waterson.
Opening in the disorienting POV of an acrobatic tumble, we are literally thrown into the world of these ambitious young athletes. These cheerleaders are the sporting equivalent of Ginger Rogers dancing backwards and in heels. They have to be in peak physical shape, work hard and do dangerous stunts but also conform to traditional beauty standards, all while making it look effortless.
Riley (Devery Jacobs) is a perfectionist, pushing herself to achieve in the world of cheerleading. Along with her girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) and their friend Rachel (Noa DiBerto), they all try out for the Thunderhawks, an elite competitive troupe run by hard-ass coach Eileen McNamara (Evan Rachel Wood). When they are thrown into the big leagues with only a few weeks to practise the pressure mounts and cracks in their relationships and health start to appear.
The world of Backspot has queerness running through its core. From the central story of teen lesbian cheerleaders and their gay coaches to the way Waterson tells the story with a flair for small moments, there is plenty of trauma to go round but refreshingly none of it stems from the characters’ sexuality.
Backspot’s strength is in the relationships at its core. Riley and Amanda have an infectious charm together as a young couple, which is elevated by Rachel, their “professional third wheel”. They form a convincing teenaged trio on the cusp of adulthood who are trying to navigate their way through this world they think they want to excel at.
This may hold to many of the markers of a traditional “sports flick”, but there are unique wrinkles that keep Backspot feeling fresh. Its easy queerness forms a welcoming backdrop to the whole story. From montages of Riley and Amanda’s relationship, Amanda’s open and welcoming mother, to watching them both rock out to Legally Blonde: The Musical Original Cast Recording, their love is mostly angst-free. When Riley gets help and advice from an unlikely source in a gay bar, the film wraps her in a warm glow, before throwing her back into the cold world.
Screenwriter Joanne Sarazen puts a strong focus on Riley’s mental health. From her stressful home life (Shannyn Sossamon is excellent as Riley’s fragile mother Tracy), to the way the pressure to be at the top of her game wreaks havoc on the people around her. Intense close-ups of Riley’s face show her inner pain in fine detail.
The obsession required to achieve greatness isn’t healthy, as their coach McNamara demonstrates. Wood plays McNamara with steely perfection. The only glimpse of her life outside the sport is hints about her ex-wife, and the fact she spends lunch sitting in her car eating cold takeout while watching videos of training. Her dynamic with Riley is encouraging but also ruthless, seductive without being sexual.
Cheerleading films have a hallowed place in the queer canon but Backspot isn’t a gleeful comedy like Bring It On or But I’m A Cheerleader. Backspot plays this world for drama and gives these young athletes their due. What it doesn’t do is provide easy answers or a neat, moralistic movie ending.
By Chad Armstrong
Backspot receives its Australian Premiere at the 11th Queer Screen Film Fest on Friday, August 30th, 2024. For more details or to purchase tickets queerscreen.org.au for tickets and more information.
