"Sugar and Spice"-- 2001's Guilty Pleasure

In New Line Cinema's 'Sugar and Spice,' we are told to "get ready to cheer for the bad girls"... and cheer we do. The story focuses on five high school cheerleaders who decide to rob a grocery store's bank when one of them gets pregnant with twins. Since the five of them are as close to a family as they will ever get, they decide to split the money five ways-- with the plans for their newfound wealth ranging from money to raise the newborns to money to pay for college tuition and a horse.

Although the storyline may sound ridiculous and weak, the film is entertaining, funny and engaging, taking its place next to last year's guilty-pleasure cheerleading film, 'Bring It On.' The five girls, though different as night an day, share a chemistry both in the script and on-screen, and before the film's end audiences will not only be cheering for the young criminals, but believe in them and their stories as well.

One of the main elements of 'Sugar and Spice' is just how different the main characters are, yet how well they fit together. Diane, the main character played by 'Pleasantville''s Marley Shelton, is a perky romantic who's main love in life shifts from cheerleading to her babies when she discovers she is pregnant. Although many films would portray her character as promiscuous and her situation as yet another statistic, screenwriter Mandy Nelson looks at the situation of a pregnant high schooler in a new limelight. Not only does the father of the baby (played by 'X-Men''s James Marsden) stick by her side, but the couple look at the twins as a blessing. Despite their parents disowning them, the two are determined to make it on their own-- both taking on new jobs in order to pay the rent while still staying in school.

Diane's best friend Kansas, 'American Beauty''s Mena Suvari, is as mouthy as Diane is friendly. Although the two appear to be complete opposites at the film's start-- Kansas comes from a broken home and grew up tough, while Diane had a loving family and grew up believing that everything really does come up roses-- they quickly resemble each other more and more as the film progresses. Kansas's parentless background also plays a key part in the film, since Kansas's mother is an inmate at the local prison who eventually teaches the girls all they need to know about robbing a bank.

Go To Page: 1 2 3