SIDELINED 2: INTERCEPTION
US, 2024, 100 minutes, Colour.
Sienna Agudong, Noah Beck, Drew Ray Tanner, Charlie Gillespie, James van der Beek, Asia Lizardo, Jason Fernandes.
Directed by Justin Wu.
The screenplay is based on a Wattpad novel, the site where one can read and publish original material. This is a sequel to the original Sidelined: The QB and Me. And, for non-American or non-football fans, QB stands for Quarterback!
The films are aimed at young audiences in their mid to late teens, both male and female. It may not appeal to younger audiences for whom all this is to come. The first film was set in high school – and now the mood is to first year at college, the target audience still late teens. And, for those over high school and college age, they may feel they have got over this phase of their life. And, many times during the film, they may well be wanting to shout out at the characters that it’s time to grow up! (Actually, eventually, they even have to admit this themselves.)
This film presupposes the audience liking and understanding the two central characters, Drayton and Dallas. The two actors established themselves persuasively in the first film. However, this film spends a lot of time showing Drayton with his football team, the coach and his demands, practice, an injury, the young female medico who helps him recover – and suggestions of a possible romantic attraction. And, his football hero severe father, James van der Beek, is also present.
And the film spends a lot of time with Dallas and her dancing, possibilities, encouragement, memories of her dancing mother, the possibility of scholarships but the need to take on the job to raise money – and at a diner, a very pleasant character, Skylar (Charlie Gillespie) who employs her, is a singer, encourages her, more or less falls in love with her but her not noticing, especially at a party where he sings a song for her birthday and she goes on the phone with her boyfriend.
The issue is distance. The other issue is focusing on specialisations, football and dancing, the absences, the emotional demands, breaking off, good advice from friends and elders, and reconciliation as well as great success in both football and dancing and the fans who have been praising of the first film and this one, will be expecting the next instalment.
