The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
Going to the Mat
TV Movie · Drama · Family · 2004
Jace Newfield has a problem. Besides being blind and being the new kid at school, his problem is that the kids at his new school thinks he's a jerk. Jace has to find a way to be accepted into his new school. Joining the wrestling team just might work.
Movie details
Going to the Mat
“There's more to winning than meets the eye.”
2004 TV Movie · Drama · Family 1h 36m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
6.6 / 10
1.6K votes
TMDB
6.7 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
Jace Newfield has a problem. Besides being blind and being the new kid at school, his problem is that the kids at his new school thinks he's a jerk. Jace has to find a way to be accepted into his new school. Joining the wrestling team just might work.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Going to the Mat?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Skater Girl
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Prerna, a teenager growing up in rural India, comes of age when she’s introduced to the sport of skateboarding. As a result, she has to fight the odds to follow her dreams and compete in the national championship.
The Perfect Game
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A young girl and her coach overcome adversity to make their way into the National Australian Gymnastics Squad.
Out of My Mind
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Melody Brooks, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy, has a quick wit and a sharp mind, but because she is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, she is not given the same opportunities as her classmates. When a young educator notices her student's untapped potential and Melody starts to participate in mainstream education, Melody shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it.
Johnny Tsunami
Family · 1999
A Hawaiian teenage surfer shows off his skills when he takes to the snow slopes in Vermont.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Stuart Gillard
Written by
Chris Nolan · Stu Krieger · Laurie Nolan · Steve Bloom
Andrew Lawrence
Jason 'Jace' Newfield
Khleo Thomas
Vincent "Fly" Shu
Alessandra Torresani
Mary Beth Rice
Billy Aaron Brown
John Lambrix
Brenda Strong
Patty Newfield
Brian Wimmer
Tom Newfield
D. B. Sweeney
Coach Rice
Court is in session
Put Going to the Mat on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.