Movie review: 'Unitards' silly, but its spirit is infectious

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The locally made "Unitards" never aims to be anything other than good clean fun, and it's so innocuous it makes "The Mickey Mouse Club" look like an Ingmar Bergman movie.

When Lewis Grady (Sam Featherstone) is elected president of his high school's Men's Association, the vice principal (Michael Buster) gives him a directive to improve school spirit. Lewis and his dorky buds, Greg (Jamison Featherstone, Sam's brother) and Jake (Zack Spurlock) decide to form an all-male dance group, a fun alternative to the school's award-winning girls' drill team.

However, the coach of the girls' team, Ms. Zarolla (Karen Dodge, playing like a shorter version of "Glee's" Sue Sylvester), vows to take down the boys' troupe — which takes the name "Unitards."

Writer-director Scott Featherstone (who plays Sam's dad onscreen and in real life) overloads on musical montages that highlight the Unitards' goofy dance numbers (choreographed by Sam and his mom, the directors' wife, Lori). But the school spirit of the young cast (the bulk of them first-timers, found in auditions at Skyline High School) is infectious. —

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'Unitards'

Opens Friday, Jan. 27, at Utah theaters; rated PG for brief mild language; 104 minutes.