Week #6 of Camp Warner Bros, get active with Alex & Me

This week at Camp Warner Bros. is about family entertainment and getting away from the television. In addition to the surprisingly cute, family friendly film Alex & Me, there’s a nice workout that runs close to the movie. This is especially beneficial in the dog days of summer when it’s hot and you might need a new twist to get active.  

We mandate, and try to stick a set amount of physical activity each day. That could be a bike ride, family walk around the neighborhood or hitting the tennis ball around. Granted, sometimes they-or I don’t feel like it and in those cases we always mention the fact that more exercise will help us sleep better. The workout that Alex & Me puts out there for the family is pretty standard stuff, it’s the act of doing it consistently that makes it beneficial and allows you to improve.

That’s a cool and simple work out isn’t it? However, kids love goals and competition, so here’s a sheet that’s very similar to one that the character used in the film. It allows kids to track how many sit ups, jumping jacks or whatever four physical challenges they opt to do for a week. If you do this sheet for four weeks, to the point to where it’s a habit, then the magic starts to happen.

There is a lot to love about Alex & Me. For middle school audiences it’s everything that they’re looking for in a film. It’s the story of a girl whose dream is to play for her area’s best soccer team.  She’s talented, but is in the shadow of her older brother, the best high school football player in years who is about to sign at a college. Professional soccer player Alex Morgan is her inspiration and her memorabilia is everywhere in her room.

Alex & Me has elements of Big, The Bad News Bears and The Princess Bride. It’s effortlessly sweet and highly enjoyable. Older audiences will be swept away, even though it’ll feel like a film that can only be enjoyed by pre teens or teens. The underdog story, mixed in with just a bit of teen social awkwardness, sports motivation, coming-of-age and just the right amount of jokes make it one that kids will laugh out loud to.

Parents will completely relate to the stereotypes in the film. There are the overbearing coaches who suck the fun out of the game. The parents who push their kids too hard and the parents who finally come around to what their children really are trying to accomplish. Alex & Me also wraps up the ends to the film nicely. Parents might know how it ends, but we all knew that Daniel San’s crane kick would be a success too, didn’t we?