The Bronze

Like a piece of hard candy with a very soft center, Bryan Buckley's directorial feature debut serves up yet another comedy about a nasty, self-centered person who experiences redemption in the third act. Melissa Rauch, who also wrote the script, stars as Hope Ann Greggory, an American gymnast who finished her set at the 2004 Olympics even after seriously injuring her ankle, winning the bronze medal. Ever since, Hope has cashed in on her brief moment of fame in her small Ohio town, parading around in her team outfit while vulgarly demanding special treatment from everyone, especially her mailman dad (Gary Cole), whom she browbeats endlessly. Hope learns that her former coach has bequeathed her half a million dollars if she will train Maggie (Haley Lu Richardson), a local lass with championship potential. Caught between greed and the desire to maintain her status as the sole celebrity in town, Hope takes on the task but deliberately tries to sabotage Maggie's chances. Hope's attitude gradually changes, however, after she becomes reacquainted with the sweet manager of the local gym (Thomas Middleditch). And she is also being challenged by an old rival, gold medalist Lance (Sebastian Stan), who is a threat to her windfall. Although the premise is promising, the execution is shrill, with Rauch delivering a one-note performance that relies on a stream of foul language for laughs. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (7 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for an uneven comedy.] (F. Swietek)