Skate Kitchen

By: Taylor Gates

From “Catdog” to “Rugrats” and “The Fairly Oddparents” to “The Powerpuff Girls,” the early 2000s were a heyday of quality programming for preteens. None; however, were quite as appealing as the cartoon “Rocket Power” – a show about a group of kids biking, surfing and doing other extreme sports. And no moment was cooler than when purple-haired Reggie, a girl who proved time and time again she could hold her own with the guys, would start shredding on her skateboard. Reggie was my idol at age twelve, and the girl squad at the center of Skate Kitchen has quickly become my idols at age twenty-two.

Skate Kitchen finds its protagonist in Camille (Rachelle Vinberg), a teen living in the suburbs of Long Island. Camille’s passion is skateboarding, but after an accident leaves her bloody and in need of stitches, her mother (Elizabeth Rodriguez) forbids her from getting back on the board in fear of her hurting herself worse.

With no outlet with which to channel her energy, Camille becomes bored and restless. She scrolls through Instagram and stumbles upon the page of an all-female New York skating group called Skate Kitchen posting about a meet-up at a nearby park. Intrigued, Camille decides to hop on a train and sneak away to check it out, quickly befriending the eclectic girls. While her bond with her mother deteriorates and gets increasingly toxic, she finds solace and a home within the group.

Unfortunately, things come crashing down when Camille begins falling for a guy in a rival skate group (Jaden Smith), who also happens to be one of the exes of a girl from Skate Kitchen. When secrets come to a head, her friendships implode, and it doesn’t take long for her budding romance to do the same. With nowhere else to turn, Camille is forced to face her mother once again and attempt to patch up her damaged relationships.

Skate Kitchen does many different things and it does them all really, really well. It’s a coming-of-age story, a movie about friendship, a teenage romance and a mother/daughter tale all in one. Vinberg is absolutely magnetic as Camille and we root for her despite her mistakes and occasional moments of selfishness. The supporting cast is just as compelling, possessing an effortless coolness and casual fierceness. Nina Moran is a standout as the hilarious and bold Kurt. Ardelia Lovelace quietly steals many a scene as the kind, generous and betrayed Janay.

The movie’s strongest scenes are the ones where all of the girls are together, as there’s a natural flow to their conversation no matter if the subject is comedic or more serious. They have hysterical talks that range everywhere from tampons to which dead celebrity with whom you would choose to smoke. Things get more raw and serious when they discuss sexual assault on the subway on their way to a party.

Skate Kitchen is a solid coming-of-age film start to finish. Everything about it feels authentic from writer/director Crystal Moselle’s sprinkling of distinctive skater vernacular (the word “valid” pops up frequently) to Shabier Kirchner’s gritty-but-Instagrammable cinematography all the way down to Camille Garmendia’s retro-grunge-cool costumes and ASKA’s hodgepodge but seamlessly flowing score of contemporary alternative/pop/rock music.

The pace takes its time without ever getting boring, more interested in painting a picture of this fascinating lifestyle than it is with shocking plot twists or cheap drama. It’s easy to get lost in this story, having the thoughts of theatricality and performance melt away so that at times it feels more like a documentary than fiction. This is not a coincidence, considering the film’s history. Moselle actually approached the real-life Skate Kitchen group on the subway—the same exact group that appears in the movie—and asked them if they would be interested in participating in a video project. It’s worth noting that, for all of the Skate Kitchen girls, this is their first time acting in a feature film. This greenness to the industry, as well as their prior relationships with each other, makes it feel all the more natural. It’s clear they’ve infused their own personalities into their characters and have a fresh energy to bring to the table. It’s contagious.

Moselle’s extensive immersive research paid off and it’s clear by both the script and editing that she is fluent in the culture. She has studied the very DNA of Skate Kitchen and the New York City skate scene as a whole, collaborating with all of the girls themselves to craft a realistic and worthy showcase of their crew.

While Camille’s involvement in the skating world and its inhabitants is the heart of the movie, though, her relationship with her mom is the soul. Moselle has found a powerhouse in the seasoned Rodriguez, able to effortlessly convey concern, care, fear and anger simultaneously. The mixture of her veteran experience and Vinberg’s raw talent sells them as a stubborn mother/daughter duo. The ups and downs of the journey are strikingly real and touching and their tumultuous scenes and confrontations make their reconnection towards the end of the film all the more satisfying.

Skate Kitchen is bursting with life and charisma without ever feeling like it’s trying too hard. A detailed portrait of an empowered community, Skate Kitchen is the edgy but warm young adult story we need right now. The unorthodox way it came into fruition transcends Hollywood folklore to become a compelling piece of its own accord. Rest assured, Skate Kitchen is the real deal.