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‘Full Out’: Lifetime Movie—Gymnast Ariana Berlin’s True Story Of Triumph Over Tragedy Inspires Bio-Pic, Starring Ana Golja, Jennifer Beals

By Traciy Reyes
Published on: 16:30 PST, Jun 22, 2016

Full Out, the new Lifetime movie, will premiere this Saturday on the Lifetime Channel. This weekend, Lifetime is straying away from some of their usual crime-based flicks to offer you more inspirational programming based on true stories. Full Out will air just after another true-life inspired sports movie called, Center Stage On Pointe. Full Out centers around a young gymnast who aspires to head to the Olympics despite a serious leg injury that threatens to end her Olympic future. Originally released in 2015, Full Out is directed by Sean Cisterna and written by Beth Iley and Willem Wennekers.

The cast of Full Out on Lifetime stars Ariana Berlin as Scout, Jennifer Beals as Coach Val, Ana Golja as Ariana Berlin, Jake Epstein as Pierce, Sarah Fisher as Isla, Art Hindle as Doctor, Trevor Tordjman as Nate, Lamar Johnson as Twist, Ramona Milano as Susan Berlin, Asha Bromfield as Michelle (as Ashanti Bromfield) Robbie Graham-Kuntz as Adam, Melissa Jane Shaw as EMT, Nick Baillie as Howard Berlin, Genny Sermonia as Cashmere, Courtney Van Wirdum as Emma.

Full Out Lifetime Movie Synopsis

Ariana Berlin is a talented young gymnast with a promising future. Nothing is more important to her than gymnastics, which she considers her entire life. Seeming to have it all, Ariana is on her way to becoming the next great Olympian, until a car ride with her mom leaves her in a coma and threatens to crush her dreams of making it to the Olympics.

With lots of physical therapy ahead of her, Ariana knows that she’s a tough cookie, even though life can throw some curves. However, after she wakes up in the hospital, the pain is more than she can bare. But a chance meeting with a young physical therapist, who happens to be a hip-hop dancer, inspires in Ariana another love—street dancing.

Ariana has never danced hip-hop before, but the soul of the people moves her in a very special way. Even though she is wheelchair bound and has a steel bar implanted into her leg, she is up for the challenge of gaining back her gymnastic strength and returning to what she loves.

It won’t be easy and the young hopeful’s coach is putting a lot of pressure on her to stay focused on gymnastics while her friends tell her to stop hanging out with the low lives at the local dance hall. Now, Ariana is torn straight down the middle between her love for gymnastics and her love for hip-hop dancing.

California Teen’s True Story

Lifetime’s Full Out is based on the true story of Ariana Berlin, the San Diego-born gymnast who had hoped to make it to the Olympics, until a terrible accident caused her serious injuries. CBS College Sports explains the injuries and accident this way.

“Berlin was a 14 year-old budding elite gymnast when she and her mother Susan went on shopping excursion that would change her life. As they drove down the freeway, they were struck from behind by a speeding car, which sent their car tumbling. Ariana spent five days in an induced coma with two collapsed lungs, two broken legs, a broken wrist, broken collarbone and cracked ribs. Her mother survived the accident with a broken tibia, shattered scapula and minor brain trauma.”

The movie dramatizes how Ariana Berlin became a professional hip-hop dancer and later attended UCLA, where she ended up winning NCAA Championships.

“Every single time I walked through campus, I could not believe I was at UCLA. Just competing… oh my gosh… it was probably one of the best moments I had ever experienced in my life. It’s so clichéd, but it was a dream come true.”

Berlin was absolutely ecstatic when she learned that Hollywood producers were interested in taking her story and making it into a Lifetime movie, according to A-Plus.

“When someone says they want to make a movie about your life, you just kind of laugh in their face.”

Ariana Berlin’s story is a fascinating story that fills the viewer with hope and the encouragement to keep pursuing your dreams even when you fall.

Full Out is a movie about not giving up, making it the perfect inspirational movie for all of the family to enjoy. Be sure to tune into this biographical account, which airs on Lifetime this Saturday at 10/9 p.m. Central. Lifetime Television’s Full Out movie is produced by Carmel Creek Productions. Filming took place in Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN-sRI7-o8c

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