I Win

In Robin Hofmann’s feature film I Win, a young teen, Jax (Austin Lampe), and his mother, Gloria (Sarah Malfara), move to a new town after his father’s untimely death. Upset that he had to uproot his life just before his senior year in high school, Jax makes it abundantly clear that he disapproves of his mother’s decision.

As the school year has already begun, Jax finds it difficult to go from being a football star at his old school to a nobody at his new school. Immediately, Jax makes an enemy of the school bully, Ivan (Ryan Paynter), when he gets in a fight with Ivan for sticking up for Ivan’s girlfriend, Bailey (Emi Curia), against Ivan’s threats.

After the altercation, Jax is sent to the principal’s office. Principal Hawkins believes Jax’s story but still imposes community service as punishment. Jax is ordered to join the mentorship program and be a mentor to Charlie (Nate Simon), a fellow student with Down Syndrome. Additionally, Bailey is also in the program, mentoring another student, Juliette (Kayla Kosmalski).

Now, Jax must navigate a new school, a new life, potentially a new girl, and a bully who wants to give poor Jax a serious beat down. But will his friendship with Charlie be as life-changing as everyone hopes it will be?

“Jax must navigate a new school, a new life, potentially a new girl, and a bully who wants to give poor Jax a serious beat down.”

I Win is one of those films I used to watch on the Family Channel long ago. It’s a positive story of friendship and family, focusing on young people with developmental disabilities. Austin Lampe takes center stage as Jax, and we follow his character arc as he comes to terms with his father’s passing and learns to move on. Of course, Jax and Charlie learn a bit about themselves in the process.

Honestly, I can get quite cynical with films loaded with too much positivity. I Win is a very positive film that presents a life that “should be” in this world today, but it has a good amount of darkness surrounding the bully storyline between Jax and Ivan, providing an edge the story needs. Young people will relate to the helpless feeling that a bully will get away with their behavior while feeling great sympathy for Jax standing up for himself and others.

Just showing that there’s a lot of love and sympathy to go around, filmmaker Hoffman was able to get great performances from Nate Simon and Kayla Kosmalski, who continue to normalize our perceptions of people with Down Syndrome.

I Win is a fantastic film for the entire family. It’s not exactly Charles Dickens, but it accomplishes the goal of creating wholesome family fare that is safe and moral for the younger set and prepares young preteens for the trials of high school…plus a little romance doesn’t hurt either.

For screening information, visit the official website of I Win.