Early in the documentary Double Dare, stuntwoman Zoe Bell executes a flawless crash and tumble in her Xena: Warrior Princess costume, then wanders off the set to make way for Lucy Lawless, whom she calls "my acting double." Judging by Double Dare, Bell may not need one. The vivacious New Zealander has a winning smile, a fearless spirit, and an appealing vulnerable streak, which becomes apparent as she sweats out the end of Xena and what might lie ahead. Luckily for her, soon after she leaves New Zealand for Los Angeles, she meets the other subject of Double Dare: sexagenarian stuntwoman Jeannie Epper, best known for doubling Lynda Carter on Wonder Woman, and the ideal person to advise Bell on her fledgling career.
Double Dare seems initially to be a respectable but flat tribute to stuntpeople, with Steven Spielberg himself conferring status on Epper and her brood by saying that on his movies, "There are Eppers flying all over the place." But director Amanda Micheli takes the time to follow Bell and Epper over a couple of years, telling an actual story. She catches Epper shortly after she donates a kidney to her good friend, actor Ken Howard. The slow-healing veteran worries about her future and that of her stuntwoman daughter, who's down with a neck injury. Amid the uncertainty, Epper takes Bell on as a kind of surrogate, meeting her first when Bell comes to L.A. for a Xena convention, and inviting her to come along to the 2001 World Stunt Awards. Soon the ladies are watching reality TV together and waiting for a call from Quentin Tarantino's people about Bell maybe doubling for Uma Thurman on Kill Bill.
Micheli doesn't push into the stunt world as hard she could. She just touches on the general lack of respect stuntwomen get from their male peers, who think women's assignments are softer, and the film barely mentions the extra peril that stuntwomen face while playing scantily dressed, lightly padded action heroines. But Double Dare's weaknesses are only so apparent because of its many strengths. Given how well Micheli captures the personality and aspirations of two complicated professionals, it's too bad she never answers the key question: What makes one person a stuntwoman, and another a star?