It is hard to review or even watch this film without the memory of HOOP DREAMS coming to mind. Where that groundbreaking documentary blazed trails in uncovering the inner city push for children to strive for NBA stardom as the way out of poverty, this film has shades of that larger social issue, but mainly serves as a look at one coach and one great player and what happens along the way as they strive to win a state championship. My memories of HOOP DREAMS always fall back to the people and their struggles while HEART OF THE GAME just plays out like a great sports flick.
Bill Resler takes over the girls' team at Roosevelt High School with the plan to run the full court press the whole game. He trains the players to be in better shape than their opponents. In his first season, he wins coach of the year, leading the girls to an undefeated season. At this time, Darnellia Russell was making waves across town playing ball in junior high. With pressure from her family, the tough-minded and confident African-American girl decides to travel across Seattle to attend the majority white Roosevelt in an effort to receive a better education.
Director Ward Serrill follows Darnellia's adjustment to her new environment and her integration into the team, which under her leadership becomes a powerhouse that seems to always slip up in the playoffs. Then she drops out of school. She's pregnant. When returning to school, she must sit out a season and petitions a hardship case to play as a fifth year senior. The Washington governing board, the WIAA, rejects her request, stating that her pregnancy was not a hardship because it was her choice. She sues and wins, however the WIAA appeals, and despite the support of her teammates, the entire season could be negated.
There are two main characters in the film. Resler and Russell. The college tax professor, Resler, is great at motivation. He builds seasonal themes, which include Pride of Lions, the Wolf Pack and the Tropical Storm. The girls find it funny at times, but when he leads the cheer of sink your teeth and the girls respond draw blood, the other team (and probably their parents) take notice that the Roughriders are there to play. Most importantly, Resler is a teacher on the court. He cares more about helping improve the confidence as well as the basketball skills of his players. He doesn't just focus on his superstars, but takes time to help each of his players. Teamwork is first and foremost in his mind. During one important contest, he lives up to his promise to play all the players whether it costs them the game or not. He also treats the girls as young women, creating a strong bond by letting the team work out its problems on their own without too much adult interference.
Russell is a talented athlete. She has been able to show up the boys for years. Her family is a tight supportive unit, who want her to have a better life than they have had. Resler observes that she owns the basketball court, but is intimidated by the classroom. He says he knows she is smart, but she doesn't believe him. She has a temper. Fights off the court and tensions with fellow players get in the team's way over the years. The strength of her character blossoms after the birth of her daughter. We hear some clips from a radio talkshow regarding her petition to play. They range from righteous indignation to racist generalizations. A very WASPy sounding woman suggests that Darnellia and her family's priorities are messed up because she wants to play ball — who's taking care of the baby? She's probably the same woman who was aghast at Hillary Clinton's "it takes a village to raise a child" speech as well.
Though Resler and Russel are the main focus, there are great supporting characters as well. Devon Crosby Helms is an over-the-top player, who develops a riff with Resler when she starts receiving private basketball lessons and holds in a dark secret. Joyce Walker is the coach of the Roughrider's rival, the Bulldogs. She was an All-American, Olympian and Harlem Globetrotter.
Despite the various conflicts, the voice over narration from Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and the dancing around of some of the touchier moments takes the edge off the material. Resler is divorced and the film briefly mentions that he remarried, but we never even see, outside of pictures, his wife or three daughters. I would have liked to hear from Darnellia's mother or grandmother their thoughts on her pregnancy or her longtime boyfriend and father of her daughter. We see him, but never hear him speak. Instead of Ludacris telling us about her difficulties with the new school or other players, it would have been stronger if we heard directly from her or the other players.
In the end, the main difference between HOOP DREAMS and THE HEART OF THE GAME, is that HOOP DREAMS had and let real life get in the way of the classic inspirational sports story, whereas, HEART OF THE GAME had an inspirational sports story and didn't let real life get in the way too much. I'm not claiming the film was deceptive, but it was more molded and fine-tuned than the longer and rawer HOOPS DREAMS. GAME puts basketball at the center. This is a stylistic choice, which transforms this documentary into one of the best inspirational sports movies I've seen in years. On a pure entertainment level, this film works perfectly. But the most inspiring aspect is that these good people really exist. Resler cares about winning put his cries of "have fun" after time outs underscores his priorities. He never needs to yell at a players to motivate them and is surprisingly kind when they make mistakes. Whether he lead them to championships or helped them get college sports scholarships, on the simplest level, the girls are better off having had him as a mentor in life.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
