More
than a Game is more than a movie about basketball. Sure it documents
LaBron James and the fab 5 from their humble beginnings as Ohio 6th
graders through their senior year as one of the top High School
basketball teams in the nation, but it has a depth and story that
stretches far beyond the sports arena. I am not a basketball fan and I
know little about the sport yet I found this to be one of the most
poignant and intriguing stories I have seen in the realm of feel good
sports flicks.
Writer/Director
Kristopher Belman worked 7 years on this piece and combines early
footage of local news and sports elements with behind the scene
interviews and in-depth character studies on each of these talented
guys. Again, this is not so much a sports story as a human interest
story. Four young men from near impoverished backgrounds and broken
homes come together and create an off the court bond of friendship that
propels them through High School and into the future. They are led by
Coach Dru Joyce a man who sacrificed much to help his own son follow
his dream of playing basketball. This movie is as much or more about
Joyce's journey as it is about LeBron and his teammates. Joyce desires
for them to become men of substance rather than simply basketball
stars. A lesson not easily taught but one Joyce diligently strives for.
Sports
fans will find this film fantastic in that it expertly chronicles the
team from start to finish. Lots of trivia, archived footage and well
edited clips make this an intriguing and fast paced look at the early
life of James. Documentary buffs will appreciate the film for its
attention to the art of filmmaking. It weaves each person's story
throughout the film creating not just a fact finding mission but a
moving portrait of the human life and spirit. Those who just want a
good movie will not feel left out either. Belman writes his film in a
way that would seem like fiction. The story arcs of each character are
edited in a way that builds up excitement and you can't wait to see how
everything turns out. Some of it seems too amazing to be true, yet that
is the part of the documentary that moves you to cheers as well as
tears.
More
than a Game is rated PG for brief mild language and incidental smoking.
This is a film that the whole family can go and benefit from as they
enjoy it. If there ever was an amazing father and son film opportunity
this is it. It is teaming with subjects that will inspire conversation
and get men young and old to think about what truly matters in life and
family. There are many life metaphors in the sports arena and rarely
are they captured in a way that speaks directly to the young teenage
boys of today. This film does that in a way they can relate to through
a young man who is at the forefront of sports and idolized by many. I
give it 5 out of 5 3-pointers. It works on every level and does not
eliminate certain viewers. Everyone can and will take something from
this. So says Matt Mungle
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