Hello The Heart of the Game. This is my new all-time favorite movie ever. And it's not just because it was filmed in Seattle. The documentary follows the Roosevelt Rough Riders, a AAA female high school basketball team, through several seasons of play. Roosevelt was in my conference in high school, which adds to the coolness of the movie for me, but that's hardly what makes it great.
The film starts out documenting what could be any old high school girls team, and it follows them as they become extraordinary under the guidance of award winning coach Bill Resler. Along the way you get a glimpse into the psyche of the athletes as well as the brilliance of the coach. Through one particular character the film gets into some interesting social and political issues that are specific to female athletics. In addition to great personal stories, the film is loaded with captivating game and practice sequences, buzzer beaters, and heated locker room pep talks. It's like Hoosiers, only better, because it's real people instead of actors, and the athletes are chicks.
The chick thing may not make it better for everyone, but it does for me. I absolutely love how far female athletics have come. If I were raised just a single generation ago, I never would have had the opportunity to play organized sports. Can you imagine? You either had to be a spectator, or be on the sideline where you jumped up and down in a mini skirt waving pom-poms around. Not to offend any avid cheerleaders (or wearers of mini-skirts for that matter), but for me there is no comparison between cheerleading and the physicality and team dynamics involved in competitive sports. If I grew up when my mom did, not only would I not have fit in, but I would have missed out on the one thing that I have gotten more joy and opportunity from than anything else -- I'm talking about volleyball of course. Also I would be depressed.
One more thing. I'm sure everyone remembers this ad:
Sure, like all ads, it's geared towards selling products, but the statements the girls make are based on actual data published by (among others): the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health and the Ms. Foundation. Not only are sports super fun, they're also good for you!
So the movie's cool, and the only thing that could make it cooler if it followed a women's volleyball team, but you should still check it out.
p.s. I hope I don't ruin it for people by hyping it up too much. You should remember that I'm a bit of a feminist/jock type person, so my opinion may be slanted.
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