This article in the LA Times talks about how in the sports genre, movies centered around professional basketball have not been as successful as movies about other professional sports (like the NFL and the MLB) and basketball movies about amateur players. First, because of "the size of the players and their wallets," the NBA doesn't seem to have "relatable" stories about the underdog or the simply playing for the "love of the game" type stories of amateurs. Second, there is the issue of "authenticity": probably moreso than other sports, if the actor can't convince the audience that he is an amazing baller, they won't believe the emotional beats of the story. Third, there is the issue of "NBA script approval": to get those emotional beats (in the locker room, the bus, etc), filmmakers have to go through a lot of hoops (pun-intended) with the NBA big-wigs, who are very conscious and protective about the league's image.
I admit my range of sports movies are only of the Disney-produced variety (i.e., Mighty Ducks, Angels in the Outfield), but I'm guessing that even these are representative of the genre: through an inspirational coach (or in the case of Angels, divine intervention) and after battling lots of naysayers and self-doubts, a struggling, no-hope team wins the championship. Or in another variation, a delinquent young man finds the straight path through his love for the game and a good coach. It's cliched and done over-and-over-again, but as the article points out, it's ultimately the story that makes the genre successful and ongoing. It'll be interesting to see if the recently-opened Semi-Pro and the future Phenom (starring Chris Brown as a basketball player who goes straight to the pros from high school) , both touted by their filmmakers as the first "quality" pro-basketball movie, will be able to be successful (and if their success or non-success has to do with pro-basketball at all).
4 comments:
Ahh, the basketball-sports genre. Cast real athletes (Ray Allen), get bad acting. Cast real actors (Adrian Grenier), get bad players. Whether in serious films like Love and Basketball or in comedies like Eddie, the cameos are NEVER lacking, but the substance is. The NBA usually comes off way too glossy/ polished because a) the actors are running the plays twice as slowly as the pros b) the venue is some tiny soundstage converted to look like a 94-foot replica of Madison Square Garden c) the plays are choreographed by someone better suited to direct the Laker Girls d) the DP is shooting the scene like a movie, not like a game. Finding Forrester, Coach Carter, and Pistol all work because the actors can actually play the game, or at least fake it WELL, and they do not go into the NBA thing much. I'll be honest, I don't like Hoosiers, but the guy in the article is right... tapping into that underdog story sells tickets. And, yes, the locker room scenes are usually stronger than the ones on the court in a decently-written movie. But the priority of a BASKETBALL movie should be to highlight the BASKETBALL as well. Team up with the NBA or at least a basketball expert, for goodness sakes. Also, let's face it, Spike Lee is the man. Hoop Dreams is still emblazed in my mind. He Got Game remains one of the most scarring movies I've ever seen (probably because my father forced me to see it when I was 10 because it gave me "a taste of the real world"). Still, great film. Maybe this Chris Brown movie will raise the stakes, because thus far only docs like Michael Jordan to the Max (anyone else see that?...that was my 12-year-old birthday present from my dad) have captured the feel of the NBA in any meaningful way.
And don't get me started on the WNBA... Double Teamed, Juwanna Mann!
As a basketball player & a sports nut in general (tennis to diving), I have to say there is a perfectly logical explanation for why the basketball studded film never lives up to the likes of Cinderella Man, Cool Runnings or Friday Night Lights…Football requires running, maybe catching, and hitting. Boxing requires hurling your fists at the person in front of you and some fancy foot work. Baseball requires hitting the ball then running and catching. On the other hand, basketball requires a combination of fancy foot work, catching, running, dribbling, passing and the perfect shooting form (and mostly at least a combination of 3 of these). What I’m trying to say is that, the failure of the basketball focuses sports film is in large part to basketball not being as forged as any of the other sports. Think about it, faking a dribble isn’t as easy as learning to fake a tackle or catch a baseball.
I’ve watched Love & Basketball 100+ times (seriously) and another 10 times with the commentary and I even though I could see the apparently failed faking of basketball skills by Sanaa Lathan, for someone who had never touched a ball in her life prior to her 3month, 6hr, 6 days a week drills conducted by an actual basketball coach was overlooked because I’m able to relive the love of the game each time I watch it. And as for a half-way successful sports-genre film incorporating women’s basketball, its never going to happen because there aren’t enough actresses do scream “beauty, gruel, and muscle” all at the same time. Take a look at Juwanna Man, now anybody in their right mind would never believe the lead woman basketball player (Vivica A. Fox) actually has a athletically inclined bone in her body. In short, it isn’t going to happen because Hollywood likes the thin and the beautiful which doesn’t always come in a 6’4” woman with arms of steel.
I always find it interesting when people mention Love & Basketball. Despite its sports theme, I believe that the majority of people who watch the film faithfull watch it for the love story, and not the sports scenes. I've always struggled to really consider this a "sports" film in the league of Hoosiers, Rudy, Glory Road, etc. etc.
I've actually enjoyed many of the sports movies released in the past few years. Glory Road, Friday Night Lights, Goal!, and a few others were very enjoyable films with gripping emotional themes.
Personally, I'm not really looking forward to Semi-Pro, just because I'm growing tired of Will Ferrell doing the same shtick movie after movie (Ricky Bobby is the guy from Blades of Glory is Ferrell's character from Semi-Pro), a funny, overly confident and masculine sports giant in a sport that's obscure enough or popular enough to be funny. What's next? Baseball? Golf? Will Ferrell films are perfect examples of the Producer's Game, just piling on idea after idea in the hopes of making a buck, which Ferrell films always do. Interestingly enough, the pitch for Talledega Nights went like this: "Will Ferrell as a Nascar driver." It's easy to see just how manufactured his films are becoming, an assembly line of Ferrell-does-sports films, spitting them out one after one.
And I'm interested to see how Phenom works. Don't really trust Chris Brown's acting. His dancing, sure. It's the only thing that kept Stomp the Yard from being completely, completely unwatchable.
i'm reading Margaret's comment, wih a big smile on my face -- as it's both well-written and funny. Suddenly my smile transforms to a look of complete bafflement.
YOU DON'T LIKE HOOSIERS?
I cry like a baby when I watch that movie. I saw it five time in its first run. SAY IT AIN'T SO, MO!
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