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"Darniella Takes A
Pregnant Pause" |
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Directed by Ward Serrill
- Written by Ward
Serrill
Starring Bill Resler,
Roosevelt Roughriders
Basketball Team, Chris
Bridges
Distributed by Miramax -
2006 - 102mins - Rated
PG13 |
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Draw blood! |
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"The Heart of the
Game," a documentary based upon the experiences of the Roosevelt High
School Roughriders' Girls Basketball Team over a six-year period under
the guidance of University of Washington Tax Professor turned
part-time basketball coach Bill Resler. The film follows Resler's
occasionally unorthodox methods, and the impact they have on core
players, most notably Darniella Russell, a troubled young girl who
transferred to the mostly White school as a freshman at the insistence
of her mother and middle-school coach.
Resler is inherently an entertaining figure, but his fierce
determination, belief in his players and consistently positive
demeanor elevates his players in ways both great and small. He assigns
each year's team themes ranging from "pack of wolves" to "pride of
lions" and beyond. Yet, despite his almost comical devotion to these
themes his players are fiercely devoted to him, his ideas, and his
team-oriented concept of winning.
The joy of "The Heart of the Game" is it presents these basketball
players as equal to their male counterparts and, in some ways,
superior. They work hard, practice hard, study hard, and are deeply
human in their experiences, feelings, dreams and aspirations.
The "core" group of players upon which "The Heart of the Game" is
based range from the economically privileged to the downright tragic.
Early in the film we meet Devon, a young, enthusiastic girl whose hard
work begins to pay off and she begins to participate with a Seattle
club called "Players Only" under the guidance of a hotshot coach who
will ultimately use her emotionally and sexually. Watching her reclaim
her personal power years later is both heartbreaking and
inspirational.
Much of the film, however, is devoted to the very special coach/player
relationship between Resler and Darniella Russell. Russell is a
troubled young woman prone to temper tantrums, school absenteeism and
who struggles with maturity. It is her story that gives "The Heart of
the Game" its emotional core as Russell, at the end of her junior
year, drops out of school. It is found out weeks later that Darniella
is four months pregnant.
How Darniella responds to this challenge, and how the team ultimately
responds to her is the stuff that sports films are made of. There is,
of course, a villain in the story...the WIAA, the organization that
oversees Washington high school athletics. How this organization, the
community and even previously interested colleges respond to Darniella
as she tries to fight back is a frightening lesson in the ever-present
lack of gender equality in our society's eyes.
"The Heart of the Game" is a film that follows these athletes almost
exclusively in the gymnasium. With the exception of Darniella, we are
not privy to more than descriptions of their home life. We do not
follow them in classes or with friends...we follow this team, or
"inner circle" as they call themselves, as they practice and play
basketball. They are often funny, sometimes furious, but nearly always
compelling in their honesty and sincerity.
While "The Heart of the Game" is a consistently entertaining film, it
is not without its flaws. For example, too often there are hints of a
storyline looking at the rivalry between Resler and cross-city rival
Garfield High School coach Joyce Walker, a former Harlem Globetrotter
who takes over the team for which Darniella would have played in her
own neighborhood. This rivalry, especially considering the vast
differences between the two teams, would have been an incredible
addition to the film.
The film is narrated by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. His narration is
simple, moves the story forward nicely but offers nothing extra in
terms of excitement, energy or entertainment.
From a production aspect, the film often utilizes too many close-ups
and occasionally is challenged to follow the fast-paced basketball
action effectively.
"The Heart of the Game", written and directed by Ward Serrill, is a
simple, yet effective documentary that treats with respect female
athletes who are too often overlooked. They are not, in fact, treated
as female athletes, but as outstanding athletes who are also female.
There is a difference, and both Serrill and Coach Resler understand
this basic fact.
The first acquisition by the post-Weinstein Miramax, "The Heart of the
Game" is currently playing in only its second film festival in
Indianapolis. The film will be in limited release in the U.S. on June
14th, but is likely to find more success on DVD. While Disney's "Glory
Road" did prove there's still a market for well-made basketball films,
the simple story and production values of "The Heart of the Game" make
it a much stronger candidate for a tour of the festival circuit
followed by a more extended DVD promotion and release. |
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© Written by Richard Propes -
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