-  So right below this you'll read my attempt at a legitimate review of More Than a Game.  I'm no movie critic, and I have no idea how much of the movie's story to reveal in this kind of review.  In the end, what I wanted to do was make it clear that this is a very good movie about five young men and their coach, and that I highly recommend it. 

 

-  What I should have said was this: "More Than a Game" is a real-life "Hoosiers" for the modern era.  LeBron James is this team's Jimmy Chitwood, the kid with worlds of talent that every person in the city is pinning their hopes upon.  Keith Dambrot is Norman Dale, the college coach fallen from grace who finds redemption with a high school team that he leads to a state title.  Little Dru is Ollie, the little guy who is laughed at when he comes into the game, but still finds a way to win.  There are so many compelling stories in this film, and each one is absolutely real.

 

-  But things aren't as simple in 21st Century Akron as they were in the mythical 1950's Indiana of Hoosiers.  A player with LeBron's talent can't hide away on a farm; he's going to be in the national spotlight when he's just 17.  Their head coach, who has already guided them to two state titles, leaves for a more prestigious job after their sophomore season.  The team isn't just dreaming of a state championship, but is rather traveling across the United States in a quest for a National Championship.  The complexities of the modern day keep the story from becoming a fairy tale, but they also make the film that much more powerful.

 

-  What amazes me about the film is that Kris Belman managed to make a movie about friendship and family that transcends all the attention and hype that surrounded this team.  It avoids both melodrama and idol-worship, instead telling the real story of five boys as they become men, and the men and women who guide them along the way.

 

-  Alright, so after all this, I'm not sure that I did any better than the first time.  Maybe I should have stopped with "More Than a Game = Modern Day Hoosiers."  But More Than a Game is an excellent film, and I can't wait for the rest of the world to get a chance to see it.