A Basketball Movie for Everyone

I'm not exactly what you'd call a sports fan—I took my last Phys. Ed course in 7^th grade and pay exactly no attention to televised sporting events. That in mind, you'd hardly think of me as the target audience for a documentary about girl's high school basketball. But if I don't know the icing rule from the infield fly rule, I like to think I know a little something about the rules of good storytelling, and in that respect, Heart of the Game scores big. Today, The Washington Times has my review. Here's a tease:

Hollywood has glutted theaters with formulaic, often schmaltzy, team sports films in recent years. Each follows a now-standard pattern: An inspirational coach with a big personality motivates a team of talented young athletes to overcome adversity and personal demons to succeed in both life and sport. "The Heart of the Game," a new documentary about a girls' high school basketball team, is just such a movie. Despite its adherence to formula, the film is fresh and energetic in every way that its trite fictional counterparts are not.