Slam dunk

Rating: 7/10 (12 March 2014)

I suppose these days no Hollywood Studio will green-light a sports film unless it's about the struggle of black minorities to overcome prejudice in the past and make a breakthrough in integrated teams.
I suppose in 20 years time we might have similar themed sports films that deal with homosexuality gaining acceptance in sports or female coaches in a male dominated world of team sports. Who knows.
Glory Road is based on a true events leading to the 1966 College Men's Basketball Championship. Head Coach Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) of Texas Western College recruits the best players irrespective of race due to a lack of financial resources.
By recruiting black players the Coach has to deal with issues of integration, getting the team to bond and racism.
Following initial wins against poor teams, Haskins realizes that the black players perform better with more freer movements at the court. His team play with a flamboyant style but this also leads to racial hatred against the team, threats to his family and ransacking of his team's hotel rooms during an away game.
The film is made from the producers of Remember the Titans which dealt with similar themes in American Football in College.
Josh Lucas holds the film together of what is now a similar narrative path. Yet the film is interesting, holds your interest and is less cheesy than anticipated although it probably has taken liberties with the real version of the story.