He keeps getting in his own way. The movie contains fine acting, brilliant scenes and electrifying moments, but somebody seems to have held the game plan upside-down. This mystical-heroic framework is meant to beat us into submission before the movie even starts, and perhaps numb us to the improbability of its premise. Though Lee no doubt considers basketball of equal consequence to, say, urban terrorism, the plotting is hard to swallow. 10 grand under his nose.
Colleges come calling with cash, cars and coeds.
Washington's performance is modest and self-contained, but his undeniable star presence creates an imbalance. The movie becomes Jake's story rather than his son's, and Jake's story isn't half as believable. On the other hand, a center who kept dunking balls into the crowd instead of the basket would likewise be set apart from his more conventional teammates.