The Longshots

I'm not afraid to come out and say that I don't like Ice Cube films.  He probably has fans that would defend and compare his 'Friday' series to the recent stoner comedy 'Pineapple Express' or both 'Are We There Yet' films to family fare from Eddie Murphy, but I've always felt the stereotypical nature of his features just made black folks look stupid. Cube actually has acting chops and has put in not good, but brilliant dramatic work in films like 'Boyz N The Hood', 'The Glass Shield' and "Three Kings'.  He not only knows how to portray individuals with bottled anger, but regret.  I'm hoping that 'The Longshots' is a success that will give him the inclination to keep making films like it, because its one of the better family dramas I've seen in a while.

Supposedly, 'The Longshots' is based on a true story, and I'm glad that piece of information is not heavily promoted, because we've had enough movies that do so.  Though Cube is the star, the film's story centers around 14-year-old Jasmine Plummer ('Akeela and the Bee' star Keke Palmer) who not only became the first female quarterback on her hometown's school team the Mindon Browns, but led them all the way to the Florida Super Bowl.  What, I'm spoiling the outcome for you? C'mon, with this type of genre film it's pretty obvious what direction its headed.  The point is not where everyone is going, but how they get there.

Jasmine is a bookworm and a bit of a school outcast when her hard working waitress mother (Tyler Perry alum Tasha Smith) asks her Uncle Curtis (Cube) to 'babysit' her a few times a week.  The source of Jasmine's depression is her absentee father, Curtis' brother, who disappeared from her life years earlier.  Curtis is trying to disappear himself, saving every penny he has to move to Florida and start a new life.  A High School champion ball player that could have went pro, Curtis' life has been stuck in a rut since he lost the job he took to support his ailing and now deceased mother.  The entire town of Mindon, LA hasn't been the same since the plant Curtis worked at was shut down years ago, and he hopes to escape before depression gets the worst of him.  He's not homeless, but dresses like a bum and spends way too much time hanging with the hobos in the park.

Initially reluctant to look after his niece, a lightbulb goes off in Curtis' head when he takes notice of what good hand to eye coordination Jasmine has.  After tossing the old pigskin around, Jasmine is surprised to discover that not only is she pretty good with the ball, but she likes it.  Curtis throws the idea of Jasmine joining the Browns on his old friend Cyrus (Dash Mihok), the assistant coach of the team who passes it along to Coach Fisher (Matt Craven).  Fisher is against it from the start, but he notices Jasmine's style is similar to her uncle's and with the team already on a continuing losing streak, he eventually warms to the idea.  In time, not only does Jasmine put the team on a fast track to the Super Bowl, but she also wins the respect of her male teammates.

This may all sound generic and predictable like most sports family dramas, but 'The Longshots' has many elements that make is stand out.  Rather than play Curtis as just a wise-cracking uncle, Cube explores the regrets of the character and the fact that he's been running from himself for the last several years.  There's also the notion that Curtis is trying to relieve his dreams through his niece who is not only a female, but may not be up to the challenge.  There's a subplot involving an implied courtship between Curtis and Jasmine's teacher, but thankfully it doesn't draw attention from the main story.  There's also the reappearance of Jasmine's father, who tries to come back into her life after seeing her exploits on TV and completely unaware of how much he has wounded her.

Perhaps the most powerful dramatic element of the piece is the inspiration that Jasmine brings to the town of Mindon itself.  Her amazing story lifts residents out of the funk they've been in since the plant closing brought about a financial depression.  Whether the team wins the big game at the end is irrelevant because with Jasmine's help they have already inspired so many and raised an optimistic awareness.

There are a number of things in the story that don't work: Palmer, a gifted young actress isn't given material that shows the gradual evolution of her character and there's a rather convenient event that enabled Curtis to suddenly be the one coaching the team for the big game.

The biggest surprise for me was that the director of 'The Longshots' is none other than Fred Durst.  When I saw the name at the beginning of the closing credits, I chuckled that this guy must get confused with the lead singer of rock/rap group 'Limp Bizkit'.  Turns out he is THE Fred Durst and not only is this his second feature, but he's done a more than decent job.  I'm sure that as a producer Ice Cube gave plenty of input, but for a white rapper, Durst has managed to put together an accurate portrayal of black life in a poor southern town.  (It may have helped that Durst in actually a native of North Carolina.)  The film pales in comparison to most sports movies, but the main and peripheral characters feel like real people who find their lives touched by the success of one of their own.