The Heart of the Game

God bless documentary filmmakers who have an eye for an interesting story, the tenacity to hold on for years as it develops and the good fortune to stumble into even better stories along the way. The Heart of the Game begins as a profile of a new and unconventional head coach, Bill Resler, as he takes over a Seattle high school girls’ basketball program. In the ensuing SEVEN YEARS, while Resler finds his feet and the players come of age and the drama builds to a perfect climax, the story widens to include, literally, the trials of one his players as she fights to retain her eligibility to play ball.

You'll be inspired by the wide-eyed, mile-a-minute enthusiasm of these girls as they talk about how savagely they want to destroy their opponents and how much basketball means to them. You'll be warmed by the whole-life approach Resler takes to the game. And make sure to watch the deleted scene entitled “Jade.” You'll be moved when you learn how narrowly Resler reconsidered the hard line he thought he needed to take with her, and the difference it made in her life.

This movie is dynamite. And it blows Jesus Camp out of the gym. Why it wasn’t nominated for an academy award I don’t understand.