I originally planned on watching Cops tonight but decided to watch Balls of Fury (Robert Ben Grant, 2007) instead.  Much laughing and admiring of Maggie Q occurred.  My favorite line from the entire film was James Hong saying, “Maggie, your temper dishonors my Happy Mu Shu Palace.”  Click here for more memorable lines.  Click here for an interview of Maggie Q talking about being self-conscious about her great shape.  The ping-pong instructors she mentions? These are they.  If you aren’t familiar with Miss Maggie Quigley, I suggest you look her up.*

By the time the film and special features were seen, Cops was over, so then I watched Coach Carter (Thomas Carter, 2005), which is based on one portion of the life of a real man.

I’ll just jump right in to the analysis.  Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) takes a job as the new basketball coach for Richmond High’s Oilers.  He is serious about living by respect and breaking out of the limitations of one’s socio-economic status.  Excelling on the court and performing just as well in the classroom are mandates too.  Before Coach Carter can worry about whipping the players into top athletic shape or even worry about how well they are or are not doing in their classes, he’ll have to get the boys to treat each other with a lot more maturity and patience (the film opens with the pre-Carter Oilers playing against St. Francis; it’s clear that the Richmond players can’t get along very well with one another).  Considering the way in which the film introduces and develops the main characters and balances the basketball and non-basketball scenes, I could’ve been watching a “teacher film” with basketball as a motif.

One of my friends highly recommended the film to me (on account of the b-ball), but I just wasn’t all that amazed.  As spectacle, it’s certainly satisfactory (the regional finals against St. Francis is dramatically and aesthetically superior to the other half-dozen game-play sequences).  I just didn’t find the basketball to be so compelling.  The thematic elements of the film not linked to the sport are much more thought-provoking.  Specifically, Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez) wants to be part of a family and to have a kind of camaradiere that he knows he cannot have with his cousin Renny (Vincent Laresca).  Kenyon Stone (Rob Brown), one of the scholastically healthier players, is conflicted about becoming a father.  There is one particular scene that pointedly depicts his apprehension with the whole concept.  He is with his girlfriend Kyra (Ashanti) and her cousin’s son.  Kenyon is getting this firsthand look at what domesticity will be like and it’s apparent that he’s neither confident nor enthusiastic about it.  Subsequent scenes that revisit this subject contain just a pungent whiff of Just-Say-N0-T0-Horny-Teenage-Guys.

As the film progresses, I keep wondering to myself why Carter accepted the job in the first place.   He certainly wants to perform a miracle but not necessarily of the competitive sport type.  During the board meeting scene, he actually spells it out: “I took this job to effect change in the lives of” these players.  Given his motive and the socio-political messages of Don’t Have (Unprotected) Teenage Sex, Don’t Become a Bad Statistic, Don’t Live Up to Their Stereotypes, and Go to College, the basketball could’ve been switched with any other sport (team or solo), writing, singing, dancing, any performing or fine art (remember Dangerous Minds and Sister Act 2?).  As long as the students need to be taught a thing or two about believing in oneself, respect, and conviction, you’d have baked the same cake.  Garnishes would be different and there may not be any nuts.

Product Placement & Branding:  LeBron James (in conversation), Kobe Bryant (in conversation); Pepsi, Advil, Gatorade, Band-Aid, Chapstick, Bob Costas, Polaroid, Ben & Jerry’s, MSN, Olympus, Pom Wonderful, Spalding, Coca-Cola, and SoBe.

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*Not too many men and women to whom I’ve brought up her name would agree with me that elle est tres belle, except for one.  He’s a super fan, who for reasons I cannot fathom, has not seen Naked Weapon.  I offered to give him my copy, but after seeing this wee bit clip, I think I’m going to keep it.  Camp, corn, cheese, oui, mais…