This is a film that pushes all the emotional buttons, without being too sappy and it actually has an edge. We kind of knew what to expect by the title, but Woody Harrelson as a self-important basketball coach working with a good cast of special needs kids turned out better than we expected. This is based on a 2018 Spanish film Campeones. Though not a slam dunk, Harrelson revisits his movie roots as in White Men Can’t Jump (1992) in a heartwarming turn for the crusty actor.
Here, he plays Marcus, a hot-headed, frustrated, insensitive assistant coach of a low-level professional team. He’s a basketball genius but a failure at human relations, and life in general, continually holds him back.
We first see him in bed with, Alex, (Kaitlin Olson) an attractive, realistic 40-something woman who is getting ready to leave in the morning. It’s an obvious one-night stand on both their parts. She’s caustic and flip, expecting they’ll never see each other again.
He goes to work but gets fired for pushing his coach (Ernie Hudson) too far. Frustrated and pissed, he flies off the handle, gets drunk and arrested. His only way to stay out of jail is to do community service coaching a basketball team made up of young adults with special needs.
The rest of the film is this hot shot basketball wizard having to deal with players he’s never had to manage before. Each of the players has their own quirks, personalities and skills on the court. They include Johnny (Kevin Iannucci), Darius (Joshua Felder), Benny (James Day Keith), Showtime (Bradley Edens). Harrelson shows attitude as soon as he walks in the gym. But you know he going to soften up once he starts working with these players. He becomes just like the Grinch, with his heart about to grow twice it’s size, despite a few setbacks.
Of course Alex comes back into his life and what she does for a living places her with Marcus and the team. Director Bobby Farrelly and writer Mark Rizzo use a silly ruse for what she does for a living to keep her involved. Alex is a Shakespearean actor who travels in her own decorated to the max van performing the Bard’s works in schools. Her van turns out to be the conveniently necessary vehicle for the team.
It’s sprinkled with colorful characters throughout to give it more comedy. They include Alex’s Mom who has no filter, saying whatever comes to mind, no matter how crass. And Julio, the guy who runs the gym (Cheech Marin) is good at dispensing advice to coach every time he gets in trouble with authorities, the team, and his sexual relationship with Gale. Cheech is like Jiminy Cricket to Harrelson. He’s knows the score and serves as his conscience.
Director Farrelly and writer Rizzo do a good job using creative ways making cute and humorous how he teaches basketball to the kids. These kids have skills and it’s fun seeing how well they learn to play together. A late add to the team is Cosentino, (Madison Tevlin) a young girl with plenty of spunk who keeping coach and everyone else on the ball.
When it looks like the team is going to lose it’s best player before the championships, Marcus and Alex pull a ridiculous theatrical stunt to coerce the ignorant boss of one of the better players to cough up money to travel to the special olympics championships. Although in keeping with what Alex does for a living, it was an unnecessary way to dramatize how they got to the game.
Even though destined for theaters, this film fits the streaming mold better. Some of the adult behavior borders on raunchy, but never goes too far to lose the PG -13 rating. And Marcus learns to treat Alex with respect finding his warm and fuzzy side.
This is a cute movie showing Harrelson playing a self-centered jerk who becomes more human as he interacts with these fun special needs youths. It’s all very predictable. Director Farrelly makes it fairly well done, giving each of the young players their due showing, win or lose, the champions they are. And Harrelson makes points playing above the rim without having to jump.
Focus Features 2 hours 3 minutes PG-13
