Church Ball (2006)

Dennis Buckstead has the hardest calling in his church. Not only has he been asked to coach a group of non-basketball players in his church but the bishop has demanded that he lead the team... See full summary »

Director:

Kurt Hale

Writers:

Paul Eagleston, Kurt Hale,

Stars:

Andrew Wilson, Fred Willard, Clint Howard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andrew Wilson	...	Dennis Buckstead
Fred Willard	...	Bishop Linderman
Clint Howard	...	Gene Jensen
Gary Coleman	...	Charles Higgins
Amy Stewart	...	Susan Buckstead
Ross Brockley	...	Mickey Morgan
Chad Long	...	Don Weaver
Stan Ellsworth	...	Jeremiah Jones
Steve Anderson	...	Thurman
Sina Amedson	...	Nadar Nazbarechov
Curt Doussett	...	Bruce Bracken
Larry Bagby	...	Blake Bracken
Thurl Bailey	...	Moses Mahoney
Mindy B. Young	...	Bertha (as Mindy Young)
Dillan Conrad	...	Billy Buckstead

Storyline

Dennis Buckstead has the hardest calling in his church. Not only has he been asked to coach a group of non-basketball players in his church but the bishop has demanded that he lead the team to the Basketball Championship. Word from the top is that this is the last season of church ball and Bishop Linderman isn't about to have his team lose for the 20th year in a row in the last season of church ball history! What was supposed to strengthen the body, invigorate the mind and cultivate brotherly love seems to bring out the worst in these church-going ball players. Dennis must find a way to bring his team together and build unity along the way to win the championship or go down in church ball history as the worst team that ever played.

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Plot Keywords:

church | team | basketball | tournament | coach | 

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Taglines:

Winning isn't everything..... Yeah Right

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 March 2006 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Orem, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$144,376 (USA) (17 March 2006)

Gross:

$464,991 (USA) (23 June 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Halestorm Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The script went through nine drafts since the idea came about in 2002.

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Goofs

In the championship game, both the broadcasters' booth and the kids' playpen overlap onto the court by several inches.

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Connections

Spoofs X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

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Soundtracks

"There Must Be Love"
Written and performed by Matt Harding

User Reviews

Boy, what a letdown...

I've never been a huge fan of Mormon films. Being a Mormon, I've always felt that the humor was too exclusive to the LDS community and made us seem like a bunch of obsessive wackos. I was hoping this would be the breath of fresh air, the Halestorm movie I could finally discuss with my non-Mormon friends.

Boy, was I wrong.

I figured, since this had B-list talent like Clint Howard, Gary Coleman, Andrew Wilson, and Fred Willard (one of my favorites), this would have to be at least a little funny. And besides, church basketball is ripe with potential for plenty of hilarious gags and such. But I must say, throughout the entire movie, it seemed as though no one knew what they were doing. Every joke fell flat, and every opportunity for a genuinely funny gag went ignored. The dialogue was bland, and the film had some of the worst character development I have ever seen. Every single character but Wilson's was less than one-dimensional. It's hard to believe that after nine re-writes the film was still as mind-numbingly stale as the train wreck I witnessed. I can't put into words the rage I felt sitting through this. My friends and I were extras in the final game scene, so we went to the premiere in Washington City, UT. Kurt Hale, the director, was there, and I must say, I avoided all contact with him after the show. He waited at the door, seemingly ready for feedback. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that his film not only ripped away a good hour and a half of my life, but it left a nasty, painful scar that I will never forget.

Here are a few specific problems I had: There was a minor love story subplot between the janitor and the chubby piano player, but these two characters came out of nowhere, and were impossible to care about, so my friends and I were left constantly wondering why we were supposed to care about these two lame, uninteresting characters. There were many subplots that popped up every now and then, each promising the audience the chance for laughs, but each one came and went in a puff of smoke, ending before you could even start caring. This was pretty much how the whole movie felt.

This film was a major letdown, and I feel bad for everyone who's expecting the first REAL funny Mormon movie. True, the jokes in this one aren't too exclusive to Mormons. Then again, it's hard to tell what was a joke and what was a loud ringing sensation in my ears.

Please, do NOT see this movie. Keep in your mind the fantasy that this movie is hilarious. Spare yourself the disappointment I went through