The Heart of the Game (2005)

Director:

Ward Serrill

Writer:

Ward Serrill (written by)

Release Date:

7 July 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Sport

Tagline:

THE HEART OF THE GAME captures the passion and energy of a Seattle high school girls' basketball team, the eccentricity of their unorthodox coach, and the incredible true story of one player's fight to play the game she loves.

Plot:

A documentary Roosevelt Roughriders, a girls' high-school basketball team in Seattle, and one player's fight to regain her eligibility to play. |

Plot Keywords:

High School | Basketball | Basketball Team | Sexual Abuse | Cheerleader

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Ludacris	...	Narrator (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
Darnellia Russell	...	Herself
Bill Resler	...	Himself
Devon Crosby Helms	...	Herself (as Devon Crosby-Helms)
Meghan Miller	...	Herself
Jade White	...	Herself
Lindsey Wilson	...	Herself
Mike 'Riderman' Silva	...	Himself
Emily Watson	...	Herself
Hillary Seidel	...	Herself
Aaron Jack	...	Himself
Maria Mendoza	...	Herself
Keasha Beward	...	Herself
April Swafford	...	Herself
Maude Lepley	...	Herself
Joyce Walker	...	Herself
Joel Waters	...	Himself
Marjorie Russell	...	Herself
Jerry Ronk	...	Himself
Shannon Costello	...	Herself
Jenny Wild	...	Herself
Alex Jessup	...	Himself
Emiko Harris	...	Herself
Leondrae Morris
Betty Harris	...	Herself
Urika Russell	...	Herself
Leyla Khastou	...	Herself
Tracey Leddo	...	Herself
Secoy Clemmons	...	Herself
Trekayla Clemmons	...	Herself
Kenyon Luce	...	Himself
Malia O'Neil	...	Herself
Mike Colbrese	...	Himself
Kelli Cutright	...	Herself

Directed by
Ward Serrill

Writing credits
Ward Serrill		(written by)

Produced by
Alice de Muizon	....	associate producer
Larry Estes	....	executive producer
Lois Greenberg	....	associate producer
Liz Manne	....	producer
Richard Palacios	....	associate producer
Ward Serrill	....	producer
Amy Stodghill	....	associate producer (as Amelia Stodghill)

Original Music by
The Angel

Cinematography by
Ward Serrill		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Eric Frith

Production Management
Mary Daisey	....	post-production manager: Flying Spot
Kelli Garces	....	post-production manager: Flying Spot
Thomas Carl McGuinness	....	post-production supervisor

Art Department
Alex Bates	....	graphic designer
Lucy Woodworth	....	graphic artist: Flying Spot

Sound Department
Pat Cockburn	....	sound recordist: narration, Bad Animals
Gideon Cohen	....	sound recordist: narration, Bad Animals
Mark Griswold	....	additional sound: Bad Animals
Steve Heinke	....	sound recordist: narration, Bad Animals
Dave Howe	....	sound mixer: Bad Animals
Matt Hutchinson	....	sound recordist: narration, Bad Animals
Michael McAuliffe	....	sound designer: Bad Animals (as Mike McAuliffe)
Joshua Monroy	....	sound recordist: narration, Bad Animals
Peter Roberts	....	additional sound: Bad Animals
Ward Serrill	....	sound recordist: Bad Animals
Eric Soma	....	additional sound: Bad Animals
Wendi Wills	....	sound supervisor: post-production, Bad Animals
Daniel Sperry	....	sound consultant: Dolby (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Katherine Bragdon	....	additional camera operator
Wendy Jo Carlton	....	additional camera operator
David Fox	....	additional cinematographer
Bruce Hudson	....	additional camera operator
Charlie Kirkwood	....	additional camera operator
Kirk Miller	....	additional camera operator
Richard Palacios	....	additional camera operator
Ryan Purcell	....	additional camera operator
Ryan Purcell	....	lighting
Hilary Seidel	....	additional camera operator
Scott Seidel	....	additional camera operator
Aaron Stadler	....	additional camera operator
Diana Wilmar	....	additional cinematographer
Ray Woodhouse	....	additional camera operator

Editorial Department
Shane Dillon	....	on-line editor: Flying Spot
Kurt Feldhun	....	additional editor
Tim Harader	....	additional editor
Steve Harris	....	on-line editor: Flying Spot
Troy Murison	....	on-line editor: Flying Spot
Stephen R. Myers	....	post-production consultant (as Stephen Myers)
Tim Neff	....	on-line editor: Flying Spot
Amy Stodghill	....	assistant editor (as Amelia Stodghill)
Jeff Tillotson	....	electronic film timer: Flying Spot
Tiffany Verzal	....	additional editor
Dan Niemiec	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
The Angel	....	music producer
Steve Delbert	....	music recordist: band
Kurt Feldhun	....	additional composer: score
Susan Jacobs	....	music supervisor
Brian Richards	....	music editor
Robert Russell	....	musician: upright and electric bass
Michael Sackler-Berner	....	assistant music supervisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Steven 'Crash' Arroz	....	driver: van

Other crew
Alex Bates	....	technical supporter
Katherine Bragdon	....	story advisor
Matt Clarke	....	story advisor
Tricia Cooke	....	story advisor
Jake Farmer	....	web site designer
Steve Hay	....	story advisor
Dave Hunsaker	....	story advisor (as David Hunsaker)
David Liu	....	story advisor
Michael McMann	....	story advisor
Bill Neal	....	legal services
Cathleen O'Connell	....	consultant: stock footage
Allison Roberts	....	tape logging
Pat Sanford	....	chief executive: Flying Spot
Doug Serrill	....	usher
June Serrill	....	usher
Daniel Steinman	....	legal services
Amy Stodghill	....	tape logging (as Amelia Stodghill)
Neil Sussman	....	legal services
Lucy Woodworth	....	title designer: Flying Spot
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances (uncredited)
Kurt Feldhun	....	story consultant (uncredited)
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Woody Creek Productions
• Flying Spot Pictures
• Welb Film Pursuits Ltd. (in association with)

Distributors

• Glassy Co. Ltd. (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• 911 Media Arts Center  fiscal sponsor (as 911 Media Arts)
• Bad Animals  sound design and mix
• Cinetic Media  distribution advisory services (as Cinetic Media and Duopoly)
• Flying Spot Pictures  post-production services (as Flying Spot)
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Runtime:

97 min | Canada:102 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Woody Creek Productions

Quotes:

Bill Resler:One of the things really that makes coaching fun is when you tell teenagers "Go do 'ABC'", and they'll look at you and say "Yes, we're going to go do 'ABC'", and they're excited about "ABC", and five seconds later you watch them do "XYZ", and sometimes I'll ask them "Why did you do 'XYZ'?" and they never have an answer. They always look at you like, "Why would you ask a question like that?"

Movie Connections:

References "Popeye the Sailor" (1960)

Soundtrack:

Believe It

"Have fun."

"A full-court press the whole game. No offensive strategy, just run like hell." Sounds like Hoop Dreams territory--the same go gettem' spirit resides with the newest entry in the basketball rags to riches genre, Heart of the Game.

In late 1990's Seattle, the Roosevelt High Roughriders get a greenhorn coach in Prof. Bill Resler, a middle aged tax professor, who has a heart and a dream. His recruit, Darnellia Russell, will help him reach that goal of going to the state championship. Along the way they'll have to fight the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, her pregnancy, and talented competition.

The themes for each season best symbolize the scorched-earth attitude of the scrappy coach and his warriors: Pride of Lions and Pack of Wolves are two of the scarier ones, coupled with chants such as "Draw Blood" and "'Put your teeth in their necks." No prisoners in their game, but it all does make for an exciting doc.

Even though I'm not interested in spending much time watching athletic events, I am a sucker for theses athletics stories because they always depict young people finding truth and honor and their futures along the way. That romantic view of sports is tempered by the fact that they don't always win the game but almost always the heart.

"What I know," Coach Resler says, "is that Darnellia is brilliant. The one issue she has to conquer is, believing in how smart she is." The documentary by director Ward Serrill perhaps too much focuses on Darnellia's challenges, but she deserves attention as charismatic and downright cinematic as she is. There are others, including the coach, whose stories could be the centerpiece, but none better than Darnellia's for all the components of compelling film-making.

"Have fun," coach Resler tells the players after every timeout. Have fun you will if you let yourself watch these winners play.