On June 8, the sports drama starring Adam Sandler was released on Netflix. The new movie about basketball is saturated with love for this sport, which means that fans of the game will definitely like it. But besides them, the picture is worth seeing for the average viewer, moviegoers and fans of sports films. You’ll find out why in the review below.
Genre sport, drama
Directed by Jeremiah Sagar
Cast : Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, Juan Hernangomez, Ben Foster, Robert Duvall
Netflix release
Release year 2022
IMDb website
Stanley Sugarman (Adam Sandler) is an experienced basketball scout. He travels the world finding talented players for the Philadelphia 76ers. The hero lives for basketball, but dreams not of searching, but of coaching. This opportunity is given to him by the owner of the club, Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall). But soon the old man dies, and the team is led by his son Vince Merrick (Ben Foster). Ben and Stanley have a difficult relationship, so the new boss requires the hero to find one cool player, and only after that he will return his coaching position to him. Stanley finds a nugget Bo Cruz (Juan Hernangomez) from Spain and brings him to the US. But Vince refuses to take the guy to the Philadelphia 76ers. Then Stanley leaves the club and decides to make his way to the NBA for a talented basketball player.
Breaking Through the NBA is a classic sports drama where everything is good – from the staging of every scene, to the acting and the atmosphere. Along with that, director Jeremiah Sagar and writers Taylor Matern and Will Fetters couldn’t avoid almost every possible cliché of the genre. But this does not spoil the picture, and here’s why.
The new film tells about two heroes at once: the former player and current coach Stanley Sugarman and the young unknown but talented basketball player Bo Cruz. Nobody believes in heroes, so we have an exciting story of two men who are trying with all their might to fulfill their dream. Each of them had mistakes in the past, but they overcome difficulties and fight to the end.
“Breakthrough in the NBA” does not idealize basketball as a sport and the NBA league itself in particular. This is a cruel business, where every extra move or word can ruin the career of a talented player that has not yet begun. These are unscrupulous basketball players who bully newcomers in order to eliminate competitors. They are proud club owners and upstart coaches. They put labels on players that stick to them for the rest of their lives.
At the same time, the picture also shows the other side of basketball. These are millions of fans and the same number of children and teenagers who are passionate about this sport and dream of getting into the NBA. This is a full-fledged big family, where everyone knows each other and is ready to help in any difficult situation.
Breaking Through the NBA is a true basketball movie and is really drenched in it from start to finish. Many of the roles in the film were played not by professional actors, but by current or former basketball stars, as well as other media personalities associated with this sport. There are players Shaquille O’Neal, Trae Young, Jordan Clarkson, Chris Middleton, Aaron Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Seth Curry, Luka Doncic, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Tibull, Julius Irving, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Dirk Nowitzki, Brad Stevens, coaches Doc Rivers and Sergio Scariolo, as well as many other big names in basketball.
Moreover, the performer of the role of Bo Cruz, Juan Hernangomes, is a professional Spanish basketball player in real life, playing for the Utah Jazz club from the NBA. And Stanley Sugarman’s best friend is played by Kenny Smith, a famous American basketball player.
The success of the picture was ensured by the incredible chemistry between the main characters. Stanley and Bo Cruz are like father and son, like classic mentor and student. A basketball scout tries to help a young player so that he can give a chance to happiness and himself through him. They complement each other and are sincerely friends.
Sandler’s character loves to talk and does so with gusto. Such a feature of him perfectly correlates with Hernangomes’s taciturn hero Bo and makes this pair on the screen more harmonious. Sandler once again showed that he is incredibly natural in dramatic roles, and he succeeds in them no worse than comedic ones. And the non-professional actor Hernangomez appeared on the screen as a cute hero and a realistic character, which is a pleasure to watch. He skillfully hides the lack of acting behind his reticence and natural charm.
It is not necessary to be an athlete and love basketball in order to get carried away by the film and not come off to the end. And that’s almost two hours of running time. Of the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the undisclosed life story of the character Bo Cruz, as well as relationships within his family. Along with this, too much emphasis is placed on Stanley Sugarman, his relationship with his daughter and wife (Queen Latifah).
