The Heart of the Game
Miramax Films | Release Date: June 9, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
0
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Intimate, funny, moving and incredibly rousing -- even if you're allergic to sports movies. Read full review
88
New York PostKyle Smith
This distaff "Hoop Dreams" is less of an epic than the earlier movie, and less deep, but it's got more sunshine, too. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
If you or any kid over the age of 10 has even a half-interest in the definition of the word "teamwork," as well as the words "real-life suspense," this is the movie. Read full review
88
USA TodayClaudia Puig
It captures an authentic feel-good spirit and inspirational message that most Hollywood movies barely approximate. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Sports movies have a purity of form. They always end with the big game, in triumph or heartbreak. So does The Heart of the Game, although the lawsuit still hangs over the team after the final free throw. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy Burr
It's a wrenching, ennobling essay on teamwork and the hard struggle to change one's life. Read full review
88
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
A rousing and mesmerizing documentary. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyScott Brown
The film is a furious full-court press, its subjects aflame with the kind of passion only youth can furnish. Read full review
83
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
This documentary (like the fact-based 2004 feature Miracle) demonstrates how powerful true sports stories can be when they delve into the mystery of leadership instead of falling back on nostalgia. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
An exhilarating story of loyalty and perseverance, The Heart of the Game succeeds as both inspiration and social commentary. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Combines nonstop action with an absorbing story to become a classic on par with "Hoosiers" and "Hoop Dreams." Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
It's a good bet for youth audiences (the PG-13 rating is for one instance of language) and finds plenty of thought-provoking subject matter courtside. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The entertaining new documentary The Heart Of The Game at least acknowledges many of the same conflicts that arose in Hoop Dreams, even though it's really more about two outsized personalities and their infectious passion for the sport. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
What really matters in this film are the lead characters - Resler and Russell - who are interesting enough to warrant such a cinematic endeavor. The upbeat film touches on serious issues without becoming lugubrious. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Serrill wisely divides his film into chapters according to year, which helps structure the story's natural repetitiveness. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
There's no denying the exuberant energy and emotional force of this movie. It gets to you. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
The end result is an interesting documentary that is as unpolished and gutsy as the championship-caliber high school hoop stars at the other end of his camera. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Serrill has shot and edited The Heart of the Game in straightforward documentary style, with a narration by the rapper and actor Ludacris. But the dramas going on here, on and off the court, more than make up for any lack of flash. Read full review
70
VarietyJoe Leydon
Compelling but traditional feature. Read full review
70
Village VoiceRobert Wilonsky
A sweet, engaging journey with the Roosevelt Roughriders, whose kindly coach encourages the girls to snarl like wolves and devour like lions. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
[Mr. Resler] turns out to be not only the heart of this particular game, but also its brains, lungs and unforgettably endearing mug. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
Making his feature-length debut after forging a career making socially conscious short films, director Ward Serrill never takes his eye off the ball, maintaining a sharp storytelling focus distilled from those seven years worth of footage. Read full review
70
TimeRichard Corliss
Ward Serrill's feel-good doc, which covers seven years in the life of Resler's Roughriders, is hobbled by a narration so syrupy, it could be poured on pancakes. But the movie soars because of the sport's natural drama and its luck in finding a complex heroine. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Genuinely touching and unquestionably sincere, the movie certainly has heart - but it could have used a little more game. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
The pat inspirational formula is followed to a sweaty T, although it comes here with an inadvertent side effect -- more than a few nagging questions never get answered. Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The resulting movie (2005) covers seven years and touches on some of the same social issues that gave "Hoop Dreams" its epic sweep, yet Serrill fails to treat any of them adequately, and the narrative loses its shape as events unfold. Read full review
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