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DVD Review: “Spirit Of The Game” Shows True Sportsmanship

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In the lead up to the 1956 Olympic games, a group of Mormon missionaries are tasked with helping the fledgling Australian basketball team compete in their first ever Olympics, and in doing so, unite a nation still coming to grips after the war.

“Spirit Of The Game” is based on a true story. That seems to be the norm with so many of today’s movies, and quite honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if the next Star Wars film opened with “Based on a true story,” right before its signature opening crawl. Even movies that are not based on true stories, claim that they are, because it has become a marketing ploy, especially with horror flicks because the producers want you to think that what you just witnessed, could really happen but in the case of “Spirit Of The Game,” it really did, and there is documented evidence. It tells the story of a group of young Mormon missionaries who travel to Australia in 1956 on a two-year mission and along the way, they manage to help the Australian basketball team get ready for the upcoming Olympics.

As the story begins, we are introduced to Delyle Condie (Aaron Jakubenko), a young Mormon man who has just proposed to his girlfriend Emily (Emilie Cocquerel). Ecstatic, she accepts and with Delyle excelling at high school basketball, life couldn’t be better. But when Emily has to move to California for a period of time to help her sister, she returns sometime later, informing Delyle that she cannot marry him as she met someone else. Heartbroken, Delyle decides that a two-year mission with his church to Australia, will help him get over Emily. He reaches Australia and meets other missionaries and while there, the men engage in friendly basketball games after work at the local community hall. One day, while the Australian basketball team are practicing at the hall, their coach, Ken Watson (Grant Piro), sees Delyle playing with his friends and asks him if he and his teammates would be interested in helping them prepare for the Olympics. He refuses, citing church rules will not allow them to participate in a pastime that could distract them from their missionary work.

As Delyle and his fellow missionaries become more and more frustrated with the fact that they are finding it very difficult to connect with their fellow Australians, constantly having doors slammed in their faces and being chased away by those who are uninformed, Delyle eventually approaches the church. He states that by helping the basketball team, it could be a way for them to meet people on common ground, offering assistance and possibly opening the door for their religious teachings to expand into a culture very wary of them and uneducated in their ways. The church agrees and the men begin helping the basketball team prepare for the upcoming Olympics.

The film could have very easily become a morality tale about the Mormon church and their beliefs but instead, while it does show just how difficult the life of a missionary can be, it keeps everything on neutral ground, allowing you to understand their religious convictions but also showing their immense love for basketball and their willingness to teach those who want to be taught. Eventually, they became known as the Mormon Yankees and before the 1956 Olympics, they played many exhibition games with some of the world’s top basketball teams who were participating in the Olympics. The movie is misleading by stating that Kevin Sorbo is one of the stars when in reality, he only plays a supporting character but Aaron Jakubenko steals the show as Delyle Condie, the team’s leader who only wants to do right, no matter what comes his way, both on and of the court. “Spirit Of The Game” won’t win any awards for originality but it will have you cheering from the sidelines.

Now available on DVD & Digital HD

 

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E. HUNTER HALE
E. HUNTER HALE
7 years ago

It had me cheering! The story was based a happening that I was not aware of. Well done. I went to theatrical screening not expecting much but came out recommending it highly. It flopped at the box-office but I’ve been waiting for the DVD release (which I have on order) and will certainly share it others.

AJ Jones
AJ Jones
7 years ago

What a shame the movie was tainted by the Director Darran Scott being arrested for over 50 child molestation charges. I hope none of the profits are going into his pocket. He will be rotting in jail soon hopefully.

Gus Cooper
Gus Cooper
6 years ago

A truly inspiring Movie for all to see. Don’t miss it.

James McDonald

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, James is a Movie Critic with 40 years of experience in the film industry as an Award-Winning Filmmaker. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.