The Longshots
Nothing New in this Family Fare
Inspired by a true story, and following the winning format that made The Mighty Ducks and Little Gians such endearing hits, The Longshots tells the tale of lonely, heavy-hearted girl named Jasmine (KeKe Palmer). Though she longs for the day when she can emerge as an elite fashion model, she spends the majority of her time with her nosed pressed into a book. Unnoticed and unliked, she pines for the elusive popularity that seems impossible to achieve. When her mother is forced to take on extra shifts at work in order to help support the family, Jasmine is forced into spending time with her Uncle Curtis.
Disheveled and embittered, the jobless Curtis clings onto the glory days when he was an All-American football player. With a football in one hand and a Budweiser in the other, he reluctantly agrees to watch his introverted niece. After a number of awkward days spent together, fate steps in, and provides the duo with some common ground.
KeKe the Quarterback
As it turns out, Jasmine may be the second-coming of Joe Montana. Blessed with ability to throw the pigskin with style and accuracy, she has all the makings of a star. The only problem is, she lives in a small rural town, where the men are very stuck in their ways. Initially Pop Warner coach Mr. Fischer is reluctant to give the diminutive girl a chance, but when he sees what she can do on the field, he apprehensively gives her a shot.
The Longshots
Fred Durst, First Time Director
The problem is, the movie, in all of its underdog glory, fails to provide its audience with anything new. First time director Fred Durst, (the former frontman of hard-rocking music group Limp Bizkit) plays everything irrationally safe, ensuring that the inspirational music swells at all the right places, and the one-dimensional characters get teary-eyed at all the right moments.
While it is important for family films to portray a healthy, positive message, it shouldn’t belittle the troubles of its protagonist, no matter how muddy the waters may become. Within the movie, Jasmine’s ascension into football lore isn’t exactly easy, but Durst doesn’t hammer home how difficult the journey must have been. By amplifying her struggles and defeats, the audience would have aligned themselves with her even more. Instead, The Longshots stays afloat by simply treading in the waters of conventional comfort, and results in a final product that audiences have already seen a thousand times before.
GRADE- C+
is a pleasant, albeit wholly predictable, family film. Ice Cube continues to prove that he is a likable, skilled actor who has the knack of tackling roles that don’t exactly test his limits, and KeKe Palmer (star of the woefully ignored Akeelah and the Bee) gives another performance that showcases a subdued glimpse into her ever-brightening future. The relationship between them develops slowly, with two out-of-touch characters struggling to find any common ground. Life in the crippled town has been hard on them, and both shuffle through their days with a defeated step. It’s not until they discover their mutual love and respect for the game of football that their familial bonds begin to tighten, forging a believable relationship that becomes the heart of the entire film.
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