The Longshots
The Longshots might play like a TV movie in search of a better writer if it were not based on true events. As it is maybe they were doing the best that they could with what they had which is a compelling story. Rapper Ice Cube is amassing an impressive filmography, possibly longer than his discography as he applies his clean cut edginess to Curtis Plummer a football never was in a has been Illinois quasi ghost town. His amazingly even more irresponsible older brother has abandoned his wife who presses Curtis into service of after school care of her teenage daughter Jasmine (Keke Palmer) while mom works overtime. Neither is too please with the arrangement at first but the exercise proves cathartic for both parties especially when Jasmine shows definite prowess throwing a football. With encouragement from Curtis she joins the local boys rag tag football team where she rides the pine game after game until her one shot at quarterback starts the team on the road to the Pop Warner Superbowl. Clumsy dialogue aside this biopic with a lot of excitement associated with football flicks draws you in emotionally as Curtis seems to get his life back on track and Jasmine resolves issues of self esteem and abandonment.