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Basket, The
Priviledged Commnications


9.6

based on 16 reviews
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How did we calculate this?

based on 3 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG for some mild violence and brief language

Starring Peter Coyote, Karen Allen, Robert Karl Burke, and Amber Willenborg

Shortly after World War I, a new teacher (Coyote) brings basketball to a school in a small Pacific Northwest town. He helps to unite the town during a tense period which includes the immigration to the United States of German citizens.

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Don Caron Rich Cowan Frank Swoboda Tessa Swoboda
DIRECTED BY:	Rich Cowan
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: December 11, 2001 Video: December 11, 2001 Theatrical: May 5, 2000
RUNNING TIME:	105 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

LA Weekly Hazel-Dawn Dumpert

Well-acted, briskly paced and prettily photographed, the film is a mild-mannered family story with a caring heart, and that's ultimately enough to make its 104 minutes worthwhile.

Film.com John Hartl

The most popular entry in last year's Seattle International Film Festival family series.

Film.com Ted Fry

Accomplished, ambitious, and great-looking.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

As warm and reassuring as grandma's hugs.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Woven from such promising threads that you wish it was better.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

Avoids succumbing to the preachiness that is the bane of so many family films, and for a movie like this, that's no small feat.

Los Angeles Times Robin Rauzi

It may be a hard sell to the Gameboy generation, but The Basket has charms that may be more evident to adults.

Chicago Tribune John Petrakis

It gussies up the tale with so many random subplots that by the time we cut through the morass, the film is over.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Amiable though slow-going.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Would be solid family entertainment if it weren't for the funereal pacing, which may kill its appeal among young audiences.

Village Voice Emily Borrow

Combines the wholesomeness of "Old Yeller" with the moral and physical claustrophobia of "The Waltons."

San Francisco Examiner Walter Addiego

Earnest and kid-friendly -- also simplistic and dramatically creaky.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

You have no idea how determined director Rich Cowan is to suck the last drop of sap out of this tree.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

Clunky and obvious.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

A contrived and sentimental melodrama, the film takes a promising premise and crushes it with mind-numbing repetition, sophomoric conveniences, plastic acting and the worst score, perhaps, ever heard.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Despite the overplotting, there's scarcely any of the characterization that might have made some of it interesting.

The average user rating for this movie is 9.6 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Michelle P. gave it a 10:
I was so disappointed to find out this movie got a 51. It's such a touching, beautiful film. The acting is fabulous, the music is beautiful, the setting is gorgeous, it's fantastic.

Don J. gave it a 10:
What a relief. I could see a movie like this every week and I'd be happy.

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Basket, The Priviledged Commnications

Basket, The
Priviledged Commnications