Heart of the Game, The

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

Intimate, funny, moving and incredibly rousing -- even if you're allergic to sports movies.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

A rousing and mesmerizing documentary.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger 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.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

It's a wrenching, ennobling essay on teamwork and the hard struggle to change one's life.

New York Post Kyle Smith

This distaff "Hoop Dreams" is less of an epic than the earlier movie, and less deep, but it's got more sunshine, too.

Chicago Tribune Michael 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.

USA Today Claudia Puig

It captures an authentic feel-good spirit and inspirational message that most Hollywood movies barely approximate.

Entertainment Weekly Scott Brown

The film is a furious full-court press, its subjects aflame with the kind of passion only youth can furnish.

Baltimore Sun Michael 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.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

An exhilarating story of loyalty and perseverance, The Heart of the Game succeeds as both inspiration and social commentary.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Combines nonstop action with an absorbing story to become a classic on par with "Hoosiers" and "Hoop Dreams."

Austin Chronicle Marrit 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.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven 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.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter 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.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Serrill wisely divides his film into chapters according to year, which helps structure the story's natural repetitiveness.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

There's no denying the exuberant energy and emotional force of this movie. It gets to you.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott 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.

ReelViews James 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.

Variety Joe Leydon

Compelling but traditional feature.

Village Voice Robert Wilonsky

A sweet, engaging journey with the Roosevelt Roughriders, whose kindly coach encourages the girls to snarl like wolves and devour like lions.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael 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.

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

[Mr. Resler] turns out to be not only the heart of this particular game, but also its brains, lungs and unforgettably endearing mug.

Time Richard 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.

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.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Genuinely touching and unquestionably sincere, the movie certainly has heart - but it could have used a little more game.

Chicago Reader J.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.