Los Angeles Times Reviews The Heart of the Game

Roger Ebert Review (excerpt)

Update from the Toronto Film Festival:    Film critic Roger Ebert wrote, "That first film I saw was Ward Serrill's "The Heart of the Game," a documentary that could flower into a sleeper hit. The movie tells the stories of Darnelia Russell, a high school basketball star in Seattle, and Bill Resler, a professor of tax law who becomes the coach of the woman's basketball time at Roosevelt High School.

"His Roughriders are drawn from a mostly white student body, but Darnelia's mother wants her to transfer because at Roosevelt she might get a better education and more of a shot at a college athletic scholarship. Darnelia starts slow, intimidated, she tells the coach that she's never been around so many white people before. He's convinced she is not only a great player but a bright student, and is proven right with a state championship in a year when she graduates with honors. Those triumphs do not become before a great many setbacks and hurdles, including two court challenges to a woman's basketball governing body that wants to prevent Darnelia from playing in her final season.

"The movie will inevitably be compared with "Hoop Dreams," the great 1994 documentary about two black inner-city basketball players recruited by a suburban powerhouse. However, "Heart of the Game" is more concerned with basketball and personalities and less interested in larger social issues. The strength of the film comes not so much from Darnelia Russell's undeniable skills on the court but by the way she overcomes a series of challenges that would have derailed a less determined young woman."

A World Premiere in Toronto

After seven years of filmmaking including two and a half years of editing, The Heart of the Game is ready for its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. "I could not be happier," says director Ward Serrill. "There isn't a film festival better suited to audition this film to the world. It's a real privilege to be included."

The Heart of the Game is among 13 world premieres among the 29 documentary films from 16 countries to show in Toronto from September 8–17.

Toronto Review

Noah Cowan, Co-Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, wrote, "The epic, six-year journey chronicled here features some of the most heart-thumpingly elating and crushingly sad moments in recent documentary film, driven by the on- and offcourt lives of its all-too-real characters..."

Feature Article by Seattle Times Film Critic Moira MacDonald

The Seattle Times featured a front-page feature article on The Heart of the Game in the Northwest Scene section.

indieWIRE

indieWIRE highlights photo from The Heart of the Game.

A Hit at the Seattle International Film Festival

Though still a work in progress, The Heart of the Game appeared as part of the Seattle International Film Festival. Over 600 people packed the Neptune Theater on June 11th.

"It was amazing," says director Ward Serrill. "I bet the audience laughed at least 50 times and I saw some big old tough guys crying too, along with their girl friends."

Coach Bill Resler, Darnellia Russell and her family and at least 35 other Roughriders attended the screening. As an unfinished film, The Heart of the Game was not eligible for competitions. Nonetheless, pass holders from the film festival voted it "Best Documentary" giving it higher ratings than any film in a decade.

Duopoly and Cinetic Media Team Up

Cinetic Media and Duopoly are veteran independent film sales and marketing organizations who have combined forces for the first time to represent The Heart of the Game. Both companies come with long resumés that range from their involvement in Hoop Dreams up to more recent films such as The Fog of War, Mad Hot Ballroom and Super Size Me among others.