Customer Reviews

Edge of America

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Chris Eyre (Director Smoke Signals, Skins) dribbles us onto the hard court of Three Nations woman's Basketball. Kenny Williams (James McDaniel) is running from his past. He takes an English teaching position on the Three Nations Reservation in Utah. Unbeknownst to school administrators he is black man. This puts him as a mark for the native students.

Kenny needs some additional income so he thinks of coaching the dismal O'fer Lady Warrior's basketball team. The interim coach Annie (Irene Bedard) is more of a mother than a coach. The local do-it-all Cuch (Wes Studi) convinces Kenny to coach the woman's basketball team. Coach Williams soon learns that he is fighting an uphill battle with teamwork and Native family traditions especially Mother Tsosie. (Geraldine Keams)

I absolutely adored this film and totally related to this film. The woman's balling at my old all Native high school was just as competitive with the more expensed mostly white high schools. The gym, attendance and excitement took me back to the days of playing ball for the love of it and close-knit teammates.

I try not to be a nit pick on an overall good film, but the film started off with some shaky camera angles following Kenny to the Three Nations reservation. (Personal preference) It was probably due to the handheld cameras. After a few minutes it disappeared. Filming the basketball action was comparable to other basketball films that I have seen. But I wished I would have seen the free throws.

Carla (Delanni Studi), Shirleen (Misty Upham) and Marissa (Deanna Allison) are some of the talented actresses that make up the basketball team. Leroy McKinney (Tim Daly/Producer) is the father of Carla who struggles with the loss of his wife. And the angry, outspoken Franklin (Eddie Spears) is Carla's boyfriend plays his character outstanding. This film contains a lot of talented Native actors who are now more popular since filming.

This film was filmed in 2002 for Showtime. Maybe it's just me but these films need to get released to the general public faster. Though, money is always at the root of the problem. I have to give kudos to Annie Humphrey's songs that fit perfectly for this film.

Purchase this DVD for the entire family. There are not many extras on the DVD, but there is a filmography for the main actors.

The interesting aspect of this movie to me was the subtle racism between the Indians and the black teacher/coach, Kenny. Underlying it all, both sides really just wanted to be treated for themselves, but both sides had experienced racism toward their race or culture so they behaved as if they expected it. Kenny was used to being treated as a 'nigger' so he'd built up a shell that was difficult for the girls to penetrate. The Navajo girls also were used to being treated as 'mere Indians,' such as by the referees in their games, so they automatically felt like giving up. It was by talking out their feelings, openly and honestly, that both the coach and the team players were able to grow into more mature, successful people. Both sides made mistakes, but they seemed to learn from them with some pain ways to overcome their unconscious negative expectations. This is a a wonderful area of discussion for families; Everyone knows that they are not supposed to be 'racist' against others; but how does unconsciously expecting to be treated in a racist manner alter one's own perception of the world? How might that affect one's chances of becoming successful in their life?

I saw this film on cable on a weekday afternoon, one of those films you will probably not catch otherwise: quirky subject, no big stars, no budget. The plot sounded interesting: black coach, played by the always solid James McDaniel (rarely seen, at least by me, since he left NYPD Blue), coaching a girls basketball team on a reservation. This could be gritty and important, I thought--or sappy and predicatable, another cliched tale of the underdog winning the big game. Pretty quickly it became clear that this was a gritty and realistic film. The coach is a complicated character, not always likeable, occassionally downright awful. The girls are equally realistically drawn. The conflicts we know to be present on Indian reservations around the country are not hidden: unemployment, poverty, alcoholism, bitterness, etc. Sound grim? Somehow this tiny film finds a way to present what could a grim, downbeat story as dramatic, moving, and even funny. Only later did I discover the director is Chris Eyre, a filmmaker with real and obvious talent (see Skins and Smoke Signals). So that this movie made us believe in the reality and humanity of its mostly Native characters is no surprise. This is not a perfect movie by any means. The rival school and its all blonde basketball team and obnoxious coach are cliched. More backround on McDanial's character would have helped. But given that, this is actually a stirring, moving film, an unlikely combination of Eyre's earlier Skins and Hoosiers. You end up caring deeply about these girls and their lives. The basketball scenes are exciting. (I won't give away the ending...just to say the girls indeed overcome many obstacles to go to the state championship). McDaniel is indeed interesting and believable as always (know him only from Blue? Check him out in Spike Lee's Malcom X). Wes Studi is equally interesting and believable. Heck, the whole cast is interesting and believable. This will literally make you laugh and make you cry, and the movie earns both emotions legitimately. Check it out.

Can an uptight, black high school teacher make a difference teaching dis-illusioned Native American high school students at Three Nations Reservation? He will if he's successful transforming the girls basketball team from perennial doormats/losers to a hard working, fastbreaking team of winners.

A insightful look into modern day life and times on the Reservation courtesy of director Chris Eyre. James McDaniel gives a solid perfomance as Kenny Williams, the new teacher and coach. Irene Bedard is as always beautiful as the previous coach and mentor to coach Williams. Also excellent supporting role by Wes Studi.

While 'Edge of America' doesn't rank up there with other sports films like 'Rudi' or 'Saint Ralph' it's still a heartwarming story and a wonderful way to spend an evening with the family!

I had the priviledge of being indirectly associated with this movie. The film was based upon the girls basketball program in Shiprock, New Mexico. In 1987, I watched the championship game between Shiprock High School and Kirtland High School. One of my teachers at that time (who was also my football and track/field coach) was Mr. Jerry Richardson.

I read through the brochure for the then upcoming Sundance Film Festival in Utah. As I was skimming the synopses of several film features, I read a very familiar background for the Festival's opening night movie. Immediately, I called a few "certain" people and eventually confirmed that this movie was based upon Coach Richardson and the Lady Chiefs. After pulling off some major schmoozing, I lucked out and scored Opening night passes to this gala event held at Abravanel Hall.

It was great to see this movie. Although the name and location had been changed because of legal reasons, the general storyline was similar.

But the story of Coach Richardson is a great one. He was a good person. He brought a lot of character and insight to a community where life can be tough. And during his coaching tenure there at Shiprock HS, he gave us some vitality. Sadly, he was killed in auto accident during his coaching tenure with Central Florida University.

It is hard to depict his life from the movie although James McDaniels captured Coach's essence very well to where it was scary. So here is a better overall portrait. Picture an African-American man going from a New Mexico Navajo reservation school with several girls basketball state championships under his belt across the Nation to coach a NCAA Division I women's basketball program in Florida.

I guess there is so much more to the story and Chris Eyre did an awesome job with the production contraints he had. Tim Daly is truly a great person in person as well as producer of this film. Willie Holtzman did an outstanding job with his screenplay and story considering how long and how many hoops he had to jump through to get his script to movie. But mostly, I think DeLanna Studi gave this movie some serious depth with her acting craft as well as her beauty. Same goes for the other girls. Trini King actually played ball at Shiprock HS.

I wish this movie had one of those big blockbuster budgets because it could have seriously been an even better film. It is good on its own but I'm sure lack thereof of budget led to some of those legal reasons for the name and location changes. For this reason, I gave it only 4 stars.

This movie is much better than I thought it would be. I love this film!

When a black man is sent to the Res to teach English is rooked into becoming the coach for the girls basketball team. There are many ups and downs to this great movie. I can't say enough about the morals and lessons these girls learned from this tough man. It is a terrific movie. In the end, they are truly surprised. I very much reccommend this DVD!

Well done story about a rez ball team. Done in a very realistic fashion showing native life with victorys and defeats. Spirit lifting story progressing to a fit ending with joy.
I and my American Indian church enjoyed the film.....

Good movie. Just goes to show what one person or a nation could learn if they just took the time to. Was an eye opener for me.

Rick Darby, an independent film maker, went to Shiprock, New Mexico, to document what he perceived to be a fascinating story about a Navajo Reservation girls High School basketball program, the Lady Chieftains, and their "unusual" coach, Jerry Richardson. After years of filming, stated financial and legal difficulties, and the tragic death of Coach Richardson, Darby put together "Rocks With Wings" (the translation of the Navajo word for the Shiprock formation that dominates the community). The documentary aired on PBS on 12/10/2002, and went on to win the Documentary Feature Prize at the 2002 Urbanworld Film Festival.

At some point along the way, Chris Eyre--a Cheyenne/Arapaho, award-winning film director and producer--teamed up with Tim Daly and Showtime to make a theatrical version of the story. Partially because Darby was attempting to get greater distribution for his film, and partially due to other undisclosed legal reasons, Eyre, Daly and Showtime, along with the creativity of Willy Holtzman's script, were able to alter details of the story to make their film. The made for television movie, "Edge of America," premiered in the Netherlands on 10 December 2003; and in the US on 2 May 2004. I highly recommend both films, although only "Edge of America" is currently available from Amazon.com (see comments about how to obtain "Rocks With Wings").

While "Edge of America" has excitement, drama, comedy, and most of the advantages of a Hollywood movie, including superb acting by the young actresses playing the basketball players, "Rocks with Wings" does a better job of putting the feat of winning the 1988 New Mexico State Championship title into perspective with Navajo culture and traditions. Moreover, for me, "Edge of America" works to too hard to "sanitize" the vast difference between Coach Richardson, the other coaches, and the community (of Shiprock). "Edge of America," also seems to be a movie more about Coach Richardson than the Lady Chieftains of Three Nations Reservation High School in Utah (actually of Shiprock High School, Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Reservation). And, I think to a large degree, "Edge of America" over emphasizes the fact that Jerry Richardson was black, from a poor town in Texas, and the "victim" of bigotry. I suspect the later is emphasized to increase interest in the story. And while "Edge of America" portrays the community coming together behind Coach Richardson, nothing in the research I have done suggests that such a "happy" reconciliation of differences actually happened.

There are several other important "factual" differences between "Edge of America" and the actual story. Richardson actually started out as a football coach (as one other reviewer discusses), then joined the coaching staff before becoming the head coach. There were several other non-Native coaches besides Richardson, including Bill Dowty who transferred from nearby rival Kirtland Central High School. Perhaps equally important is the fact that Kirtland did not have an all non-Indian basketball team (indeed, prior to Shiprock's rise, many Navajo families moved to Kirtland so their children could play for those teams). Also, to the best of my knowledge, Kirtland is not a "stronghold" of Mormanism as alluded to in the film.

In the final analysis, however, despite all of these criticisms of "Edge of American," I feel compelled to re-iterate that the film is very, very good. It is, in deed, exciting, entertaining, moving and fun to watch, and I would highly recommend the film.


If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks.