Product Details

• Actors: Nick Benedict, Boots Garland, Adam Guier, Tom Lester, Millie Perkins
• Directors: Frank C. Schroeder
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Well Go USA
• DVD Release Date: November 4, 2008
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001F7XHWU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,561 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

The Pistol is the uplifting story of a scrawny eight grade boy whose stunning basketball skills earn him a spot on the high school team.  Unfortunately for young Pete Maravich (Adam Guier), his style of "showtime" basketball is way ahead of its time, making him the target of ridicule  and socially separates him from his teammates.  Against all odds, Pete perseveres with he constant encouragement of his mentor and father, Press Maravich (Days of Our Lives) and the love of his mother Helen (Academy Award Nominee Millie Perkins).  The legend of college basketball's greatest scorer begins in the heart of a thirteen year old dreamer who soon becomes known to the work as THE PISTOL.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Inspirational/Motivational Film, January 3, 2009

By 

Andrew Raker (PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Pistol: Special Edition (DVD)

"The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend" (1990) is a very inspirational film. When I was a child, my parents purchased the film on VHS. I thought the film was moderately interesting yet nothing spectacular.

Now that I am an adult, I see the film differently. Certainly, there are many scenes were people simply talk with one another - the amount of basketball played might take up 20 minutes of the film. However, the theme of the film is about following your dreams (and yes, certainly there are many other films with this same theme). Yet, "The Pistol" is persuasive to me because Pete Maravich actually WAS able to fulfill his dream "of becoming the greatest college basketball player ever." It is not a fictional story created to make people feel good about themselves. Maravich is still the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game. (Note: Maravich accomplished this without the benefit of a three-point line and despite the fact that NCAA rules prohibited him from playing on the varsity team as a freshman.)

But enough with the statistics - the point is that many people did not believe that someone as small in stature as Pete Maravich was in junior high (as least as was portrayed in the film) could become a great basketball player. Yet, as the film shows in many scenes, Pete desired to fulfill his dream - it became his life. Pete's father (a college basketball coach) inspired and encouraged him, yet it was Pete who gave his countless hours to perfect his skills.

In short, "The Pistol" is the type of film I want to give to skeptics who believe that "ability" alone is what determines how successful a person can become in any area of life. I recommend the film.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A National Treasure...and Fading, December 8, 2009

By 

S. G. Chance "sgchance" (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pistol: Special Edition (DVD)

This movie is essentially a recording of what's great about America and the American Dream. You will not find a more representative example of passion and commitment. I was stunned to learn the story of the beginning of the legend created by Pistol Pete. I left yearning to know more, and to see what happened in the years following those the movie covered. Don't purchase this movie if you seek simply entertainment. Buy this movie to learn about the art of the possible.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheesy... and irresistable!!, July 14, 2009

By 

J. Norberg (Grand Forks, ND) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pistol: Special Edition (DVD)

This is a story about a very ambitious and confident kid's drive to succeed--in an environment where failure is almost a guarantee. The kid, Pete Maravich, is in 8th grade, and he wants to start on the varsity team! The story is well done and quite entertaining, and I've enjoyed this film since I was a kid.

This movie would definitely fall into the "cheesy sports movie" class except for one thing--it's a true story! Of course, One must always take a true story from Hollywood with a grain of salt, but I think it can be mostly trusted. I, for one, like "cheesy" when it happens to be true. (Disney's "The Rookie" comes to mind.)

The biggest flaw with the movie is the acting. The movie at times appears to be a very low budget film. In fact, I'm sure it was a low budget film. But here's the thing, it's a sports story about one of the all-time basketball legends, and if you let the story grab you, you can overlook the acting. I know some people simple cannot stomach a movie that looks anything less than a blockbuster. If that's you, stay away from this. But if you can overlook flaws in favor of a great story (and you like good sports films) check this out!