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THE LONGSHOTS

Starring: Ice Cube, Keke Palmer, Tasha Smith and Miles Chandler

Directed by: Fred Durst

Rated PG for some thematic elements, mild language and brief rude humor

By John Delia

There’s a great little family film at the theatres and it’s just in time for all you little league football lovers. Based on a true story The Longshots has a lot of heart and courage providing a lesson for youngsters who have sidestepped their dreams because of bullying and pier pressure.

The Longshots centers on Curtis (Ice Cube), an out of work ex high school football star who wanders around the depressed town of Minden. Always stopping by Pop Warner little league football practices, Curtis lingers here because in the past he coached a team that was successful, unlike the current squad of boys.

Curtis’s sister-in-law Claire (smith) has had difficulty ‘making ends meet’ while raising her growing daughter Jasmine (Palmer), so she’s forced to take on more work, which causes her to come home late. Not wanting to leave her 11-year-old daughter alone after school, she hires Curtis to play babysitter. Jasmine a misfit in school and Curtis trying to cope with it, the two find themselves at odds. During one of his sitting days, Curtis discovers that Jasmine can toss a football better than most boys. With the Minden Pop Warner team in need of a quarterback, Curtis convinces the coach to try Jasmine out for the failing team. When Jasmine starts showing up the boys and the team starts winning, both Curtis and Jasmine’s worlds take a turn for the better.

Ice Cube does a wonderful job portraying the down and out uncle. His talks with Jasmine are not only inspiration to her but as it turns out, to himself. Youngsters who are playing little league football or just having trouble adjusting in school will learn a lot from the film and parents should also garner from it as well. But the most touching performance comes from Palmer, who provides an amazing portrait of the misfit youngster who finds her way out of the dilemma provided by her piers. Not everyone gets to stick it to those that mock them, but when Jasmine finds the way, it’s a total uplifting experience.

The actual incident that the story is based on took place in Illinois in 2003 when Jasmine was just eleven years old. She played in the Pop Warner Junior Pee Wee League for the Harvey Colts. During her school year she was an honor student, ran track and wrestled. In the 56 years of Pop Warner youth football, Jasmine was the only girl to ever play quarterback in its annual tournament.

This family film does contain some rude humor and mild language so may consider this when taking the very young.

FINAL ANALYSIS: The Longshots is a terrific family film that delivers a lot of heart.