dear basketball
Reviewed by Brian Burmeister, Iowa State University
6 march 2018 archive
Kobe Bryant is many things: always controversial, often charming, sometimes cold-blooded, but perhaps most of all a competitor. The 18-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA Finals champion, who finished his basketball career as the third-leading scorer in NBA history has a very new and very unexpected accolade to add to his immense list: Oscar winner. The short film, "Dear Basketball", written and narrated by Kobe Bryant himself, is a beautiful piece which accomplishes much in its five-minute runtime.
When Bryant announced his retirement from the game of basketball in the fall of 2015, he did so with an original poem published in The Players Tribune. With "Dear Basketball," Director Glen Keane, who previously worked in the animation department of Disney on such films as Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, and Tangled, breathes Bryant's poem to life. The sketch-like art used throughout the film is a fitting match for the scenes of Bryant as a child. We see young Kobe fall in love with basketball, commit himself to the game, and work and work and work to make himself better. Bryant's dedication is complete—inspiring, uplifting.
The film's score—emotionally powerful work by Hollywood's most celebrated musical genius John Williams—truly pulls in the viewer. Whatever you personally think of Bryant, the soaring music makes sure you feel for the young, hope-filled player as he gives his all in pursuit of his dreams. Bryant's work ethic is well known, and the film represents it well.
As we see Bryant age in the film, we are greeted with stunning animated depictions of highlights from his career. Spectacular dunk after dunk and game-winning shots are exciting to watch as Bryant speaks of his love for the game and for his fans. "Dear Basketball" is an entertaining film and celebration of who Bryant is and what he has been able to accomplish, but it is also Bryant's own love letter to a sport that has given him so much. The superstar's sincere words are heartfelt and humanizing.
Just before the film's closing, a single sentence appears on the screen: "There is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own." Bryant's athletic story is moving. His achievements are remarkable. But most striking in this film is his admirable devotion and perseverance to his goals. If each of us were to live our lives with a full commitment to the things we love and dream of, we, too, might be able to reflect fondly upon the paths we've chosen.
Copyright © 2018 by Brian Burmeister