Hello there! This post is a bit belated but after seeing the dismal weekend attendance numbers and then seeing the film I decided better late then never.
"Heart of the Game" is an incredible film. A pumped up, energy driven reminder to us all about what it means to want something so badly your willing to work, really work, for it. It's simple yet moving - I was in tears most of the film, overwhelmed with the raw emotion captured by the director, Ward Serrill. You should see this movie!
Please come and enjoy the film here, the Bayview Street Cinema, mention you saw this posting on our blog and we'll throw in a free popcorn.

Sept 8 - 14 THE HEART OF THE GAME Nightly at 7 & 9pm, Sun Mat at 3pm. PG13 102min. D:Ward Serrill. Seven years in the making, THE HEART OF THE GAME captures the passion and energy of a high school girls' basketball team and tells the incredible true story of one player's fight to play the game she loves. This in-depth documentary not only illustrates the hard-charging energy and excitement of the game, but also captures the fiercely competitive and extraordinary spirit of a winning team "Yet another inspirational documentary that serves up the sort of dynamic characters and genuine intrigue that most of its fictional counterparts would kill for." Michael Rechtshaffen, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Movie review: Sports documentary is a winner

When first-time documentarian Ward Serrill started filming Seattle high school girls' basketball coach Bill Resler, he had no idea where the story was going. But with a character like Resler, Serrill figured that something was going to happen. He was right.

Resler is a flamboyant motivator with a seemingly endless supply of platitudes that would make great bumper stickers: "Work hard, play hard and avoid confusing the two." He coaches by the seat of his pants. There are no Xs and Os, no frantic diagramming during timeouts. He tells his players, "We don't have an offensive strategy. Just go out there and run like hell."

To the chagrin of some traditional coaches, it works. The team has become a regular qualifier for the state tournament. An opponent whines, "You can't defend against them because even they don't know what they're going to do."

As if Resler weren't documentary-worthy on his own, Serrill stumbled on a second, equally fascinating story: In her senior season, Darnellia Russell is disqualified by the state athletic association after she has a baby. Arguing that the rule is sexist, a civil rights lawyer files a suit on her behalf.

Resler and Russell's teammates encourage her to keep playing. Angry athletic association officials threaten that if she loses her appeal, they will wipe out the team's entire season on the grounds that they used an ineligible player.

Serrill gets a little too caught up in the basketball, showing extended footage of the action. This movie is not about whether the team wins or loses but how it plays the game: with fierce energy, reckless abandon and smiles on their faces. Resler ends huddles with an emphatic: "Have fun!"

His run-and-gun philosophy doesn't mean that he's not interested in self-discipline; he makes it clear that he will kick the leading scorer off the team if she skips more practices. Rather, it's a reflection of his conviction that the girls need to learn bigger lessons than how to run a give-and-go. They need to be taught to believe in themselves, especially when it comes to their class work.

He also preaches the importance of being part of a team. Arguing that the entire squad will pay the price if their season is erased because of Russell's suspension, he makes sure that all the players get into a game, even if it's for the state championship.

The focus on the games raises the risk that this will be seen as a basketball movie. If it were, it would be released during basketball season, not now. This is a movie about empowerment, integrity and having fun, and those are always in season.