Gunnin for that #1 Spot

59

Oscilloscope Pictures ( minutes)
and Adam Yauch
Michael Beasley , Kevin Love , Kyle Singler , Donte Greene , and Jerryd Bayless

Rating: PG-13 for language

Summary: On the corner of 155th and Frederick Douglas Boulevard in Harlem lies Rucker Park. By appearances, the concrete pavement, anchored on one side by its run down slab bleachers, is no different than any other basketball court in the city, but this is the place where nicknames are indelibly branded, and legends are born. On September 1, 2006, the top 24 high school basketball players in the nation stepped out on this court, that once saw the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Dr. J to compete in the first annual “Elite 24” all-star game. Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot follows eight of these players as they prepare to showcase their skills at the most legendary playground in the world. (Oscilloscope Pictures)

M. E. Russell
Portland Oregonian:
(75) A basketball documentary where the climactic game looks like a Hong Kong wire-fu epic.

Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun:
(75) The Summer Olympics may offer more intricate, arduous and high-stakes spectacles, but nothing will top the last half-hour of Gunnin' for That #1 Spot for adrenalized high spirits.

Chris Nashawaty
Entertainment Weekly:
(75) Glosses over the kids' lives off the court.

Ronnie Scheib
Variety:
(70) Beastie Boy Adam Yauch proves he can make a comprehensive, state-of-the-art docu of interest to basketball aficionados.

Gary Goldstein
Los Angeles Times:
(70) It's sure to satisfy the film's target youth audience's appetite for zippy visuals and swift pacing.

Scott Tobias
The Onion (A.V. Club):
(67) Comes from a pure place. Or rather, it comes from a DESIRE for a pure place in a game poisoned by mercenary compromise.

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