The Basket 1999

     The setting of this film is the rural Pacific Northwest.  The community of Waterville raises wheat and children in the midst of a nation reeling from fighting WWI.  There is pain and prejudice woven against a beautiful backdrop.  Can America triumph and remain hopeful as it is changing?  New school teacher Martin Conlon is from the east and he begins to make changes in the town.  He is playing opera and talking about the Germans that America is fighting.  He wants to teach life lessons such as to defend the mighty wall, each person must fight for something small.  He also introduces a new game called basketball.  All the boy begin practicing!!

     There is a basketball game against the Spokane Spartans.  Will this small-town team be able to beat a team from the big city?  There is money to be made and money to be lost.  The town is hoping to get money so they can get a new tractor for the harvest.  There are brief flashbacks to WWI battle scenes including the death of civilians.  A character has been injured after fighting in the war.  A young child has epilepsy and there are sad deaths.  Intense scenes of prejudice and cruelty between both children and adults.

    Filming was done from late September to early October in 1998.  There is a lot of history, music, basketball and a very good story-line.  Americans were against any German people coming to or living in this country.  Many enlisted men were fighting in the war with some permanently changed and others never coming home again.  Two German orphans, Helmut and his older sister Brigida are moved out of a wartime internment camp to this area.  They face hostility from some of the people in the town and acceptance from others.  5 1/2* (I really liked this movie)

105 min, Drama directed and written by Rich Cowan and also written by Don Caron with Peter Coyote, Karen Allen, Robert Burke, Amber Willenborg, Jock MacDonald, Eric Dane, Brian Skala, Casey Cowan, tony Lincoln, Patrick Treadway, Ellen and Joey Travolta, Jack Bannon, Elwon Bakly, Paul Hostetler.

Note:  Imdb 6.4* out of 10* with 487 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 44% with 18 critics 23% with 780 user ratings, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 66 ratings, Common Sense Media 4* out of 5* Nell Minow, age 10+, 2* violence, 1* sex. 

Special Note:  Betting on the point spread in a sporting event is a relatively modern invention and it was not in use during the time setting of this film.  The box office for this film was $609,042 and it was released in May of 2000.