Cinema Wellman's March Madness!

 Cinema Wellman’s March Madness

Hello and welcome to Cinema Wellman. I am your host David, and it is TOURNAMENT TIME!

Your NCAA basketball bracket may be busted by now, but we have a different bracket for you today, and I promise you; it’s already busted and you haven’t even filled it out yet.

Going into Season 5 here at Cinema Wellman, we knew we were going to focus on sports movies throughout the year.

We already did a football movie episode on Super Bowl Sunday this season, and we’re planning episodes about hockey and baseball movies later this year to coincide with the Stanley Cup finals and the World Series.

We also have a World Cup special that’s not about soccer movies, but an international film tournament; but right now it’s March, so it’s time for some Madness!

This episode went through some alterations before it got to you in this form.

Originally it was going to be a Top 10/Bottom 5 episode, but then I thought this project deserved a bracket.

I knew I couldn’t do a 64 movie bracket (for this project!) so I got in touch with my “basketball guy” which is now, and has always been, Andrew.

He told me the sizes I had to choose from, and offered versions with or without first round byes.

At the start, I only had 16 basketball movies, but I doubled the field (and had a lot of screening to do) in order to have a legit 32 basketball movie bracket.

Once I had the field, I ranked the 32 movies by IMDb ratings to determine seedings and set up the bracket.  Then I thought that since March is bracket season, how about asking family and friends to fill out one more bracket and participate in the first ever crowd-sourced episode of Cinema Wellman.

The results of this Cinema Wellman Basketball Movies March Madness Bracket will only be reported by me since I did NOT vote. 

These results are based on the choices of a group of people that I love dearly, and I’m so happy that I decided to do the episode this way since it’s been great fun.

The text comments alone, some of which I’ll share, had me thinking we may need to do a “bracket episode” every March going forward with different genres. 

I’ve always wanted to do a “Rom-Com” episode and having YOU decide what I talk about would be most excellent. I’ll need to give that some thought. 

So I had 16 basketball movies from the start and then supplemented them via some Interwebs research.

Of the 32 chosen films, I had previously seen only 9 of them, so I had work to do. I ended up seeing 25 of the 32 (and every movie that advanced past the 1st round) even though I didn’t have a vote since I wanted to make educated comments along the way.

Let’s introduce the 32 films by their seedings before we begin the competition.

*#8 seeds: The Basketball Fix, Celtic Pride, Thunderstruck, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island

*#7 seeds: Air Bud, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, The Air Up There, and Semi-Pro

*#6 seeds: Sunset Park, Teen Wolf, Fast Break, and High Flying Bird

*#5 seeds: Blue Chips, Rez Ball, One on One, and Space Jam

*#4 seeds: Above the Rim, The Mighty Macs, The Winning Season, and The Way Back

*#3 seeds: White Men Can’t Jump, Champions, GOAT, and He Got Game

*#2 seeds: Love & Basketball, Glory Road, Basketball Diaries, and Uncut Gems

*#1 seeds: Coach Carter, Hoosiers, Soul Power: The Legend of the A.B.A., and Hoop Dreams

And, quickly, here are my first time screeners for this project which stunned some people, but I’m not really a big basketball guy. 

The Basketball Fix, Air Bud, Sunset Park, High Flying Bird, Blue Chips, Rez Ball, Space Jam, Above the Rim, The Mighty Macs, The Winning Season, Champions, He Got Game, Love & Basketball, Glory Road, Coach Carter, and Soul Power: The Legend of the A.B.A.

Between watching the actual NCAA basketball tournament and screening these 16 basketball movies; it certainly was March Madness here at Cinema Wellman.

The good news is I enjoyed an overwhelming majority of those new films, and only one was given the bomb. 

I’m happy that we landed on a field of 32 for this project.

Here are your opening round matchups!

East Region:

#1 Hoop Dreams vs. #8 The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island

I knew this project was going to be fun when a TV movie The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island  pulled a UMBC over Virginia and beat a highly respected basketball documentary by one point!

I also knew I had a great group of people participating in this based on the SALTY texts I got revealing that Gilligan had moved on!

#4 The Winning Season vs. #5 Blue Chips

Sam Rockwell doing a Bad News Bears with a girl’s basketball team narrowly defeated a thinly veiled Bobby Knight movie starring Nick Nolte as Bobby Knight.

I received a clip of a coach turning over a table once this was revealed since one of my participants favorite movie in the entire bracket was Blue Chips. 

He almost boycotted the remainder of the bracket. 

#3 He Got Game  vs. #6 Fast Break

This one was a mismatch as Gabe Kaplan loses to Denzel Washington.

In so many ways, but this was a rout as was the next matchup.

#2 Love & Basketball  vs. #7 The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh

A film prominently featuring Julius Erving makes it deep in this bracket, but it is NOT The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh!

I really enjoyed Love & Basketball. I thought it was sweet and it explored how love and competition can be intertwined. 

South Region:

#1 Hoosiers vs. #8 Celtic Pride

Each and every one of the 32 teams in the opening round scored at least ONE point.

Even Celtic Pride. One point, and one point only. Something that only happened twice during this competition. 

Hoosiers advances.

#4 Above the Rim vs. #5 One on One

This one was another mismatch as Robby Benson loses to Tupac Shakur. 

I’m pretty sure that’s the first time that sentence has ever been uttered in human history.

#3 White Men Can’t Jump  vs. #6 High Flying Bird

Woody and Wesley and Rosie over director Steven Soderbergh in a rout.

#2 Uncut Gems  vs. #7 Semi-Pro

Uncut Gems is admittedly a “basketball-adjacent” movie since its core is about gambling and addiction. It wasn’t in the original field of 16, but it handily defeated Will Ferrel’s A.B.A. comedy.

Midwest Region:

#1 Coach Carter vs. #8 The Basketball Fix

This was the other instance of a film only scoring one point as Coach Carter breezes by The Basketball Fix which is a movie from 1951 which portrays a time when sports wasn’t in bed with gambling, and gambling was considered bad for sports. 

How about that?

#4 The Way Back vs. #5 Space Jam

I had seen neither of these films. I am no fan of Ben Affleck, I am no fan of Michael Jordan.

Jordan routs Affleck which forces me to watch Space Jam, which I was not at all happy about. 

#3 GOAT  vs. #6 Teen Wolf

GOAT is a movie currently in theaters and I plan on seeing it, but it was ripe for the picking against an 80s movie that’s “Not a basketball movie until it’s a basketball movie.”

That’s a quote from an article I read about Teen Wolf and I guess it was enough of a basketball movie to move on. 

#2 Glory Road  vs. #7 Air Bud

This was a lot closer than I anticipated. 

Air Bud was a first time watch for me, and my favorite part was when they trot Bud out in uniform to play and the opposing coach protests.

They then show the ref with the rule book and he actually says, “Nope. There’s nothing in the rule book that says a dog can’t play.”

I realize what kind of movie Air Bud is, but I won’t even begin to list the problems I have with that scene and that line, so let’s just move on.

One of the favorite texts I received during this was “Justice for Air Bud!” which may have been sent after every round, which I admired. 

West Region:

#1 Soul Power: The Legend of the A.B.A.  vs. #8 Thunderstruck

The most current film in the bracket is Soul Power. It’s actually a four part docuseries currently screening on Netflix, so the question is, is it a “movie?”

Well, I know that the 2016 five part docuseries O.J.: Made in America won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, so Soul Power makes the bracket, and advances.

The next two matchups were both one point victories for the advancing teams, so there were some close calls here. 

#4 The Mighty Macs vs. #5 Rez Ball

I enjoyed both of these films, but Rez Ball, a film about a Native American basketball team banding together after a tragedy will not be moving on.

I will add that it’s streaming on Netflix and it’s well worth your time. 

#3 Champions  vs. #6 Sunset Park

Another one pointer, and two more first time watches for me where I enjoyed both films. 

In our second 6 vs. 3 upset, Sunset Park will move on. 

When this was revealed, one participant “demanded” the names of all those who voted against Champions! Which I did not provide. I can’t be naming names during these shenanigans. 

#2 Basketball Diaries  vs. #7 The Air Up There

Kind of a blowout here; DiCaprio over Bacon. 

Second Round: To Determine the Elite Eight

East Region:

#4 The Winning Season vs. #8 The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island

Chet and I were wondering what the hell was going on when this one went into OVERTIME and was decided by ONE POINT!

You did your best, Little Buddy, but The Winning Season moves on.

#2 Love & Basketball vs. #3 He Got Game

I think this may have been the toughest matchup of the entire bracket. I enjoyed both of these first time views very, very much.

He Got Game moves on in a close one. 

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South Region:

#1 Hoosiers vs. #4 Above the Rim

Hoosiers had a lot of support throughout the tournament and easily beat the four seed.

#2 Uncut Gems vs. #3 White Men Can’t Jump

This was very close and I got more than one salty text about Uncut Gems beating White Men Can’t Jump.

One of the questions I asked participants when they made their final choice was, “Which movie would have won if you filled the bracket out by yourself.”

Two people had White Men Can’t Jump as their top basketball film, so they were especially upset over this result. 

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Midwest Region:

#1 Coach Carter vs. #5 Space Jam

Space Jam was ALSO listed by two participants as their favorite of the field of 32, but they understood it didn’t have a chance against Coach Carter.

For the record, Space Jam was the one that got the bomb.

Love the Looney Toons, but my dislike of Michael Jordan surpassed the Looney Love. 

#6 Teen Wolf vs. #2 Glory Road

Glory Road is a basketball movie from start to finish, so I guess that makes it superior according to that earlier comment I read.

Glory Road advances. 

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West Region:

#1 Soul Power vs. #4 The Mighty Macs

First time view The Mighty Macs was a delightful film based on a true story starring Carla Gugino, but it couldn’t keep up with the momentum Soul Power seems to have built up.

#2 Basketball Diaries vs. #6 Sunset Park

This was a Basketball Diaries blowout prompting a text from a participant about people voting against Sunset Park because they hadn’t seen it.

I saw it, and would have voted for it, which makes that comment correct from where I sit. 

Third Round: To Determine the Final Four

I was surprised that none of these matchups were really that close. The closest was a four-point victory and the other three were in the blowout category.

You’d think things would get closer as we went along.

East Region:

#3 He Got Game vs.  #4 The Winning Season 

I’m not sure how I missed a Spike Lee directed movie starring Denzel Washington, but I did.

I’m happy I fixed that, and I’m happy to see it move on in our bracket and advance to the Final Four.

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South Region:

#1 Hoosiers vs. #2 Uncut Gems

Two vastly different films matching up here, and the traditional basketball movie triumphed as the #1 seed makes the Final Four.

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Midwest Region:

#1 Coach Carter vs. #2 Glory Road

I thought this was a great matchup on paper, but the participants in this project did not agree with me as Coach Carter won by ten.

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West Region:

#1 Soul Power vs. #2 The Basketball Diaries

I just finished watching Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association yesterday and I thought it was tremendous.

I was a huge fan of Dr. J. growing up and even had a poster of him in my room even though I wasn’t that big of a basketball fan.

I knew a little about the A.B.A., but had no idea about what really was going on.

This is a must see in my opinion, even though it was defeated by The Basketball Diaries.

Final Four

Two more excellent matchups in my mind, and I was anticipating close games or even overtime, and I got two more blowouts!

#1 Hoosiers vs. #3 He Got Game

He Got Game finally ran out of steam when they went up against the boys from Hickory. 

Hoosiers to the final!

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#1 Coach Carter vs. #2 The Basketball Diaries

I’m not a big fan of The Basketball Diaries, but there were a lot of participants in this project that disagree with me.

Because of earlier results, I thought Coach Carter was in trouble, but I was wrong again as this wasn’t close at all.

Coach Carter to the final!

We have our championship matchup!

The Championship

#1 Hoosiers vs. #1 Coach Carter

Let’s bring in IMDb for the final.

Hoosiers: “A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small-town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the state championship in 1950s Indiana.”

Coach Carter: “Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.”

Most of these 32 movies can be broken down into films centering on the coach and films centering on the team or one of the players. Or, you know, a dog.

Our final pits two of the 10 coach centered films, and both are exceptional films about the sport of basketball and the people involved in that sport and all that comes with it.

There was a distinct difference between these basketball coach centered films and the football coach centered films involved with the Super Bowl episode.

Whereas the football coaches are filled with anger and toxic masculinity, many of these basketball coaches attempt to connect with their players and actually help them improve themselves not only as basketball players, but as human beings. 

Coach Norman Dale and Coach Ken Carter are examples of coaches who actually care about more than wins.

By the way, the teams in this bracket had a lower winning percentage in their “big games” than their football film counterparts, which I also found interesting.

You certainly cannot win them all, but let’s see who won this one.

At last I had the close matchup I was hoping for as our final went into OVERTIME!

The winner of Cinema Wellman’s March Madness basketball movie bracket is 2005’s Coach Carter starring Samuel L. Jackson as real-life Coach Ken Carter who stresses academics over basketball in this drama directed by Thomas Carter.

Well, that is a wrap for our very first “bracket episode,” and I’m sold and ready to announce a 64 film Rom Com March Madness involving even more people!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this, and I’m sorry I blew up your phones for a week. I’ll have my tech crew work on another way to manage the bracket next year.

So you have a year to prepare for Rom Com March Madness (and make suggestions), but we’ll be back at you in just a couple of days as we break down the Best and Worst of the month of March without mentioning any basketball movies, so that one is going to be a mini-episode!

Until then, take care.