I had no intentions of watching the new Adam Sandler movie on Netflix. As much as I try to see a lot of stuff, I tend to draw the line sometimes, and Sandler’s often lazy, screaming manchild comedies are not something I have much interest in. I had heard about Hustle back at the end of 2021 and assumed it would be another one of Sandler’s tired comedies. But then the movie came out, and I learned it was more of a sports drama. OK, sports dramas aren’t generally my thing, but I tend to like those more than a screaming manchild comedy.
Besides, Sandler proved he can be good when he wants to be in Uncut Gems, and if getting more people to watch this movie prompts him to actually try more, I am all for that.
Stanley Sugarman (Sandler) is a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, a job that forces him to travel all over the world looking for talented basketball players. He’d rather not do that. He’s tried of being away from his wife (Queen Latifah) and daughter (Jordan Hull) for long periods of time, and what he really wants to do is coach. Fortunately, beloved team owner Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall) believes in Stanley and gives him an assistant coaching position. Sadly, Rex dies shortly after giving Stanley his dream job, and his son Vince (Ben Foster) wants Stanley to go to Europe for one last recruiting mission. Stanley reluctantly goes, but while in Spain, he happens to see a street game by sheer chance where a talented young man named Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangomez) is tearing up the courts. Stanley sees real talent in the young man, a single dad who needs to care for his mother and a young daughter. Stanley figures the guy is a shoe-in to join the Sixers.
However, Vince wants more than just some footage of a Spanish giant sinking three pointers, and Stanley so believes in Bo, he’ll quit his job to train the young man up for the NBA Combine. Bo has a lot of natural talent and drive, but he’s never been away from his daughter for so long before, he’s rattled by trashtalk, and he sometimes reacts a bit violently when he shouldn’t. These sorts of things may keep him out of the NBA and Stanley off a coach’s bench. Can Stanley train Bo up enough to make it to the big leagues?
This was a sweet movie. It’s not earthshattering or anything, and I doubt Sandler will score another Oscar nod for his performance here, but it really isn’t like Sandler’s usual fare. It helps that there is a lot of humor in this movie, but it’s a more gentle humor caused by small moments, not the sort of slapstick nonsense he usually dishes out in an attempt to get a big laugh. As such, Sandler does well, and he and Latifah actually have some pretty good onscreen chemistry. And, going out on a limb here, I am assuming Hernangomez doesn’t really have any acting experience, but he’s actually pretty good in this as well, able to bring a likability and pathos to the character of Bo that helps ground the film. The audience should want to root for both Stanley and Bo, and I think that is something that seems easy enough to do as both are likable protagonists. Even someone who isn’t really a sports guy (like me) should be fine with this one. Then again, it helps that basketball is a pretty simple game anyway.
As an added treat, the closing credits are something of a highlight reel because there were a lot of NBA players and coaches, past and present, in this movie, and not all of them were playing themselves. But at the same time, none of them were giving a bad performance. The Philadelphia setting means it isn’t entirely out of place to bring in Julius Irving or to make a Rocky reference either. The end result is a nice little sports drama that may not have any real surprises, but delivered a fun movie all the same.
Grade: B
0 Comments