Sweetwater

Most sports fans know the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. And most NBA fans know the story behind AIR - certainly Bulls and Michael Jordan fans of a certain age do. But I did NOT know the story about Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, and neither did my 87-yr. Old dad who played against the Globetrotters in his younger years.

Sweets' break into the NBA happened a mere 2-3 years after Jackie R.'s into MLB. Jackie's style of play didn't change baseball; Sweets' style of play definitely changed NBA basketball!

Not sure why there are no trailers or ads for this movie filling up our movie and TV screens, but it is an entertaining movie with a good cast, too.

*Highly recommend*

Beautiful story and it deserves to have more of a light shown on it. I think it was a rather good biopic, but obv did not have the same feel as something made purely for entertainment. I thought the characters were lovable and real, but also feel that more of the story could have been fleshed out to truly get to know the characters and the complexity of what they went through. It gives the feel of being a movie that was specifically made to be appropriate for all ages, which I can appreciate as well, and perhaps lends to the overview nature of the plot.

Overall, enjoyable and I'd recommend watching it with people so that you can share in the life of such an incredible man and the impact that he made through his life.

Sweetwater is a hidden gem getting new life. It was released April 14, 2023 and only grossed $541,633. It's a real shame because it deserved more than that. It has all the heart and quality star actors as "Field of Dreams". Angel Studios is giving it a well deserved second chance on their streaming platform. Newcomer Everett Osborne is the soul of this biopic of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton who was the first black man to play professional basketball in the NBA. Michael Jordan has been quoted as saying "there would be no Michael Jordan without Sweetwater". If you like biographical stories, sport themes, and historical dramas; this movie should be right up your alley. The other, more seasoned actors, are Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven, Richard Dreyfus's, and Kevin Pollak. Not sure why it didn't get more notice by a wider audience on its first release. Maybe it's because a couple of the actors have lost favor in Hollywood for alleged transgressions, maybe it's because people are watching their spending as inflation is sweeping the nation the last 4 years and people are content to forgo the theater experience for comfort in their own home theater, or maybe they didn't have enough money for a decent ad campaign and people just didn't know it existed. I sure didn't. I hope people give it a chance. It has received consistently positive reviews from those who have watched it, so we know it isn't due to a quality issue.

"Sweetwater" is based on the true events of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, basically the first African American player to join the NBA. It is written and directed by Martin Guigui. This movie has a lot of potential for a great story, unfortunately, the film plants the seeds for a compelling narrative that it never fully harvests.

This movie has some serious pacing problems. It is about Nat Clifton joining the NBA, but we don't see an NBA game played until the 90-minute mark of a 118-minute movie. Every scene feels like it is milking it for every second of emotional impact that it could possibly have. The music swells, the camera swings, as if something of great cultural importance is being said. This happens so often it makes the audience numb to the experience. Each scene seems to last twice as long as it needs. It comes across very melodramatic at times, which can almost be unintentionally funny.

Talented actors like Jim Cavizel and Richard Dreyfuss likely were able to film all their scenes in one day. Cary Elwes does a fine job as always. Despite the fact that he is doing a cartoon voice, at least Elwes is good at doing voices.

The examples of racism throughout the movie feel over the top. As SNL would say it, the characters are "Cartoonish Super Racist". It makes it feel like a problem that is disconnected from the harsh reality that it is. People can't relate to these characters, seeing themselves in their decisions and saying to themselves, "I should avoid making those same mistakes."

The basketball action isn't shot in a very exciting manner. Sometimes basketball shots are out of frame, there a lot of cuts that make it hard to follow what's going on.

There are a lot of scenes that go nowhere. This is a movie that could have greatly benefited from a montage. Something to give the story some flow and energy.

With all those complaints out of the way, at the movie's core is a sweet and inspirational story. All the actors put in good performances, the music is nice and it's an interesting part of NBA history. It takes a good shot, but the basket does not go in.

I couldn't believe I didn't know about this story. I have been avid basketball fan for 40 years. It's a great story told very well. I liked how the film was shot and kudos to cinematographer. You will be entertained and better for knowing this story. Swear really was an Iconoclast and has gotten very little play for his play, if you will. I hope this kovie brings his feats, play and wisdom to the fore front. The film really keeps you entertained with some drama and lighthearted moments. I have seen other Martin guigui. The director of the movie, other films and he has a unique style of developing a story. You won't be disappointed.