High Expectations

This is a movie for the ages. Sibling rivalry, a complicated driven patriarch who demands the best from his players and most of all his own sons. Both are talented soccer players, but the younger more sensitive has been cut from the team. Full of self doubt, still aching from the loss of his mother, the family dynamics are rife with egos and tough love. Think Rudy meets Steel Magnolias, a modern day twist on the best of all sports dramas with the family love and hope and loss. . The younger brother is a wonderful portrayal of todays young man, one who suffers from doubt and insecurity's that are near crippling his life. But with the love of his girlfriend, and a wonderful best friend, (brilliantly acted), he looks within himself to find he can do his best without the security of a "win". That believing in himself is the answer.

Fantastic ending, and plenty of humor to make one truly be part of the story. Highly recommended! And all sports teams should have it as part of their homework! Great lessons without sentimentality.

As I write this the movie has a 9.4 IMDb rating, better than all the best classic movies. Is it really that good? Or are the friends and fans of the cast and movie-makers padding the ratings with lots of "10" votes? (Edit: SEP 1, 2023, the average rating is 5.5, still with way too many '10' votes.)

Let's look at the three reviews so far. They don't really say anything about the actual content and what makes it, in their eyes, a superior movie. Plus 2 of the 3 reviews so far are written by people who recently established an IMDb account and have exactly ONE review - for this movie.

So I say see it if you are curious but there is such a small chance that it deserves a 9+ rating that if you believe it then you should also buy lots of lottery tickets, those might be a more sure bet!

72 out of 104 10/10 ratings, yeah right. Someone is obviously padding the ratings with lots of 10/10 ratings like indicated in the featured review. According to the IMDb Top 250 Movies list, the highest rated movies are The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Godfather (1972) with 9.2/10. Yet somehow a movie that was just released on 1-17-23 on the internet and comes out on DVD on 2-28-23 has a 9.3 rating. I don't have anything else to type to get this up to 600 characters like imdb requires. I wish they would get rid of that requirement also. Not every review warrants a 600 character review. It'd be nice if they would do something about that.

High Expectations is an inspirational drama about perseverance and chasing your dreams. It is also a lesson in holding tight to family and the importance of nurturing those relationships.

Jack Davis (Taylor Gray) is adrift in life and afraid to pursue his goals. He loves soccer and has dreamed of playing professionally for his father, the legendary Coach Davis (Kelsey Grammar) who also owns the Carolina Mantis soccer team. Jack was cut from the team before he ever played a professional game while his older brother Sam (Adam Aalderks) has become the team's All-Star goalie. Jack has always played in his brother's shadow both on and off the field and their relationship has resulted in many of his insecurities. Jack turns to his ex-girlfriend Sofia (Ally Brooke) for support, and her thoughtful, and, at times, tough love, helps him overcome his lack of confidence and direction.

This really is an ensemble cast put together by Russell Boast and Debi Manwiller, and I enjoyed the interaction between all of the different groups within the movie. The importance of family is felt in the large Davis clan headed by Kelsey Grammar who has some difficult and emotional scenes with Taylor Gray. The relationships between the brothers and other family members also seem very real. In addition to the familial relationships, there is also the support of his social groups such as team members and coaches, as well as his tight circle of friends. Pop singer Ally Brooke, who plays his love interest Sofia, is an inspiring recording artist in the film, and I enjoyed the scenes where her music inspires him-she performs the title track for the movie as well. Another interesting fact is that Brianna Scurry (Coach Scurry) who portrays the first-ever female head coach of a professional men's soccer team is also a legendary U. S. Goalkeeper, World Cup Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist.

The message of this film is that family is everything. Even if you have very little wealth, if you have the love and support of your family you are blessed with more than real gold. Another important message in this film is to have grit and show everyone what you're made of. Don't accept other people's expectations regarding your abilities or limits.

I rate High Expectations 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 18, plus adults. High Expectations premieres exclusively in over 850 theaters nationwide on April 7, 2022 for a special one-night-only event with Fathom Events. Don't miss your opportunity to view this uplifting film. By Selene W., KIDS FIRST!