09-09-2008

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‘More Than A Game’ – LeBron James Documentary Premiere at Toronto Film Festival »

The “More Than A Game” documentary, by Akron native Kristopher Belman, follows James and his teammates – Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis, Willie McGee, and Sian Cotton – from grade school through travel-team friendships and basketball glory at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. It’s a touching, crisply told saga of boys becoming men. It was a part of opening weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival. LeBron James could not hold back the tears. As the roar of the standing ovation for “More Than a Game” filled the theater, James, along with family and friends from Akron, cried with deep emotion. “This is the first time I’ve cried, in basketball or anything, since we lost that national championship game in eighth grade,” James said after the screening. “This is authentic.” The movie was one of the highlights from opening weekend at the Festival, where major studios come to create Oscar buzz and independent films like “More Than a Game” shop for a distributor. It should not have trouble finding one after the festival. Let’s hope we’ll get to see this movie soon. Photo via ESPN. Info via waitingfornextyear.com.

Combining footage taken during James’ career at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in nearby Akron, along with one-on-one interviews by writer/director Kris Belman, home videos, and personal family photographs, the film is about much more than basketball. At its core is a story of friendship, loyalty and love.

“We set out with a goal when we were 8 and we accomplished it when we were 18,” he said. “It’s a great story and I wanted to get it out to kids that have a dream, that they should continue to go after it, believe in it and live it if they want to accomplish something.”