"American Streetballers" Review - Written by Mathius Mack Gertz

Matthew Scott Krentz -Director
Matthew Scott Krentz Writer
Anthony E. Cabral ... co-producer
Matthew Scott Krentz ... producer
Patrick Rooney ... producer
Craig Thomas ... producer
Geoffrey Tippit ... line producer
Vernon Whitlock III ... producer
Cast - in credits order
Jimmy McKinney ... Jacob
Matt Krentz ... John
Adrieanne Perez ... Sarah
Eric Fletcher ... Terry
Craig Thomas ... Damon
Patrick Rooney ... Michael
Justin Tatum ... Dante
Caitlin Howley ... Caiti
MaryBeth Scherr ... Kat
Jordan Ward ... Ty
Peggy Neely-Harris ... Auntie Rose
Counterhound Productions- Production Company
Monarch Home Video and Warner Home Video-Distributors

“American Streetballers tries to be for basketball, what Field of Dreams was for baseball. Trying to define street basketball as America's new favorite pastime, it is a story driven by passion, faith, and achieving goals. A story that attempts to capture the poetic nature of street basketball, highlighting the struggles endured on and off the court by the purest of athletes.

Constantly searching for sanity in the midst of alcoholism, racism, and drugs, John Hogan (Matt Krentz) and Jacob Whitmore (Jimmy McKinney), two junior college basketball players, find release and therapy while competing at a competitive Boston street court. Both young men must spend an entire summer helping one another overcome their adversities. Their dedication and love for the game of basketball transcends from the playground courts into each of their dysfunctional households where the two boys play the constant role of the father figure.
Slogging through life one day at a time, Jacob feels he has no choice but to play in an underground league, constantly fighting to keep his cousin Damon(Craig Thomas) out of debt, and possible death. John's overpowering guilt and family trauma erupt into a state of confusion and beauty with each spiritual intervention of Terry Gibson (Eric Fletcher), a neighborhood boy killed by John's older brother Michael (Patrick Rooney) in a drunk driving accident. Together, Jacob and John paint a sad and delightful portrait with their innocence, concerns, and faith in the unknown.

Matt Krentz who produced, directed ,co-stared in and wrote the underdeveloped screenplay for American Streetballers, also wrote some of the description above. I am sympathetic to his wanting to get a project made and off the ground; however the story, while ambitious for an independent low budget film is a perfect example of why film needs to be collaborative, especially in the important creative positions, and about why “ it ain’t about writing a script, it’s about rewriting, rewriting, rewriting”. It also is an example of a number of young up and comers looking for a vehicle to move to the next professional level. The great majority of the cast and crew on this film have at best only one or two credits other than American Streetballers.

Ezra Hubbard’s editing is uneven and distracting. The pacing jerked forward from smash cut to smash cut to blackouts to inspirational quote-cards that succeeded in only taking me out of the story. With the notable exception of Eric Fletcher’s Terry, there is not a believable dramatic acting job in the cast. The script is stilted and ‘on the nose’ relying on stereotypes, that at times made me uncomfortable, and predictable outcomes that ruined any sense of dramatic tension . It is hardly Field of Dreams or White Men Can’t Jump, for that matter. The musical score breaks no new ground and frequently feels like a throwback to urban films of the 1990’s. Most of the hiphop-music-video- style- basketball- scenes did not deliver dramatically.
And yet with all of these blemishes, the film would be ok and within acceptable limits for direct to video fare if it were not for the sound. I cannot tell if the fault is the sound team or the fact that many of the actors, especially most of the African-American ones, sound like they have marbles in their mouths. Part of this is due, no doubt to the urban slang that is used throughout the film to good effect. But mostly is has to do with the actors lack of training and ability to elucidate on camera. In other words, I had no idea what they were saying. Spike Lee, John Singleton and other great makers of American urban genre films make sure their characters can be comprehended by all audiences. Matt Krentz should have too. If you like sport films rent or download a copy.

Two stars.