_The_Basket_ (PG) ** (out of ****)
Clean, proper, and brimming with good intentions, _The_Basket_ is one of those films that people say "aren't made anymore." That comment is only partially true. Films like _The_Basket_ indeed aren't made anymore--for the big screen, at least, for this type of maudlin, medicinal family film is a dime a dozen on the tube, where it belongs.
The title _The_Basket_ has a number of meanings. First, it is the title of a (fictional) German opera that newly-arrived schoolteacher Martin Conlon (Peter Coyote) presents to his students in a small Washington town, circa 1918. The opera's twisting, mystical story soon captures the imaginations of everyone in town, its plot developments being discussed and dissected much like those of a modern day soap. Second, it is a reference to the other new thing that Conlon brings to the youth: the game of basketball.
The round ball especially captures the interest of young Helmut Brink (Robert Karl Burke). Helmut and his older sister Brigitte (Amber Willenborg) are orphaned German refugees, and with WWI raging--and one of the local boys having returned from the warfront severely injured--the two face prejudice from all around. The anti-German sentiment also extends to Conlon for teaching a work originating from America's enemy. That already is enough plot for a feature film, but like an overstuffed afterschool special that wants to be all things, _The_Basket_ doesn't know where to quit. Writers Rich Cowan (who also directed), Don Caron, Frank Swoboda, and Tessa Swoboda throw in a "forbidden romance" between Brigitte and a brother of the injured soldier, an intrigue subplot involving Conlon's down-low dealings with shady characters, and a "big game" sequence where Helmut gets his shot at hoops glory. The obvious intent is to give each character on the large canvas a chance to shine, but the individual elements are undercooked on their own terms, yielding less-than-satisfying payoffs.
The performances also don't feel quite formed. Coyote is likable but hampered by a strange accent. Less strange but more distracting are the German accents of Burke and Willenborg, which are just as awkward as their overall performances. Karen Allen, as the mother of the soldier, makes the most significant impression, but her role is only a few lines away from being a mere walk-on.
There's no denying that _The_Basket_ will foster warm feelings in its audience; it's a nice film that addresses worthy subjects and does so in a manner accessible to the entire family. But in a time where "nice" is often equated with "boring," the undistinctive, earnestly good-for-you _The_Basket_ does nothing to alter that perception.
Michael Dequina twotrey@juno.com | michael_jordan@geocities.com | jordan_host@sportsmail.com | mrbrown@iname.com Mr. Brown's Movie Site: http://welcome.to/mrbrown CinemaReview Magazine: http://www.CinemaReview.com on ICQ: #25289934 | on AOL Instant Messenger: MrBrown23
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