SPIRIT OF THE GAME

Australia, 2016, 108 minutes, Colour.
Aaron Jabukenko, Ken Sarbo, Grant Piro, Mark Mitchell, Denise Roberts, Marina Prior.
Directed by J. D. Scott.

It should be noted immediately that this is a ‘Faith Film’. Audiences who appreciate Faith Films will find it much to their liking. Those who are wary of Faith Films will probably remain wary.

The story of the film is based on actual events, focusing on the Australian basketball team for the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956.

The film opens in Idaho in the early 1950s, portrayed almost as ideal America in the calmness and prosperity of the Eisenhower era. DeLyle? Condie (Aaron Jabukenko) is what one might call a regular fellow, conscientious, a student, a basketball player, devout, comfortable in using faith and prayer language with his parents. He is to be engaged, goes off to Salt Lake City for studies and is disappointed when his fiancee breaks off the engagement and does not give him a reason.

The Church of Latter Day Saints has not been mentioned explicitly up to this point but audiences may have intuitions that this is the faith base for the family. DeLyle? opts to go to Australia for two years of missionary work. Since the writer-director was born in Dandenong in Melbourne, it seems fair game that he can present the Australians of the 1950s as rather down-to-earth, slamming doors on the visitors, their being pelted with tomatoes by kids, and the screenplay having the missionaries repelled by Vegemite.

On arrival, the missionaries find that their regime is fairly strict, that in some sense they are a closed community except when they try their door-knocking outreach. On arrival, Condie is invited to participate in a basketball match, much to the ire of the President and his wife (Mark Mitchell and Denise Roberts). There is quite some discussion, familiar to religious communities about contact with the world and yet this contact being a possibility for evangelisation.

After some interventions, especially by Condie’s father with the elders in Salt Lake City, permission is given for the Mormon Elders to form a team and, at the invitation of Ken Watson (Grant Piro in a very persuasive performance), considered the father of Australian basketball, they begin to coach the rather hopeless Australian team.

It is here that the film picks up a great deal of excitement for most audiences, even for non-faith audiences, as the team show their skills, play a team of prisoners at Bendigo prison, and are challenged by the French Olympic team whose coach is certainly a very bad and angry sport. The climax of the film is a rematch against the French who play with no holds barred against the earnest Mormon Yankees. Whatever the hostility initially towards the Mormons, religion-wise, the crowd (and the cinema audience) are enthusiastically and vocally supportive of the American team.

This is the kind of film that is called inspirational and could contribute a lot to a changing image of Mormons and their beliefs, their mission. The director does have a missionary background, some time in PNG as well as in the Solomon Islands and has made a number of religious features and documentaries.

But, even with reservations, it is not hard to be caught up in the spirit of the game.

1. A true story? The piece of Australiana? Americana?

2. A sports story, a faith story, inspiration story? A Mormon story?

3. Idaho, the 1950s, homes, the town, sport, Salt Lake City and the University? The Mormon headquarters? The musical score?

4. Melbourne, the 1950s, the suburbs, streets, homes, the Mormon headquarters, the Bendigo prison? The warehouse for the basketball match? The Olympic Games settings? The look of the period, the feel? The television excerpts?

5. The American spirit, sport, sport and religion, the mission and sport as a contact with people?

6. The Australian jokes, the attitudes of the people towards religion, their behaviour, the Vegemite jokes? The Australian public as anti-Mormon, wary? Attitudes towards the United States? The World War II history? The collaboration in basketball, the play, supporting the underdogs, admiring the spirit, the violent behaviour of the French, the loud and vocal applause?

7. The comedy family, De Lyle, his age, the boy in the 1950s, American, nice, his proposal, excitement, the joy with his parents, the religious background, faith and prayer? The fiancee, her breaking of the engagement, no reason, the effect? His becoming listless? At the University? The possibilities for sport? His decision to go on mission?

8. The Mormons in Australia, the Elders, the partners, their accommodation, the president and his wife, strict, proper, doors slammed, kids throwing tomatoes? Possibility for depression – but yet persistence?

9. De Lyle and his arrival, his partner on the boat, invited to the basketball match, participating, his skills? Ken Watson observing him? Their meeting the young wife? Watson’s interest, the president forbidding the play? His new partner, proper? Visiting the house, meeting the wife again, her young brother, the husband and his antagonism after play, the boy and throwing the baskets? Opening up of possibilities for contact?

10. The idea of evangelisation through sport, the contacts, not being isolated, not inward focused, scenes of argument with the president, the president saying no, his stern wife? Mr Condie writing to Salt Lake City Elders? The change of heart and the reasons? Letting the Australian Mormons know?

11. Selecting the team, the skills, their practices? Discussions with Ken Watson, the coach? The coaching, the poor Australian players? The details of training? The invitation to play at the prison, enjoying it, the young man asking help from Condie’s partner?

12. The atmosphere of the Olympics, television, the spirit?

13. The French team, the playing, the coach and his hard attitude, the players? The win, close, the superiority of the Yankee Mormons?

14. The issue of the re-match? Setting the terms? In public? The crowds, the brutal play of the French, the reactions of the coach? The remnant of the Yankees, the injuries? Losing but slightly? The French leaving? The audience and the applause?

15. Further information about the program and its continuance into the 1960s? The Yankee Mormons beating the Olympic teams except the Russians?

16. Sport and spirit?

17. The nature of mission, contact with people in the culture?