Passing Glory

Running time: N/A

In 1994, a quiet movie about two inner-city basketball players searching for the American dream stole the hearts of audiences around the world. That movie was Hoop Dreams, and it was named to more than 100 "10 Best Movies of the Year" lists, received the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award and garnered director Steve James a Directors Guild Award for Best New Filmmaker. Steve James' newest feature gives us courtside seats again, this time as an idealistic, young black priest uses a basketball game to challenge the social conventions of a segregationist city. Based on a true story, Passing Glory follows Father Joseph Verrett (played by Emmy Award-winning Andre Braugher) as he organizes a game between his own undefeated black team and an undefeated prep school team from the white community. Remarkable about James' films is the genuine and richly textured stories they tell. As the director says, "They ultimately aren't about the sport itself." Hoop Dreams was about overcoming the odds, the American Dream and family. Passing Glory is about civil rights, a father/son relationship and a priest returning to cope with his mentor. With a superb and celebrated cast, Passing Glory is sure to open your eyes wide with admiration.