Streetballers

Streetballers is an urban drama exploring the lives of two junior-college basketball players and their struggles within a divided city, broken homes, and the demands of collegiate-level athletics. Both players are drawn into an underground world of gambling and crime on the courts of the city’s tough Northside. Constantly searching for sanity in the midst of alcoholism, racism, and drugs, John Hogan and Jacob Whitmore find release and therapy while competing at one of the most competitive street courts in the U.S. Both men must spend an entire summer helping one another overcome adversity. Their dedication and love for the game of basketball transcend from the playground courts into each of their dysfunctional households, where the two boys play the constant role of the father figure. Pounding through life one day at a time, Jacob has no choice but to play in an underground league, constantly fighting to keep his cousin Damon out of debt and possible death. John’s overpowering guilt and family trauma erupt into a state of beautiful confusion with each spiritual intervention by Terry Gibson, a neighborhood boy killed in a drunk-driving accident. Together, the two boys paint a sad and hopeful portrait with their innocence, concerns, and faith in the unknown. US release date: In theaters: August 21, 2009.