Movie Review – The Pistol

As a kid, I was taught to love basketball. My dad had coached high school teams, he had coached my sister, and he coached me. I was small and not very confident, but I had a nice jump shot and I understood the fundamentals of the game. My family watched The Pistol together and I was inspired by it. Although I never became a great player, I always remembered ‘Pistol’ Pete and I was excited to rewatch the movie twenty years later. For the sake of the kid in me, it might have been better if I hadn’t.

This biopic follows the early life of basketball legend Pete ‘The Pistol’ Maravich. A record holder at both the collegiate and professional levels, he got his start in basketball at an early age. He made the high school varsity team while in the 8th grade, impressing coaches with his stunt passing, precision shooting, and untiring determination. Although considered a hot dog by his older teammates, ‘Pistol’ Pete continued to shine, revolutionizing the game of basketball with his unparalleled skill and heart.

You may notice that I didn’t mention any of the actors in this film. That’s because I’m not sure that there were any. Bad acting would have been a step up for most of the performers, as each line seemed to be specifically delivered to be horrible. From the lighting to the voice-overs, from the music to the cheerleaders, each aspect of the film was awful. It felt like a made-for-TV Christmas special, but without any of the joy, hope, or gingerbread. I have very rarely seen a serious movie come across this poorly.

In its defense, The Pistol was created to tell a story, and it did that. It may be a sad excuse for a film, but it did capture my eight-year-old heart, and for that I will always remember it fondly. Some movies are, apparently, only meant to be watched once when you don’t know any better, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have their place. That place just happens to be very, very far away.