Product Description

A fun, inspirational and heartwarming story of the first and only girl quarterback in Pop Warner football history and her uncle's exciting journey to make a team of misfits kids into a Pop Warner powerhouse.

Stills from The Longshots (Click for larger image)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6735 in DVD
• Brand: GENIUS PRODUCTS INC
• Released on: 2008-12-02
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Formats: Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.com
The Longshots is a modest charmer of a film, perfectly suitable for the whole family, that just happens to star (and was produced by) a hard-core gangsta rapper and was directed by a dude whose best-known previous contribution to the arts was a tune called "Nookie." OK, so it’s no bulletin that Ice Cube is an actor who’s improving with every role, as that aspect of his career gradually overshadows his profile as a member of the hip-hop group N.W.A. But Fred Durst, vocalist for "nu metal" rockers Limp Bizkit? This guy’s now a movie director? Well, yeah; and between them, Durst and Cube have done nice job telling the true tale of Jasmine Plummer, who became the first female to play in the Pop Warner football tournament--as a quarterback, no less. A middle-school student in Minden, Illinois, a bleak little burg whose fortunes have declined precipitously since the local factory closed down, Jasmine (winningly played by Keke Palmer) is a bookworm with a loving mom (Tasha Smith), a deadbeat liar of a dad, and no friends. When her mother recruits her uncle Curtis (Ice Cube) to look after her for a few hours after school, neither he nor Jasmine is thrilled by the idea. Curtis has no job and no prospects (when he stumbles into Jasmine’s classroom during "career day," he amusingly describes himself as "an entrepreneur"); what’s more, he quite literally smells. But he’s also a former high school football star, and when he sees that his niece has natural talent and desire--she is, in fact, "a phenom"--he teaches her the ropes, then encourages her to try out for the Browns, Minden’s Pop Warner team. One needn’t be an oracle to see where all this is headed; with its themes of self-esteem and redemption, the triumph of the downtrodden, and the virtues of family ties, sportsmanship, and smalltown life, it’s pretty formulaic stuff. What’s more, the film loses its focus toward the end when it favors Curtis’ story over Jasmine’s. Still, these are characters we can care about, making The Longshots a winner. Bonus material includes a "making of" featurette, interviews with Cube and Durst, and a look at the real Jasmine Plummer. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

Summoning the Faith to Achieve
"The Longshots," on the surface, is a movie we've seen countless times before -- an underachieving team, freshly motivated, become real competitors as they ride from one victory to the next. What sets "The Longshots" apart, however, is the central relationship between a sullen girl and her out-of-work uncle.
The film is about Jasmine Plummer (Keke Palmer), the first girl quarterback to play in the Pop Warner football tournament.
Jasmine, who lives with her mom, Claire (Tasha Smith), is an eleven-year-old more at ease reading books than socializing with classmates. She's tried to get involved in after-school activities, but is teased and soon retreats to her books.
When Claire's work schedule is changed to a later shift, she asks Jasmine's Uncle Curtis (Ice Cube) to look after her in the afternoons. Reluctantly, Curtis agrees. Both Jasmine and Curtis initially resent this arrangement, but try to make the best of it. One day, Curtis, a former high school football player, tosses around a football with Jasmine and sees that she has a good eye and a strong arm. He talks Jasmine into trying out for the local team, telling her she owes it to herself to pursue something she does well.
The story is set in the fictional town of Minden, economically devastated since a local factory -- the town's major employer -- closed down a few years ago. Many shops on the main street are closed, idle men hang out on the streets, and a general air of resigned despair permeates people, buildings, and the town itself.
The film's second act focuses on Jasmine's making the team and turning around its fortunes from also-ran to winner. The team's success energizes the town, giving it something to be proud of.
"The Longshots" delivers a far different experience than I anticipated. Director Fred Durst devotes considerable time to the growing relationship between Jasmine and Curtis. We really get to know them and have a firm grip on their personalities, fears, and frustrations. In a non-rushed series of scenes -- some with gently comic moments -- we come to like these two people and care about what will happen to them.
Ice Cube is very good as Curtis, a man whose self-esteem has taken a hit in the years since his high school glory days. His Curtis is a decent guy who genuinely cares for his niece, partly because his brother, Jasmine's father, has abandoned her. His suggestions are never bullying. They are presented with logical back-up and rationale. He relies upon Jasmine to weigh the suggestions and decide for herself whether to pursue them. Ice Cube is wonderfully expressive, and perfectly conveys what he's thinking, a technique invaluable in acting for the camera.
Ms. Palmer provides a sympathetic yet spirited Jasmine. As she comes to know her uncle better and like him, she listens to him and comes to have faith in herself and respect for her own athletic ability. By playing football, she is making her uncle happy, but is also tapping talents she never knew she had.
What "The Longshots" doesn't contain are scenes of excessive team putdowns of Jasmine, big arguments about a girl playing football, and a melodramatic family home life. Director Durst has wisely cut to the chase, staying with the story of Jasmine, Curtis, and the team's effect on Minden, and avoiding the cliches.
Rated PG, "The Longshots" is an excellent family film -- a movie that can be enjoyed equally by a young audience and their parents.

The longshots
This is a very good Family Movie and Ice cube is such a great Actor.I recomend it to family's.It shows what can happen when you beleive in
Yourself.and how much courage this Girl has to go for what you beleive in.I also enjoy Keke palmer.she is a great actor as well.

positive film for all ages
Long shots is based on a true story of a run down town and a young lady that achieves confidence on the football field. Against all odds, the town as well as the girl learn to achieve simply by watching the girl overcome obstacles on the football field. This movie is good for all ages to see due to it is positive and it shows that anything can be done if you put the proper effort into it. The movie displays decent acting, humor and drama. You won't be disappointed with watching this film.