Pistol: The Birth of a Legend

The late "Pistol" Pete Maravich made basketball history as the most spectacular college scorer ever, and he's still inspiring kids through this movie based on his first season of high school varsity basketball (which he played when he was in eighth grade). This 90-minute film explores the supportive father-son relationship that pushed him to the heights of achievement and fame (Dad was a former pro and Clemson University coach) and includes a story line on the stirrings of the quest for racial equality in the late 1950s. Newcomer Adam Guier plays some fine basketball in his role as the young Maravich. Viewers won't be able to track his no-look passes any better than opponents could when the real Maravich was dishing them out. In fact, the basketball sequences in general are superior to many seen in bigger-budget films. Shot on location in Louisiana, where Maravich grew up, the film captures the moral dilemmas of its time while still keeping a positive drive, making it an excellent film to watch with the kids. --Kimberly Heinrichs