Love and Basketball, White Men Can’t Jump, Above the Rim and He Got Game are all synonymous with celebrating the sport and the black experience. So where does a film about a Chinese American ballplayer in the heart of New York fit in? Well, that’s the path Eddie Huang is taking in his first feature film/directorial debut in Boogie. The movie explores the ups and downs of striving for more. Alfred “Boogie” Chin attempts to get a full basketball scholarship to an A1 college while holding the respect and tradition of his Chinese heritage. What the film begs to answer is, is it tone-deaf or just the right layup.
The film stars newcomer Taylor Takahashi as its lead character and he plays it well. The highlights of his role remain in how he demonstrates his anger, which happens often, and how he has to deal with all that comes with it. His parents, Pamelyn Chee & Perry Yung, are of no help in the sense that it’s clear his anger was learned. It’s clear though that the Chinese heritage also plays its own role in the film and how the new generation views it (which is still in high regard). One thing is for sure, Boogie’s relationship with his girlfriend, Taylor Paige, is one that rings the most real. It definitely hooks the audience in how they speak to each other. The dialogue felt very today and aligned well with the characters. One of the interesting inclusions of the film is Boogies rival Monk played by Pop Smoke. It is significant because it’s the story we would think we would hear and the fact that this role is postmortem. Pop Smoke was shot to death while renting a house in LA as an up-and-coming rapper, and also being killed shortly before Nipsey Hussle, he was able to demonstrate that his skills were not just left on the mic.
Otherwise, the film begs the question if in today’s climate will the story be lost in possible appropriation? Anyone who knows Eddie Huang knows he is no stranger to this controversy. He had expressed various times, including a memoir, in which he expresses how hip hop was pivotal in his life growing up. How other cultures besides his own, helped him in struggles and contributed to the many successes he has had. So is it safe for this film? Will it be praised and viewed as what it is, similar to the films about basketball before it? It’s a coming of age however since it mixes with culture we aren’t sure if it will be viewed as that. Sincerely the film will have some great parts but let’s see if it survives cancel culture.
The Verdict