Finally I can mark something off my bucket list.
I have now attended a film premiere — and in style I might add.
Last Friday, I had the honor, along with the rest of Ball State Sports Link, of attending the premiere of "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks" at Conseco Fieldhouse. We even managed to sit in a suite. The red carpet event gleamed with Pacer stars of old along with the title man himself, Reggie Miller and even "Sir" Charles Barkley.
If you have no idea what this film is, time to clarify. Over the last year, ESPN has commissioned award-winning documentary directors to create 30 documentaries as a celebration of the network's 30th anniversary. Only one of those films had the honor of being selected for the Sundance Film Festival, it was "Winning Time."
The film documents the 1994 and 1995 playoff matchups between the Indiana Pacers (led by Reggie Miller) and the New York Knicks. If you didn't grow up a fan of the Pacers, you are missing out on a childhood of broken dreams, along with immortal athletes.
I'm at just the right age to remember seeing the games and cheering my 6-year-old lungs out as I watched on TV and rooted for the hometown team. Reggie Miller was a god in Indiana and by this time in his career, he had come so close to the immortality of a championship. Year after year, though, one goliath stood in his way: the New York Knicks. The rivalry was born out of rough and tumble street ballers against the homegrown shooters. The games became more than just athletic endeavors. They inspired regions and generations.
I can rightly say that I have not seen nearly enough documentary films as I should have, yet I am involved with making sports packages and short films, and I know that this little gem is special. The archived footage brings fans screaming to their feet, cheering on images that occurred 15 years ago.
The film focuses on Reggie, the fans, the Knicks and the villain: Spike Lee. I'm biased because I root for Miller, but if you happen to be a Knicks fan, it remains just as much of a fun film to watch.
I traveled through nostalgia of my childhood, spending nights watching the NBA on NBC and rooting for Miller. Interviews feature legends of the game, including Miller, his sister Cheryl, John Starks, Patrick Ewing, Lee and Ahmad Rashad. They all deliver poignant and enlightening insight into my foggy past.
You might say, "Hey, documentaries don't require great filmmaking skill. You just have to dig up old footage and conduct interviews."
To those of you ignorant enough to say that, I retort by telling you "Sort through thousands of hours of footage, pick out what you want, make a story out of something that needs a narrative to tie it all together. On top of that, conduct interviews so that you get people to say just what you need them to say without feeding them lines." It takes skill and the ability to craft a story out of everyday life.
If you don't watch ESPN avidly, the documentary is premiering at 9 p.m. March 14 on ESPN. Schedule your Spring Break accordingly. When else will you get the chance to see a great film released on TV for free? I hope that ESPN continues to maintain this standard for documentary films, giving filmmakers yet another outlet to merge into.
If you aren't a Reggie Miller fan, relax — you can root against him. In "Winning Time," however, it is hard to deny his greatness and clutch performances throughout his career. "Miller Time" is upon us again, so pull out the jerseys, put on the foam fingers and start chanting "boom baby" all over again.
Write to Alex at ajkartman@bsu.edu.
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