Documentary on Peter Nicks Stephen Curry: Underratedpremiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and begins with NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller reading Stephen Curry’s withered scout report. It calls into question Curry’s athleticism, his size, and his ability to physically withstand a professional match.
Nearly two hours later, the documentary ends with Miller welcoming Curry and how his style of play has transformed the NBA.
Stephen Curry: Underrated
Conclusion
It’s refreshing and quirky if you’re lacking concentration.
venue: Sundance Film Festival (special screening)
directed by: Peter Nicks
1 hour 50 minutes
It’s easy to predict every beat based on these bookends underestimationThis is more about an athlete who could turn a tip-on-the-shoulder attitude into greatness, with a predictable mix of topics including various members of the Warriors dynasty, perhaps a Legend or two. You might think it would be another movie. And Callie’s wife, Aisha, makes regular appearances for humanization.
underestimation It turned out not to be that documentary. Curry’s fellow Warriors stars are mostly absent, but Draymond Green shows up via his FaceTime as their respective alma maters face off in his NCAA Tournament. Miller is the only NBA Legend to be spotted, and these he only appears in two segments. Ayesha Curry is a common presence, but while she’s in the background of domestic shots and heard in phone conversations, she’s not part of the documentary’s camera.
The best example I can give is completely underestimation Having the first 12 seasons of Curry’s NBA career condensed into a three-minute or less montage is probably not the documentary you’re expecting.
So if underestimation Not the ESPN-friendly soup-to-nuts documentary you’ve been waiting for? What exactly is it?
The 34-year-old star has been overlooked and underappreciated his entire life, as the docs make clear, but this movie is about two stages in his life that doubters are wrong. The present tense follows Curry’s eventful 2021-22 season, in which he set a career NBA record for 3-pointers, only to see the Warriors ruff. Curry and team were past their peak. Here, the documentary eschews standard tropes and gives a snappy perspective on unseen moments: snapshots of Curry’s arduous workout and time spent with his three children.
As for the past, the documentary is reasonably comprehensive and much more conventionally told of his youth, his time as a largely unrecruited high school player, and especially his time with Davidson. The Davidson era is truly documentary at its finest, featuring appearances by teammates and coaches led by Bob McKillop.
Bridging the two segments isn’t much of Curry’s NBA career—those two MVPs and three previous titles may not have existed—rather, in 2022 Stephen Curry’s final It is the fact that I graduated from Davidson. This is the joy of his mother Sonya. .
Some might argue that the Knicks’ choice of focus is on the same level as college basketball elite eights and NBA titles. Curry can be seen having multiple Zoom conversations with faculty advisors. In one very nice scene, I’m struggling to properly write a dissertation proposal at the same table where my daughters are doing their homework. Meanwhile, her son is flicking bubble wraps and jumping around. This focus on education and truthful formalism bears a near resemblance to Nicks’ final Sundance documentary, 2021. teacherBut mostly only.
We know Curry’s thesis relates to the underrepresentation of women in sports, but it’s strange how little of his personal commitment to that cause shows up in the documentary. Acquisition of is important to Curry and the documentary, but it’s pushed into the background as we can watch 10-minute clips of various playoff series less than a year later. The documentary is much better than just the highlights I can see when we see a lesser-known side of Curry thanks to Knicks’ access. sports Center.
The Young Steph portion of the documentary has a similar gap. underestimation I don’t try to pretend that Curry’s father wasn’t a respected NBA veteran, but that definitely underestimates his upbringing privilege. It is conveyed in most footnotes mentioning that he wanted to follow in their footsteps in college, but the Hawkeyes did not recruit him. It really helps to have guidance from a dad who made his living as a jump shot, high percentage shooter. ”
Nicks may have left out some things because they felt too familiar. underestimation Especially since it’s not the easiest and most expected form of Stephen Curry’s hero worship. , perhaps lacking sufficient sophistication.