Pistol: The Birth of a Legend (1991)

Must See Movie...

hyped garbage

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Pete Maravich was an amazing player--a guy whose college basketball average was a shade over 44 points per game! In the pros, he was also an amazing player and I was fortunate enough to be able to see him play when I was a kid. Unfortunately, Maravich died during a pick-up game when he was only 40--dead due to an undiagnosed heart ailment. This movie about his experience playing first year varsity basketball is a homage to his talents, though I think the man probably deserved a bit better than this.The boy playing Maravich, Adam Guier, was terrific. His ability to handle the ball made him a joy to watch. So why am I a bit cold about this movie? Well, the script and especially the style of the film are a bit wanting. The film too often relies on hip music, montages and clichés. Additionally, while I am sure Maravich was incredible at this age, the film never shows him once missing a shot...not even once out of several dozen shots!! This all work together to create a film that might entertain kids but which also just cannot be taken very seriously. Not a bad film...just not a very impressive one either.By the way, the choice of the narrator was interesting. Tom Lester (Eb Dawson from "Green Acres") was chosen and it did make me laugh to hear him speaking as the grown up Maravich.

I'm in a weird position with this movie. I watched it when it first came out, when my boys were still quite young, and remember liking it immensely. Now, all these years later, I saw it on Neflix Instant and thought it would be fun to watch with my eleven year old stepson. Wow, what a difference 20 years makes! I could hardly stand to watch this show through (Actually, I didn't. I got a call part way through and used it as an excuse to miss a large part of it!). I have to second what others have said about the god-awful acting by everyone in this film. It just all grated on me...the moralizing speeches by the father, the rants of the coach, and, to the greatest extent, the horrible performance by the lead. Another reviewer mentioned the whispering narrator. Listening to him made the hair on my neck bristle! In this era of Hollywood "rebooting" movies (i.e. The Hulk, Spiderman, etc.), this is a story worthy of a new -- and much more refined -- look. Pistol Pete's story is inspirational and I'd love for someone to put it in a movie that doesn't make me want to run an ice pick through my right temple.Side Note: My stepson actually seemed to like the movie. Perhaps one of the reasons I appreciated it all those years ago was because it was so squeaky clean and, as a parent, I didn't have to cringe my way through any of the subject matter.

This film is one of the few & best movies made to portray any type of sporting legend! The Pistol follows the dreams, struggles & inspirations of a young Pete Maravich growing up to eventually become the master showman and basketball legend we all know him by today. As a kid myself (at the time i first saw this film) living in Australia who loved and played a lot of basketball, i was totally unaware that Pete Maravich even existed. After watching the film with all its captivating drills and challenges between Pete and his father, i was not only glad to have been introduced to Pete's story, but i will never want to forget it. With the films dazzling basketball scenes of a young pistol (played by Adam Guier) out-training and out-performing everyone in the basketball community, this movie carries a simple and memorable message of following ones dreams with the guidance of those closest to you. As a well travelled basketball player in Australia, i was surprised that many of the country's young and elite talents have not heard of Pete Maravich. This is unfortunate, as his real life story portrayed in this film is really inspirational and shows the appreciation Pete played in the history and shaping of todays game - worldwide. Perhaps a little conversation as well as some recommended viewing of the released DVD on my part will hopefully shed some light on the Pistol Pete story! or at least here downunder. I definitely recommend this film to anyone who has an interest in basketball and everyone else due to its family orientation as well. 10 OUT OF 10

The one-line summary above is not meant as a pun (he died of a heart condition), but is a true assessment of Pete's feeling for the game. This is a must-see movie for anyone who was a fan of basketball in the 70's. For anyone who wants to be inspired to use their god-given talents to the fullest - then, again, this is a must see movie.