Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Something to Cheer About

Play trailer Poster for Something to Cheer About 2007 1h 4m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
43% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Director Betsy Blankenbaker traces the incredible story of the 1955 Crispus Attucks High School basketball team. Led by Coach Ray Crowe, the inner-city Indianapolis team would become the first-ever all-black squad to win a high school state championship. Several of the team's players, including N.B.A. Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Purdue standout Willie Merriweather, reflect on that 1955 season, including the hatred and racism they encountered along the way.

Where to Watch

Something to Cheer About

Critics Reviews

View More
Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times 04/30/2007
3/5
Plodding but heartfelt, Something to Cheer About pays tribute to a time when basketball scholarships and professional opportunities were practically unknown. Back then, a player's only opportunity was to make history. Go to Full Review David Fear Time Out 04/28/2007
3/6
Despite a last-reel schmaltz attack, this sports doc presents its blockbuster-baiting material with unfussy immediacy and dignity. Go to Full Review Sam Adams Los Angeles Times 04/27/2007
2/5
The movie could have had much greater resonance were it not focused so monolithically on basketball. One wonders what life was like at Attucks High, or how the players' success on the court affected their lives off it. Go to Full Review Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion 04/29/2007
B
Utterly conventional...but still works as an uplifting tale of success in adverse circumstances, and as a testimony to the power of one dedicated teacher. Go to Full Review Ken Fox TV Guide 04/27/2007
2/4
The film is really geared toward basketball fans who won't mind the talking-heads format, and the glowing interviews that have more the tone of testimonials than a historical documentary. Go to Full Review Chris Hewitt St. Paul Pioneer Press 04/27/2007
It muddies key details (it's not clear we're seeing the '55 championship game until it's over), while never addressing others (the team's gifted coach quit in '57, but who knows why?). Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
02/26/2013 It happened during my life time. See more 07/10/2012 While it's certainly an interesting story, it's worthy of a far better documentary. This was strangely impersonal, and actually kind of confusing in its chronology. See more 02/03/2010 A good film about an overlooked and important time and team. Like many similar films, it suffers from a short runtime. See more 12/30/2008 A documentary about the first all black basketball team to win state. A good story, but this doc was missing something, either in the directing or editing. It didn't have any flare. See more 07/21/2007 Something to Cheer About is a moving and effective piece of filmmaking, if not a highly advanced one. The film maker's strategy was to find people who had first-hand knowledge of the Chris Attucks High basketball team, interview them and then piece together their interviews to tell a chronological story. No, it's not the most sophisticated film ever and it feels like an ESPN special, especially since it comes in at just over an hour. But, that's alright. This is a modest film with modest goals and it accomplishes what it sets out to do by showing what this team accomplished and the obstacles they overcame. See more 04/28/2007 I WOULDN'T MIND SEEING ALTHOUGH IT REMINDS ME OF COACH CARTER! See more Read all reviews
Something to Cheer About

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Betsy Blankenbaker

Director

Betsy Blankenbaker

Producer

More Like This

View All
Michael Jordan: To the Max 65% 81% Michael Jordan: To the Max Watchlist Go Tigers! 85% 69% Go Tigers! Watchlist Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot 72% 69% Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot Watchlist Watermarks 96% 94% Watermarks Watchlist A League of Ordinary Gentlemen 91% 76% A League of Ordinary Gentlemen Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Something to Cheer About

Something to Cheer About (2002) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Director Betsy Blankenbaker traces the incredible story of the 1955 Crispus Attucks High School basketball team. Led by Coach Ray Crowe, the inner-city Indianapolis team would become the first-ever all-black squad to win a high school state championship. Several of the team's players, including N.B.A. Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Purdue standout Willie Merriweather, reflect on that 1955 season, including the hatred and racism they encountered along the way.
Director
Betsy Blankenbaker
Producer
Betsy Blankenbaker
Distributor
Truly Indie
Production Co
Figaro Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 27, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 3, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.8K
Runtime
1h 4m