“The higher you go, the greater the fall,” Gloria Holiday (Julia Jones) tells her son Jimmy (Kauchani Bratt) early in Rez Ball.
Gloria was a basketball star on the Navajo Reservation team in Chuska, New Mexico, when she was Jimmy’s age, but life interrupted her bigger dreams. Now that her son is the star of the Chuska High School Warriors, she wants to manage his hopes: “We always find a way to lose. It’s in our blood.”
Rez Ball is a sports film co-written and directed by Sydney Freeland (known for Drunktown’s Finest and Echo) and Sterlin Harjo (co-creator of Reservation Dogs). The movie is based on the nonfiction book Canyon Dreams by Michael Powell.
It covers themes we often see in sports films, but it also shows more than just sports. Freeland and Harjo focus on the beauty and struggles of life on a reservation and the community that grows there, along with the challenges that come with it. Although Rez Ball follows a typical sports film structure, the details around the main story make it an engaging experience.
What Is ‘Rez Ball’ About?
The Chuska Warriors aim for the state championships with their star player Nataanii Jackson (Kusem Goodwind) leading them. While celebrating their first season win, Nataanii and his teammate Jimmy chat as they look over the reservation. Nataanii mentions trying to “escape” from their situation.
Even during his success, Nataanii feels a heavy burden he cannot ignore. However, the next day at their game, Nataanii is missing. After their loss, the team learns that their star player has taken his own life.
Jimmy feels the loss of his friend very deeply. His struggles at home, where his mother still fights against alcoholism and asks him to work at a local burger place for extra money, only add to his pain. But Jimmy’s coach, Heather (Jessica Matten), sees potential in him and makes him the team captain after Nataanii’s death.
Heather is also trying to escape her role as coach, but her long-distance relationship ends, and she struggles to find a new job, keeping her stuck.
Together, Jimmy, Heather, and the Chuska Warriors strive to succeed without their star player by embracing their unique identity and culture among other teams aiming for the state championship.
‘Rez Ball’ Isn’t Particularly Interested in Being a Sports Film
As a sports movie, Rez Ball follows the usual storyline that fans expect. Without Nataanii to hold the team together, they begin to struggle. After a team-building event and Jimmy taking charge, they start to succeed again. Freeland captures the excitement of basketball with slow-motion moments during the games.
However, it is clear that the film focuses less on the games themselves and more on what the victories and losses mean for the team. The highs and lows feel familiar. If someone watches Rez Ball expecting a typical sports film experience, they might leave disappointed.
Freeland and Harjo’s script does not shy away from the sadness and challenges faced by people living on a reservation. Besides Nataanii, Gloria deals with the pressure from herself and her community. Coach Heather faces calls for her dismissal when the team struggles to win.
However, we mainly see this darkness in Jimmy. He stands at a crucial point in his life, mourning his friend and learning to lead his team after the tragedy. Throughout Rez Ball, themes of grief are prominent, sometimes heavily, but they help to shed new light on this kind of story.
‘Rez Ball’ Is Best When Its Characters Embrace Who They Are
Rez Ball stands out as a sports film because it emphasizes embracing individuality and using unique traits to achieve success. This is primarily shown through Jimmy, who once thought about leaving the reservation while working with Nataanii. Now, he seems likely to stay like his mother.
While Nataanii might have seen the reservation as a trap, Jimmy starts to see the opportunities it offers. He grows closer to his coworker Krista (Zoey Reyes) at the burger shop, who teaches him Navajo. The team uses this language to call plays during games that other teams won’t understand.
At one point, Jimmy feels down about his job at the restaurant, but Krista points out the positives. She explains that even though she does not want to be there forever, the job allows her to connect with people in town and build friendships. Although people might feel stuck in their situations, there is often a silver lining, and what seem like weaknesses can actually become strengths.
Rez Ball understands that its story follows familiar patterns. While it contains the highs typical of a sports film, the lows are where Freeland’s movie finds its strength.
The film thoughtfully show Navajo culture, life on the reservation, and the beauty and challenges of that community, tackling difficult topics without suffocating the underdog story at its core.
Rez Ball tells the story of Jimmy (Kauchani Bratt), a star basketball player at Chuska High School, and his struggles after the tragic loss of his friend Nataanii (Kusem Goodwind). Guided by his mother Gloria (Julia Jones) and Coach Heather (Jessica Matten), Jimmy learns to embrace his identity and the unique culture of his Navajo community.
While the film follows the familiar structure of a sports movie, it prioritizes themes of grief, resilience, and community over the actual games. Ultimately, Rez Ball highlights the importance of recognizing one’s strengths and finding hope within challenging circumstances.
