ESPN’s “Fab Five” feature was well done (passive) from both cinematic and sports perspectives, a balance which is rarely accomplished successfully. However, there was one major issue.
Overall, while the much hyped group failed to capture a national title after two appearances in the championship game, ESPN’s succeeds in capturing their lasting impact.
Full understanding of how they changed the game easily could have been lost in translation as in these contemporary times of text-speak, social media and tweeting, analyst are quick to anoint the top sixth grade performers as the next up-and-coming NBA prospects.
However, the notion of phenom freshmen exploding onto the scene, while common today, is still worthy of exploration. Their meteoric ascension to the top of not only their respective sport but also popular culture and business is representative of the transformational shifts they created in various aspects including generationally, racially and culturally.
Cinematic Triumphs
Emotion
Given the already determined scores and outcomes, ESPN still engendered and sustained a faux sense of suspense, heightened by the musical score and varying camera angles.
The film effectively created an intense claustrophobic feeling of tension especially during especially the most critical moments. The “timeout” sequence best illustrated this, accurately conveying the crushing weight of failure and ultimately the team’s futility.
The scene was reminiscent of the Academy Award winning sound editing techniques of the Dark Knight, in which scenes with the Joker were likened to the playing of stringed instruments with a razor pick.
Alternative Perspectives
The basic story is mostly well-known to the network’s core demographic and audience. However, the film provided additional context which provided viewers the opportunity to re-examine the Fab Five from different vantage points.
Examples:
- Spot shadow (Incites debate over Webber’s role in mistake)
- Home videos of the trip to Europe (Exemplifies personal and athletic transition)
- Racial response and hate mail (Gives depth to their overall perception)
Interviews
Commentary came from a diverse group centered on the Five, along with Detroit journalists, members of the coaching staff, Michigan administrators, fellow players and even hip hop legends. Each appearance contributed something beneficial and proved both purposeful and relevant.
Favorite Part: Michigan v. Duke
This chapter perfectly illustrated the team’s polarizing nature via the juxtaposition of the two programs. The candid comments from Fab Five members, specifically the recounting of their “pet names” for Christian Laettner supported the contrast of Michigan’s players against Duke’s, specifically Grant Hill.
Jalen Rose’s remarks served as one of the most poignant tools of insight. Expounding, he articulates how both teams’ appearances were symbolic of their conflicting reception by a national audience, saying how with tattoos, a shaved head and black socks made them to be thugs whereas Duke was America’s team.
His hatred for the Blue Devils was more than a consequence of competition. It was the culmination of jealous feelings for a less favorable upbringing in which his mother was not a college graduate and unlike Hill, did not have a strong relationship with his father, a pro sports star as well.
Biggest Issue: Chris Webber
Webber’s dominance on the court and in the headlines made him arguably the most intriguing character of them all and thus his absence in the film most notable.
ESPN did note Webber declined to participate. In a way, it supported some sentiments about the star, particularly those regarding his refusal to fully acknowledge the honest details of his relationship with Ed Martin and the resulting NCAA violations.
It however detracted from the total theme of the film which was tied together on the basis of the five’s unity.
