Viewed in
2011
Formats
TV (w/ commercials)
Premise
A documentary about The Fab Five, Michigan's team of talented, brash freshmen from 1991-1993, who took college basketball by storm.
Liked
The footage and interviews.
Disliked
Webber's absence.
Thoughts
A slickly-produced stroll down memory lane for basketball fans.
I enjoyed watching the vintage footage and hearing the key members (sans Chris Webber) reminisce those entertaining two years. I was a tad too young when they dominated the headlines, so it was good to see their inception, their journeys to fame, their controversies, and lastly their failure to achieve a championship.
While parts of it reminded me of the slickly-produced self-glorification of The U, I thought The Fab Five was superior because they didn't gloss over the ugly parts. Sure, they patted themselves on the back for bringing long shorts, hip hop to the game, as well as dealing with racism. But they were also open about their controversies. Jalen Rose called out the NCAA for their hypocritical institution of intercollegiate sports, Ray Jackson shared his frustrations of being the "fifth Beatle", and they relived the infamous timeout.
Speaking of that haunting moment, it truly was a pity that Webber would/could not participate. Rose tried his best to fill in those moments, but it just wasn't the same.
Overall, the wealth of interviews and archives helped recapture that time and place, as well as getting to know the key members, with twenty-year perspectives.
After reading Jason Whitlock's very poignant rebuttals, I've come to the conclusion that this film is still worth watching for basketball fans. I don't think as highly of the The Fab Five as they do, but neither do I believe their intentions for making this documentary to be as cynical as Whitlock argued.
What I would change
Nothing other than convincing Webber to participate.
