Kiss My Wheels 2002
Distributed by Fanlight Productions, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Miguel Grunstein and Dale Kruzic, Thunder Road Productions
Directed Miguel Grunstein
VHS, color, 56 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Adolescence, Sports, Psychology, Sociology
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Andrew J. Dutcher, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Buffalo State College, State University of New YorkThis video is about more than just a wheelchair basketball team. It documents how these adolescents learn important life skills such as teamwork, self-respect, courage, being an adolescent, and dealing with life as it is presented. These skills are taught through co-ed wheelchair basketball. This documentary-style video presents a coach and his team as they practice for and later participate in tournament competition. It shows how they learn to play ball, provide encouragement to their teammates and to develop respect for others both on and off the court. The producers use narration and interviewing techniques to present the philosophy of the coach and the feelings, issues, and challenges of the team members. It documents how this team learns about success.
Kiss My Wheels uses a combination of footage of team members practicing and playing ball, team members interacting with other able-bodied individuals off the court, individual interviews, and personal narration. The cinematography is excellent, as is the sound quality and the editing. It works successfully on many different levels to show the human condition. It could easily be used in classroom and non-classroom settings. It would be an excellent addition to any library, and a must for those who serve a differently-abled population.