Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s receives a television adaptation in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty from HBO. While Rodney Barnes, Max Bornstein, and Jim Hecht handle the scripting duties.
Episode 1 begins in 1991 as Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) gets life-changing news before returning to the late seventies and introducing us to Dr. Buss.
John C. Reilly instantly commands the screen as Jerry Buss, a real estate mogul looking to purchase the Lakers. Reilly brings an everyman approach to the role, and you naturally want to see his character succeed. I enjoyed this performance from Reilly because he avoids the comedic style we have come to know him for. Instead, here he has a dramatic side with joy in his heart.
I am happy the casting department chose an unknown as it gave me a chance to fully embrace Magic’s story as he rises to the top. Newcomer Quincy Isaiah is a real find as one of the all-time great point guards. Isaiah brings the swagger and confidence his real-life counterpart is known for. The supporting cast includes Rob Morgan as Earvin Sr., Jason Clarke as Jerry West, and Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I also must shout out the acting talent of DeVaughn Nixon, who portrays his father, Norm Nixon.
Nixon has a great moment with Quincy Isaiah in Episode 1 that put a smile on my face. It was great to see so many moments I have read about recreated on the screen. As a non-sports fan, I found the first episode very informative, and I foresee it going over very well with the masses.
Episode 1 of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty premiers this Sunday, March 6th, on HBO. New episodes will air every Sunday for the next ten weeks.
Final Grade: A
After exploring the realms of superhero and romantic comedy, Sydney Sweeney, the versatile actress, adds another feather to her cap with the visually stunning and uniquely captivating film ‘Immaculate ‘.
In his highly anticipated fourth film as director, the renowned Alex Garland unveils a captivating journey across a dystopian future America in “Civil War.” As the mastermind behind the film’s script, Garland takes us on a thrilling ride alongside a team of military-embedded journalists. They are racing against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
Andrew McCarthy, a former ‘Brat Pack’ actor who spent a decade honing his directorial talents in episodic television, now brings his unique perspective to features in the appropriately titled ‘Brats’ from Hulu. The term ‘Brat Pack’ was a standard reference among young movie enthusiasts in the 1980s, first coined by writer David Blum after witnessing a group of young actors being overwhelmed by admirers at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles. The core members of the Brat Pack were often recognized for their appearances in the ensemble casts of two specific films released in 1985: John Hughes’s ‘The Breakfast Club’ and Joel Schumacher’s ‘St. Elmo’s Fire ‘.