Franklin Martin's documentary focuses on Kevin Laue, who became the first basketball player with only one hand to receive an NCAA Division I scholarship. Born without half of one arm, Laue grew to six-foot-eleven and worked endlessly to overcome his physical disadvantage and stand out as an athlete at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, CA, until he broke a leg and was sidelined for much of his senior year. Laue did a post-graduate stint at Fork Union Military Academy, where he was able to regain and surpass his earlier athleticism and gain interest from college recruiters. The film stresses Laue's unresolved feelings towards his late father, who died when he was 10 and with whom he had a rocky relationship. But for most of the running time Laue comes across more like a teen (goofy or surly), a figure whose lack of star charisma is so pronounced that one of his peers wonders aloud why Laue is the subject of a film. And that is a problem: while Laue's boundary-breaking story is inspiring, Laue himself is not particularly engaging. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story
(2012) 93 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 2
Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story
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