Quantum Hoops

Rick Greenwald's documentary follows the 2006-07 season of the California Institute of Technology's Caltech Beavers basketball team as they struggle to break a 21-year losing streak. Yes, 21 years, with losing margins of up to 60 points in 245 official consecutive losses. Admittedly, Caltech's reputation has long rested on academia rather than sports—the school boasts an abnormally high number of Nobel laureates among its alumni—but that doesn't stop the team from charging ahead in their elusive pursuit to win one game. To their credit, the players never come across as losers: all are charming and focused young men who play for the sheer enjoyment of the game. In some respects, the Caltech sports program marks a throwback to the old days when students engaged in sports without being distracted by agents, contracts, and media pressure: no one at Caltech is on a sports scholarship (in fact, nearly all of the Beavers boast perfect SAT math scores), which makes their quest all the more refreshing. Featuring playful narration by David Duchovny, Quantum Hoops is the rare sports film—compelling, amusing, and endearing— that will undoubtedly appeal to a much wider audience. DVD extras include a half-hour featurette on the 2008 Caltech women's basketball team (who have been somewhat more successful), and audio commentaries by Greenwald and head coach Roy Dow. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)