Top Spin

Ping pong is a game you play with your cousins at bi-annual family reunions, or during beery evenings at the corner tavern. Table tennis might be a fancier name, but it is also an Olympics-level sport not meant for ordinary mortals—it can leave your head spinning, although it also looks as if it could put your eye out. The subjects of this documentary are both ordinary and remarkable: American teens studying for the SAT, who consult with their guidance counselor at school, and try to make time for friends in their busy schedules, which include up to six hours a day rigorously practicing table tennis, in preparation for various pre-qualifying competitions for making the U.S. Olympics team in 2012. Directors Sara Newens and Mina T. Son focus on three kids—Michael Landers, Lily Zhang, and Ariel Hsing—who carry an enormous weight of expectation on their young shoulders. Viewers witness the passionate involvement of parents and coaches, as well as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who turn up in a comical moment of support. The action in Top Spin is sizzling, featuring lightning-fast exchanges between competitors that look unearthly. But in the end, table tennis is all too human, and the final lesson from competing is that success can be defined in different ways, from fulfillment, to peace of mind, to finding new dreams. An engaging sports documentary, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)