"Sweetwater", the new biographical sports feature about 'Nat Clifton', the first African-American to sign a contract with the 'National Basketball Association' ('NBA'), is written and directed by Martin Guigui, starring Everett Osborne as 'Clifton', with Cary Elwes, Eric Roberts, Jeremy Piven, Richard Dreyfuss and Kevin Pollak, now streaming on Prime Video:
"....'Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton' was originally the main attraction of the entertaining 'Harlem Globetrotters' team, showing superior and amusing ball-handling skills, under the guidance of owner and coach, 'Abe Saperstein'.
"Then in 1950, during the early days of organized sports, before the ease of crowd-pleasing online casino betting, 'Ned Irish', a 'New York Knicks' executive...
"...and their coach, 'Joe Lapchick', take the initiative and integrate their team with the support of 'NBA' President, 'Maurice Podoloff'...
"...allowing Sweetwater to be the first black man signed to the NBA, creating a historic moment...
"...delighting millions of fans worldwide.
"....'Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton' was originally the main attraction of the entertaining 'Harlem Globetrotters' team, showing superior and amusing ball-handling skills, under the guidance of owner and coach, 'Abe Saperstein'.
"Then in 1950, during the early days of organized sports, before the ease of crowd-pleasing online casino betting, 'Ned Irish', a 'New York Knicks' executive...
"...and their coach, 'Joe Lapchick', take the initiative and integrate their team with the support of 'NBA' President, 'Maurice Podoloff'...
"...allowing Sweetwater to be the first black man signed to the NBA, creating a historic moment...
"...delighting millions of fans worldwide.
- 1/17/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Not researching much about Nat Sweetwater Clifton and his heroics before watching the movie was a conscious decision I made, as I wanted to have a better movie experience without knowing what happens at the end. The challenge about adapting a true story of any kind to the big screen is making it exciting enough for the audience to sit through the journey despite being aware of the ending. And the thing that is an absolute necessity for that is innovative, razor-sharp, Sorkin-esque writing.
Of course, the sports biopic sub-genre has the advantage of dazzling the viewer with grand, triumphant moments, which always work out if they are properly designed with ample cinematic value. The Sweetwater biopic, which goes by the same name, has plenty of such moments that work in its favor. In fact, the basketball part of the movie looks very realistic and not at all artificial. Where...
Of course, the sports biopic sub-genre has the advantage of dazzling the viewer with grand, triumphant moments, which always work out if they are properly designed with ample cinematic value. The Sweetwater biopic, which goes by the same name, has plenty of such moments that work in its favor. In fact, the basketball part of the movie looks very realistic and not at all artificial. Where...
- 5/10/2023
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
Beau Is Afraid posted the top per-screen average of the year so far and the best limited opening for distributor A24 since Uncut Gems, grossing an estimated $320,396 at four locations in New York and LA for a hefty per-screen average of $80K+ in sold-out shows on both coasts. (Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler had a $105k PSA on five screens in 2019 — a limited-opening record at the time.)
In Ari Aster’s surrealist black comedy-horror Beau, Joaquin Phoenix is a mild-mannered man riddled by paranoia, who confronts his worst fears on an epic journey to his hometown for his mother’s funeral. Presales had been looking strong and the numbers certainly came through for the distrib and the director beloved by fans of his previous films Hereditary and Midsommar. The ensemble cast includes Nathan Lane, Amy, Ryan, Parker Posey and Patti LuPone. Expanding in a regional Imax event on 4/18 ahead of...
In Ari Aster’s surrealist black comedy-horror Beau, Joaquin Phoenix is a mild-mannered man riddled by paranoia, who confronts his worst fears on an epic journey to his hometown for his mother’s funeral. Presales had been looking strong and the numbers certainly came through for the distrib and the director beloved by fans of his previous films Hereditary and Midsommar. The ensemble cast includes Nathan Lane, Amy, Ryan, Parker Posey and Patti LuPone. Expanding in a regional Imax event on 4/18 ahead of...
- 4/16/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
“Sweetwater” is a biopic about Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the Black power forward who broke the color barrier of the NBA in 1950, three years after Jackie Robinson accomplished the same feat in baseball. It’s telling that Robinson remains one of the most celebrated heroes in sports history, while Clifton is still a somewhat obscure figure.
There’s a biting irony to that contrast. It relates to how the integration of basketball totally changed the game, even more than the integration of baseball changed baseball. “Sweetwater,” written and directed by Martin Guigui, is a straight-down-the-middle inspirational sports movie — and, one regrets to say, a kind of benign sketchbook version of the form. Yet it also tells the tale of the Harlem Globetrotters, the fabled team of barnstorming trickster prodigies who Clifton started off as a member of. There were several levels to the Globetrotters’ athletic magic, and the film captures how...
There’s a biting irony to that contrast. It relates to how the integration of basketball totally changed the game, even more than the integration of baseball changed baseball. “Sweetwater,” written and directed by Martin Guigui, is a straight-down-the-middle inspirational sports movie — and, one regrets to say, a kind of benign sketchbook version of the form. Yet it also tells the tale of the Harlem Globetrotters, the fabled team of barnstorming trickster prodigies who Clifton started off as a member of. There were several levels to the Globetrotters’ athletic magic, and the film captures how...
- 4/13/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired domestic distribution rights to “Sweetwater,” a recently completed feature about Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African American to land an NBA contract. The drama is written and directed by Martín Guigui and stars newcomer Everett Osborne as Clifton. The ensemble includes veteran actors such as Kevin Pollak, Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Ri’chard. There are also special appearances by Gary Clark Jr., Jim Caviezel and NBA champion Bobby Portis Jr.
The film follows Clifton (Osborne), who is the star attraction of the Harlem Globetrotters, led by owner/coach Abe Saperstein (Pollak). When New York Knicks executive Ned Irish (Elwes) and Knicks coach Joe Lapchick (Piven) decide it is time for the Knicks to integrate, with the support of NBA President Maurice Podoloff (Dreyfuss), they come together with the other team owners of the league to make history. Briarcliff will give the film a...
The film follows Clifton (Osborne), who is the star attraction of the Harlem Globetrotters, led by owner/coach Abe Saperstein (Pollak). When New York Knicks executive Ned Irish (Elwes) and Knicks coach Joe Lapchick (Piven) decide it is time for the Knicks to integrate, with the support of NBA President Maurice Podoloff (Dreyfuss), they come together with the other team owners of the league to make history. Briarcliff will give the film a...
- 10/11/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Cary Elwes joins production of Nat Clifton biopic — Cary Elwes portrays basketball promoter Ned Irish in Sweetwater. Depicting the reputedly “cold, unapproachable” pioneering promoter might represent a special challenge to Elwes, since relatively little seems readily available about Ned Irish, the person. But plenty is well known about Ned Irish, journalist, public relations specialist, media mogul, [...]
Continue reading: Sweetwater: Cary Elwes Cast in Nat Clifton Biopic...
Continue reading: Sweetwater: Cary Elwes Cast in Nat Clifton Biopic...
- 5/16/2022
- by David McDonald
- Film-Book
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