Home of The Giants

Starring: Ryan Merriman, Haley Joel Osment, & Danielle Panabaker

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Home of The Giants uses a High School Basketball team and it's star to tell an amazing story, with one hell of a twist. Matt Morrison (Ryan Merriman) is the king of his High School and the beloved star of his High School Basketball team, but not all is as perfect as it seems. Matt's brother has just been released from prison and needs to pay back some dangerous men. Eric enlists the help of his brother to commit a simple robbery, which doesn't go the way they planned. While Basketball is always a part of the story, and has made Matt a local celebrity, this isn't a movie about Basketball, it's about a boy torn between his dreams and his dysfunctional family. Ryan Merriman stars and he just continues to amaze me with his athletic ability. Merriman started as the loveable pudgy kid in the early 90's TV show, the Mommies. Today, the once chubby child star does almost exclusively sports drama and is really impressive. Whether he's a Basketball player here, a Baseball player in 42, or a Football star in the 5th Quarter, Merriman is skillful and more than believable. Imagine getting to live out your sports fantasies, while acting on the big screen, Merriman clearly loves what he does and it shows. In this film he's assisted by the 25 year old screen veteran, Haley Joel Osment, whose still funny looking. Funny looking, but one terrific actor, Osment gives the film a separate dynamic and whole other back story, that just add to the brilliance of this film. Osment was nominated for an Oscar at age 12, and is still going strong, adding another terrific performance to his resume. Home of The Giants really has something for everyone which includes some great sports drama and an intense background story. This film was released independently and fell below the radar, but it is as well written and exciting as anything you'll see on the big screen, I can't recommend it enough.