Movie Recommendation: Hustle

Hustle is the story of Stanley Sugerman (played by Adam Sandler), an exhausted middle-aged NBA scout, who, on the verge of giving up on his dream of coaching in the league, is revitalized by his quest to get his newly-discovered talent, Bo Cruz (played by Juancho Hernangómez), into the NBA. The film executes this premise exceptionally well, and all the emotional highs and lows we’ve come to expect from our favorite sports movies are there and nearly perfectly choreographed (the training montage is one of the best I’ve seen in a while). We love watching underdogs scratch, fight, and eventually prevail. Underlying all these stories, the thing that creates the emotional thrust, is watching someone we invest in become who they’re meant to be. This happens for both Stanley and Bo, and their belief in each other is the cornerstone of their evolution. These personal victories are more important than the outcome with the NBA, and I think that’s why Hustle works so well.

Sandler is his schlubby, likable everyman best, and it’s so easy to root for him. Queen Latifah is wonderfully charming and funny as his wife. Cameos out of the real-life NBA abound and are well-placed and entertaining. Anthony Edwards as Bo’s trash-talking rival, Kermit, was outstanding. The revelation of the picture is Hernangómez, though. When I first saw the trailer for Hustle, I was immediately stunned by Hernangómez’s physical…