Movie Review | A team of geniuses finds a test it can't ace in 'Quantum Hoops'
Five out of five stars
Evans Clinchy
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Arts
But as it soon becomes clear, the Beavers' dream of a win, any win, is getting closer by the day. As the season wears on throughout the winter of 2006, scores from unprecedentedly close games flash onto the screen. There's a loss to Pomona, 57-48; then Claremont, 59-49; and LaVerne, 75-65. Finally Caltech suits up for its last home game of the season, taking on a mediocre Whittier College team on Feb. 20. For the Beavers' two captains, seniors who enter the game 0-92 in their careers, this is their last chance.
The game itself is one for the ages, as thrilling as any game between two bad Div. III teams can be. But regardless of the final numbers on the scoreboard, the film's ending is a foregone conclusion. None of these kids are headed for the NBA. Their leading scorer, Jordan Carlson, becomes a grad student at Berkley, studying particle physics. His co-captain, Day Ivy, moves to Wall Street to become a derivatives trader.
In a way, "Quantum Hoops" isn't even about basketball. It's about a culture at Caltech in which basketball is an afterthought, where everything else in life is more important. Greenwald introduces us to some of the team's most interesting alums - the men who have made names for themselves in fascinating ways off the court.
There's Robert Grubbs, an honorary coach at Caltech who won the 2005 Nobel Prize for chemistry. There's Huckleberry Seed, who was one of the program's all-time greats before he dropped out, declared himself a pro gambler and became a millionaire at the 1996 World Series of Poker. There's Fred Newman, who no longer plays basketball competitively but etched his name in the Guinness Book of Records when he made 20,000 free throws in one day. And there's Dick van Kirk, a former player who made it to the 1984 Olympics. (Of course, it was as their VP of technology.)
Into an 85-minute film, Greenwald packs a multitude of compelling stories, and he tops them all off with a climactic final scene. With the Beavers rallying, the music pumping and the seconds ticking away, Greenwald builds a level of suspense all but impossible in a game played before an audience of a few dozen. In the end, you'll find yourself pulling for those irresistible Beavers, right down to the final shot.
The game itself is one for the ages, as thrilling as any game between two bad Div. III teams can be. But regardless of the final numbers on the scoreboard, the film's ending is a foregone conclusion. None of these kids are headed for the NBA. Their leading scorer, Jordan Carlson, becomes a grad student at Berkley, studying particle physics. His co-captain, Day Ivy, moves to Wall Street to become a derivatives trader.
In a way, "Quantum Hoops" isn't even about basketball. It's about a culture at Caltech in which basketball is an afterthought, where everything else in life is more important. Greenwald introduces us to some of the team's most interesting alums - the men who have made names for themselves in fascinating ways off the court.
There's Robert Grubbs, an honorary coach at Caltech who won the 2005 Nobel Prize for chemistry. There's Huckleberry Seed, who was one of the program's all-time greats before he dropped out, declared himself a pro gambler and became a millionaire at the 1996 World Series of Poker. There's Fred Newman, who no longer plays basketball competitively but etched his name in the Guinness Book of Records when he made 20,000 free throws in one day. And there's Dick van Kirk, a former player who made it to the 1984 Olympics. (Of course, it was as their VP of technology.)
Into an 85-minute film, Greenwald packs a multitude of compelling stories, and he tops them all off with a climactic final scene. With the Beavers rallying, the music pumping and the seconds ticking away, Greenwald builds a level of suspense all but impossible in a game played before an audience of a few dozen. In the end, you'll find yourself pulling for those irresistible Beavers, right down to the final shot.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
RJ Wolverine
posted 4/04/08 @ 1:46 PM EST
Strange twist: Amherst is opening their season next year AGAINST CALTECH!
Evans Clinchy
posted 4/04/08 @ 4:32 PM EST
Opening betting line: Amherst -65
Although if there are economists/math majors in Pasadena with a convincing case otherwise, I'd be happy to defer to them. (Continued…)
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