Church Ball
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
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{{One source|date=August 2021}}{{More citations needed|date=August 2021}}
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{{Infobox film
| name = Church Ball
| image = Church_Ball_Movie_Poster.jpg
| caption =
| director = Kurt Hale
| writer = Paul Eagleston
Kurt Hale
Stephen Rose
| producer = George Dayton
Kurt Hale
Dave Hunter
| starring = Fred Willard
Andrew Wilson
Clint Howard
Gary Coleman
Ross Brockley
Curt Dousett
Larry Bagby
Steve Anderson
| cinematography = Billy Webb
| editing = Wynn Hougaard
John Lyde
| music =
| distributor = Halestorm Entertainment
| released = {{Film date|2006|03|17}}
| runtime = 91 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $1,000,000
| gross = $464,991{{Mojo title|churchball}}
}}
Church Ball is a 2006 sports comedy film written and directed by Kurt Hale. It follows an underdog Latter-day Saint church basketball team and their attempts to make it to the championship in the league's last season. The film stars Andrew Wilson, Fred Willard, Clint Howard, and Gary Coleman.{{Citation |last=Hale |first=Kurt |title=Church Ball |date=2006-03-17 |type=Comedy, Sport |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457303/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |others=Andrew Wilson, Amy Stewart, Clint Howard |publisher=Halestorm Entertainment}}
Plot
A local Utah LDS Church holds the record as having the worst basketball team in the church ball league. The team has failed to make it into the church tournament in the past 20 years. Due to rumors of this being the last year of the league, former team coach, and now Bishop Linderman (Fred Willard) has called Dennis Buckstead (Andrew Wilson) to coach a team made of clumsy misfits to the championship.
Church expectations of brotherly love, sportsmanship, and fellowship fall prey to competitive fierceness in the effort to win, while Dennis works to bring unity and cooperation.
Cast
- Andrew Wilson as Dennis Buckstead
- Fred Willard as Bishop Linderman
- Clint Howard as Gene Jensen
- Gary Coleman as Charles Higgins
- Amy Stewart as Susan Buckstead
Production
= Development and casting =
The original script for the film was written years beforehand by Kurt Hale, Paul Eagleston, and Stephen Rose.{{Cite web |date=2006-03-17 |title='Church Ball' may be HaleStorm's last LDS comedy |url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/3/17/19943534/church-ball-may-be-halestorm-s-last-lds-comedy/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} Halestorm Entertainment began production of the film in 2005. Gary Coleman was cast as Charles Higgins. Andrew Wilson, Clint Howard, and Fred Willard were later cast as Dennis Buckstead, Gene Jensen, and Bishop Linderman, respectively.
= Filming =
Filming took place primarily in Orem and Provo, Utah in 2005. The former Douglas Ward meetinghouse at 721 S 1200 E in Salt Lake City and the former Wallsburg meetinghouse in Wallsburg were both used for filming.{{Cite web |last=Barlow |first=Jacob |date=2020-02-08 |title=Church Ball (2006) |url=https://jacobbarlow.com/2020/02/08/church-ball-2006/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=JacobBarlow.com |language=en-US}}
During filming, Gary Coleman met his now wife, Shannon Price, on set. Price was an extra in the film.{{Cite web |title=Gary Coleman Wife: An Untold Story & Disputed Legacy |url=https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/gary-coleman-wife |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.blinkist.com}}
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed {{nowrap|twelve critics}} and reported a 17 percent approval rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 4.3 out of 10. It received a 39% approval rating from audiences.{{Cite web |title=Church Ball {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/church_ball |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}} On IMDb, it holds an average of 4.2 out of 10 star audience rating.
= Actor's responses =
Gary Coleman described his dissatisfaction with the film's quality. Although he stated he enjoyed the process of making the film, he remarked that watching the production process was like "giving monkeys cameras and lights." Despite this, the project introduced Coleman to Utah, and he moved to Santaquin soon after filming. He later commented that he was thankful to Kurt hale for introducing him to the state.
Clint Howard praised Halestorm Entertainment for producing family-friendly entertainment.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.churchball.com/}}
- {{IMDb title|id=0457303|title=Church Ball}}
- {{rotten-tomatoes|church_ball}}
{{Halestorm Entertainment Films}}
Category:American basketball films
Category:2000s sports comedy films
Category:American sports comedy films
Category:Christianity and sports
Category:Halestorm Entertainment films
Category:2000s English-language films
Category:English-language sports comedy films
{{2000s-comedy-film-stub}}
{{LDS-stub}}
{{2000s-US-film-stub}}