Basketball dreams don’t come easy

in Boogie

Kathia Woods

Eddie Huang is a first-generation Taiwanese-American who grew up loving basketball and hip hop. Eddie's parents are Waishengren (Chinese born but migrated to Taiwan). Many of us know Eddie via his various cooking shows and the sitcom Fresh of the Boat. Boogie is his feature-film directorial debut.

In Boogie, he displays his love for the culture and basketball via a young man who grew up in New York. This young man is Alfred "Boogie "Chin (Taylor Takahashi). His gift is basketball, and he hopes that by transferring to this new high school, his dream of playing in the NBA becomes easier.

Boogie's family is far from easy. His father is a hustler who believes in his son's ability. When we meet Mr. Chin (Perry Yung), he's fresh out of jail. His mother is "the responsible one'. She makes sure the bills are paid but doesn't support Boogie's dream. She's wary of all the years of being married to a man she couldn't rely on, and that frustration often gets released on her son.

Boogie shows you a different type of Asian Family. This family has flaws. Gone is the troupe of the son aspiring to become a doctor or lawyer. This young man has hoop dreams. The film also shows us a different love story in Boogie and Eleanor (Taylor Paige). Boogie shows when not made to adhere to misconceptions, friendships flow naturally. Here are two people looking for solace in each other with zero pretenses.

This film, on paper, has the potential to say many things. It nicely shows that our surroundings influence us as well as our upbringing. Boogie is wonderfully comfortable being around Black people and has zero qualms about dating a Black girl. 

 We accept Boogie due to Taylor Takahashi. He is a first-time actor who played high school basketball. He met Eddie Huang in a recreational league in Monterey Park. His portrayal of Boogie was good but had the script been better developed; the audience would have connected to him on a deeper level. Taylor Paige, coming hot of the success of MaRainey, is a good actress; however, she and Takahashi's chemistry was lukewarm. Here you have two beautiful people trying to connect, but, once again, the words were missing.

Huang writing the script was not the best direction for this film as everything seemed unconnected. He desperately needed a co-writer to help him flush out his ideas. We understand the attempt, but it was the delivery that came up short.

A considerable part of this film is the theme of basketball. This kids' home life was a mess, and the one thing he had that kept him whole was his passion for the game. The sport is huge in New York, particularly in the boroughs, but the film lacked the action shots we needed to cheer for our hero.

Also, Pop Smoke, while a gifted rapper, wasn't very believable as a basketball player. Sadly, he lost his life, denying him the opportunity to see himself on screen.

Boogie had the foundation of being a good film. It's crucial to add assistance in areas that one lacks. Eddie Huang having a B. A in English and Film was not enough to make this script come to life. Also, there wasn't enough basketball footage in the movie. Naturally, the demographic this is intended for is younger, and for many Pop Smoke fans, this is another opportunity for them to see this gifted young man taken way to soon.