Brandon Judell
The Year of the Yao
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By Brandon Judell
The Year of the Yao is definitely one of the more masterful, entertaining documentaries of the year. Now this is indeed high acclaim because it's praise for a film about basketball coming from someone who has never been to a basketball game in his life nor cares to have been. I've always felt what's the big deal about getting an orange ball through a netted hoop.
Now that's all changed thanks to Yao Ming, who looks like an overgrown boy when we first meet to him -very overgrown, being 22 years old, 7 feet 5 inches tall, and China's most towering sports hero.
A few minutes later, his life is changed. It's bye-bye to China when Yao becomes the very rich Number One overall draft pick of the 2002/2003 season and winds up with the Houston Rockets.
Yao, who can barely speak English, ends up in the States with one billion Chinese fans expecting him to represent them to the world in a highly commendable light, plus a few million Texans expecting him to be their new hero. That's called pressure.
His only emotional means of support are his parents who've moved to the West with him plus his very short, Caucasian translator, Colin Pine, who winds up being the Mings' roommate.
Directors James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo wisely focus on the relation between Yao and Colin, who become as inseparable as twin brothers. Colin teaches his pal about the basics of American culture such as road rage, and Yao takes his buddy out for a dinner of snake.
As the doc's title announces, the film pursues these lads for one whole year, from Yao's bumbling start to his astounding game-wins to his Apple commercials to his being overwhelmed by the requirements of celebrity.
Always engrossing, almost tearful, this is a study of culture clashes, the globalization of sports, and most of all the friendship of two guys thrown together by a wise Fate.[Judell]
Directors: James D. Stern, Adam Del Deo
Cast: Yao Ming, Colin Pine, Spike Lee, Bill Clinton, P. Diddy, Jerry Yang,
Jack Nicholson
Copyright © Brandon Judell 2005
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