What began as a short film for HBO grew into feature-length documentary that is engaging from beginning to end. The subject of Jonathan Hock’s rags to riches story is Sebastian Telfair, a baby-faced former high school basketball phenom from the projects in Coney Island now a rising star with the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers. Hock follows Telfair through his senior year at Lincoln High, as the kid’s dream of becoming an NBA star is transformed into reality. In style and tone, “Through the Fire” compares favorably with “Hoop Dreams,” the 1994 documentary considered the gold standard of the genre. Hock’s film, however, features a storybook ending. (NOT RATED. RUNNING TIME: 103 MINUTES)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 10, 2006. Read the original PDF.