Synopsis
Dickie V chronicles the remarkable life and career of Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale, ESPN's voice of college basketball for more than four decades, and an inspiration as he's battled cancer, a disease he's been fighting on behalf of others for years as well. Weaving through the present and the past as it chronicles Vitale's struggle against melanoma, lymphoma, and ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords with raw, revealing scenes of the broadcaster in the hospital and recovering at home, the documentary also offers a history of ESPN, considering Vitale's time at the network goes back to its origins. He called the first-ever college basketball game the network aired, Wisconsin at DePaul on December 5, 1979. Since then, he's done more than a thousand games, his thorough knowledge of the sport brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, and never boring style. His "Vitale-isms" have taken on a life of their own, with "Awesome, baby!," "Get a T.O., baby!", "PTP'er" (primetime player), M&M'er (a mismatch), "Diaper Dandy" (freshman star), and many more all becoming part of the vernacular. Along with so many tremendous moments on camera, there's also been Vitale's devotion to fighting cancer, well before he was stricken with the disease, a passion originally ignited by his dear friend, college basketball coach Jim Valvano. Vitale's focus has long been fighting pediatric cancer in particular, and he has helped raise tens of millions of dollars for the cause. The timing of the film is especially poignant considering the 83-year-old Vitale's recent battle with cancer, and his upcoming honor at the ESPYS as the recipient of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.
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Director
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Nick Nanton
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Producer
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Spencer Barry,
Chantre Camack,
Scott Siebers,
Sharee Stephens
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Genre
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Biography,
Documentary
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Original Language
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English
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Release Date (Streaming)
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Jul 20, 2022
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Runtime
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1h 20m
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