Through the Fire

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Through the Fire

2005

1h 43m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

This documentary tells the story of basketball prodigy and Coney Island kid Sebastian Telfair, who has a chance to skip past college and go straight into the NBA. The cameras follow young Telfair as he hopes to take his high school team to another championship, lands on the cover of "Sports Illustrated," talks with major corporations about endorsement deals and tries to decide if he should go to school at Louisville University or become a professional player.

Critics Consensus

Through the Fire may raise more questions than it answers, but it's no less engrossing for its flaws.

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Peter Hartlaub

San Francisco Chronicle

An entertaining and compelling account of that year, even though most basketball fans will already know the ending.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 31, 2006

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Tim Cogshell

Boxoffice Magazine

Stylistically, it plays like an ESPN profile more than a serious documentary, but the issues and drama is all real enough -- and so is the big-league money.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 18, 2006

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Susan Walker

Toronto Star

Even if the outcome is already known by those who follow basketball, Through the Fire makes for a suspenseful movie with an emotional climax that exceeds any fictional screen treatment of sports heroism.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 17, 2006

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Kam Williams

Upstage Magazine

Valuable not because of sebastian Telfair's ultimate triumph, but because of how effectively it contrasts his achievement with the plight of so many other aspiring athletes for whom the fantasy of a pro career ultimately fails to materialize.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 30, 2007

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Eric Monder

Film Journal International

As exciting and involving as any well-made fiction film.

Mar 1, 2007

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Marty Mapes

Movie Habit

Sebastian has the nice-guy charisma of Derek Luke and he's easy to root for

Rated: 3/4

Apr 14, 2006

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Audience Member

<FONT FACE="Maiandra GD " SIZE="-1"> Pending Review... <a href="" target="_blank"><img src="http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/alexisreaver2132/cmg_soon.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

Entertaining as a comedy viewed many years later because Sebastian Telfair ended up being no greater than a fringe player who has bounced around from team to team never becoming the superstar that everyone thought he would be. At least he is well paid.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great documentary showing the last high school year of Sebastion Telfair and the influences and scrutiny on his game and decisions made during the year. Interesting and a likable family help make this a great story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

Rich documentary about the decisions a high profile recruit has to go through in todays age of big money. After watching this you'll be pulling for Telfair to succeed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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Audience Member

I remember watching this, where is Sebastian Telfair now?

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Dare i say must see? I think so.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Jonathan Hock

Director

Jonathan Hock

Producer

Diane Houslin

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

This documentary tells the story of basketball prodigy and Coney Island kid Sebastian Telfair, who has a chance to skip past college and go straight into the NBA. The cameras follow young Telfair as he hopes to take his high school team to another championship, lands on the cover of "Sports Illustrated," talks with major corporations about endorsement deals and tries to decide if he should go to school at Louisville University or become a professional player.

Director: Jonathan Hock
Producer: Jonathan Hock
Production Co: ESPN, Hock Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Feb 10, 2006
Release Date (DVD): Mar 14, 2006
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.1K
Runtime: 1h 43m