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DVD review: Most Valuable Players

Kyle Kinder's photo
Houston Movie Examiner

Synopsis ~ Across the USA, high school sports are regularly lavished with funding, publicity, and scholarships, while theater departments struggle to put on the school musical hoping for some recognition of their own. Helping to settle the score are the “Freddy Awards,” a live television event that celebrates excellence in high school musical theater.
   Illustrating that arts education encourages the same teamwork, camaraderie and confidence as sports, MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS follows three theater troupes on their creative journeys to the elaborate award ceremony – the “Super Bowl” of high school musical theater.

Studio: Virgil Films
Running Time: 95 minutes
Rating: NR
Number of Disks: 1
 
Special Features:
- On Stage with MVP: Reunion at the State Theatre
- Sister Mary Theresa
- Frank VS. Rita
- Vic’s Interview
- Vic Copes
- Zach’s Party
- State Theatre History
- High School Sports
- Nazareth Refuses
- A Prayer for the Film
- Outtake Reel
- Sundance Interview:
  *Clip 1
  *Clip 2
- Commentary
- MVP Trailer
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   From the moment the curtain rises on Kallis’ rousing Most Valuable Players two things are boldly apparent, one is that the film looks to be a wonderfully wild ride; mimicking and chronicling the same energy-fueled journey the kids themselves are on, and the other is that although everyone is trying their best to mask the plot with pleasantries and public funding issues, ultimately this is a film about the pinnacles and pitfalls of healthy competition and its seemingly lost positive aspects.
   Because though some would love nothing more than to continually fly the typically misguided “everyone’s a winner” equality flag, I think nowadays even the films formidable sports programs are feeling the heat of discouraged-to-compete defeat. Moreover, the competition aspect is almost the ironic running joke of the entire Doc, as both directors and students alike downplay the drama while upping the drive.
   And while that dialed-in dose of denial may make for some rather hypocrisy laden moments, this MVP never strays from its passion or its honesty, highlighting and spotlighting a wonderful program that more schools should strive to imitate. The disc extras are all excellent, with just a few disappointments.
   Most notably from the exclusion of Sister Mary Theresa and the kids from her musical program – found in the Deleted Scenes “Sister Mary Theresa” – and a few other sad aspects that I won’t address here in the interests of not spoiling the experience for those eager to view the film.
   Notable extras highlights however include the history rich supplement “State Theatre History”, an engaging feature commentary, a fun Outtakes reel and entertaining deleted scenes, plus a “Where are they now?” reunion supplement that revisits some of the best moments and personas of the documentary.
   So with legions of eager “Freddy” fans and hundreds of waving jazz hands, Most Valuable Players is a wonderfully moving tribute to all things thespian.
 
*Purchase this title and other recent releases locally HERE
 
Central Writers: Christopher Lockhart
Theatrical Release: August 6, 2010 (IDA Docuweek)
Blu-Ray/DVD Release: February 21, 2012
Genre: Documentary | Comedy | Drama
Supporting Cast and more Writers found HERE
DVD: Most Valuable Players
DVD: Most Valuable Players
Photo credit: 
Virgil Films
Preview: Most Valuable Players

Video: Preview: Most Valuable Players

Rating for DVD review: Most Valuable Players:

4

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, Houston Movie Examiner

Kyle has been an entertainment reviewer for the past 12+ years and as such he always tries to infuse as much movie goodness as possible in every article. Kyle Kinder has always been the go to guy when it comes to knowing who the actor was that was in that movie last year with that other girl that...

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