Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Benas Mcloughlin Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

rotsmovie "Edge" is a pretty weak adaptation of a documentary by Rick Derby called "Rocks with Wings." I caught Derby's documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival a few years ago and I recently rented "Edge" because I enjoyed Derby's work so much and was excited to see that a movie seemed to have been made based on it. After watching it, however, I thought it unfortunate that movie makers couldn't make a great adaptation without turning it into a syrupy "Remember the Titans" formula or ratcheting away the true humanity and beauty of a work like "Rocks" by throwing in stereotyped Native-American problems of teen delinquency (teen pregnancy and alcoholism, which is nowhere in the documentary) and a poor excuse for a sports climax (when basketball was only half of the story in the documentary). "Edge" also only gave a brief patronization of the whole idea of the Navajo art philosophy central to the documentary, and outright ridiculed the "rocks with wings" mythology ("No, it's just a big rock"). The characters were flat and stereotyped and the story arc plain implausible and rushed. It's a shame that a better movie couldn't have been made that would be true to the cultural lessons and conflicts and in posthumous honor of Jerry (the African-American coach who comes from the east coast to teach/coach in Shiprock, New Mexico). Aside from the obvious, none of the important conflicts of the documentary could be found in the movie; i.e. the cultural clash between African-American individual achievement in the face of adversity (of which Jerry was a great example) vs. the Navajo cultural ethos of taking things as they come; or the real and interesting spiritual dichotomy between traditional Navajo mythology and the newer ideas of Christianity—both important to the native community; the triumph of unity that the team's success brought to the community was also missing; also, the metaphor of Navajo art and expression compared to the real life drama unfolding in the lives of the girls, the coaches and the team mother, as these conflicts and the "imperfection" of their lives and humanness that led them to ultimately learn to "win the right way." "Edge" will let you kill a couple hours with an almost-well done formula movie about a conflict of cultures within the context of a high school girls basketball team, but for a much richer look at a real life drama that comes from a clash of cultures and coaching styles, the injustice of discrimination and triumph of human desire, the connections between life and art, the heroism within competitive sports and a myriad of human motives that play out among a cast of characters that are a universal microcosm of the people we meet everyday, check out Derby's documentary.

thegort This fine film has been shown on Showtime and has finally been released on DVD. The previous documentary on the subject, Rocks With Wings, is not available on video or DVD, to my knowledge. If you enjoyed Eyre's Smoke Signals, you will likely love this one. Great characters, a lovely story, much humor, and some pathos are present with a large dose of Navajo wisdom and custom. A highlight was Coach's realization of the irony of being called "white man", a highly derogatory term, when he was behaving badly. The acting was consistently fine from both the professionals and the young amateurs. The director's deft touch had us constantly on the verge of tears and laughter. Highly recommended.

aaaacme Another viewer wrote: "Killer premise: Black male teacher is recruited suddenly to teach English at an Indian reservation high school and takes over as coach of the hapless girls basketball team." Actually, it wasn't an original premise at all, but a true story.Just enough details were changed by the producers to avoid having to pay for the rights to the life of coach Jerry Richardson and the young women of the Shiprock, New Mexico Lady Chieftains high school basketball team. An award-winning documentary ("Rocks With Wings") about Coach Richardson, the team, and their profound influence upon life on the Navajo Reservation had already played across the country and aired on PBS before Chris Eyre and Willy Holtzman attempted their awkward adaptation-- "Rocks With Wings" tells the same story, but with far greater insight and subtlety, as well as a few more plot twists. I would recommend that documentary over "Edge of America" to anyone interested in this story.

scott-551 An above-average TV movie that avoids the pitfalls of cliche.This movie began airing as "On The Edge" on the Dutch Hallmark Channel in December 2003. It's a solid piece of work on all levels, well above average for family-oriented TV movies. James McDaniel performs with typical power as Kenny Williams, a racially aggrieved black schoolteacher and basketball coach who has relocated from his home in Texas to the Three Nations Reservation in Utah. There the coach takes over the hapless girls' basketball team. Predictable culture clashes, high-school social conflicts, family tensions, and athletic drama unfold from there. But the story remains relatively spare, relying on believable characterization rather than its timeworn plot elements to carry the film. Williams' struggle to adapt to, and find acceptance in, his new community dominates the story. At one point, not long after a parent from a nearby white high school has all but called Williams a "nigger," the mother of a girl on the team dismisses him as a "white man."It's surprisingly compelling material, but it means that the Native American community drops into the background despite the able performances of a large cast. This is a movie about a black coach in a Native American community, not a movie about a Native American community with a black coach. The latter would have been a more compelling story. The very similar "Stand And Deliver" devotes more attention to the students in the story and is a better movie for it.The movie is beautifully shot. Interior scenes convey a feeling of authenticity with their lived-in-ness, and the exterior shots do justice to the majestic landscapes of the American West. Also, the soundtrack features several new recordings by singer/ songwriter Annie Humphrey. "Edge of America" and "Good Medicine" might be her best work to date.Thankfully, the new coach is not able to turn his team into state champions overnight with a motivational speech at the end of the first act. Instead, we see Williams repeatedly making mistakes and struggling to learn from them for the sake of his own pride and the team's progress. His relationship with the girls on the team is complicated by their appreciation of his efforts and their frustration at his shortcomings. The story concludes with a satisfyingly low-key scene of homecoming for the team and their coach that steers clear of either the triumphalism or mawkish melodrama that mar most sports dramas.