Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996 TV Movie) User Reviews

Truly a legend we almost never even knew was there.

[jtfsouth · 9/10 · 20 April 2000]

Like many, I had never even heard of Earl Manigault until I saw the movie. I am not even that much of a basketball fan. But after seeing this movie, it created an all new interest in not only basketball, but learning a little more about Earl Manigault.

It also teaches us a valuable lesson that I have always believed in.

No matter how bad you may think you sank, there is always a way to make things better for yourself. Earl found that out with some help and taught it to a whole new generation of kids.

Just like it said in the movie: " He rose on the court and fell, only to rise again".

Remember very fondly.

[TheEmulator23 · 8/10 · 10 March 2008]

This movie I saw once but often think about the legend of "The Goat." I don't remember specific scenes particularly but I oft' think about this film. I'm not sure even when or even if I meant to see this. However thinking any film that has "The Goat" in the title had to be good. The absolute brilliant portrayal by Don Cheadle (who was relatively unknown then) and the general true story about this should have been great player is something I often think about. Just how we often think about how much better people were when they are gone is how I think about this film. I'm almost afraid to watch it now as I have seen twice as many movies now then I did then and I have such a reverence for it that there is no way it is as good as I remember. Just as I thought "The Karate Kid" was so great when it came out and having gotten my brown belt in Koden Kan and watching it as an adult and laughing at how absolutely bad the karate is. I don't know if I should watch it having studied film. Granted I'm no Roger Ebert (the only real movie reviewer that counts, Roeper do you know what makes a good film!!! Earl Dittman *cough* a guy that thinks anything on film is the best thing he's ever seen, Shame on you studios for thinking we will see things like "Daddy Day Camp!" Cuba Gooding Jr. you won an Oscar! What happened?) Sorry back to the movie If you want to see a movie no one has ever heard of and is a sad story but wished they could have seen this guy dunk on 12 foot rim (I think that is how high the top of the backboard is) how cool would that have been to see? Anyway kids don't do drugs, and maybe someday we could see some one like this someday. I particularly remember Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when asked after all the players he played against and with saying that "The Goat" was the toughest player he had ever played against. I just remember waiting all basketball season long to see Larry Bird and the Celtics play Magic Johnson & Kareem & the Lakers. Well just see this flick. If it is as good as remember just give this flick a try.

Everyone Knows an Earl

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 3 October 2020]

I think everyone knows an Earl Manigault--a guy who was superbly gifted, yet wasted his talents.

Earl "The Goat" Manigault was a New York streetball legend, and that's saying a lot because they've had more than their fair share of hoops legends. Played by Don Cheadle, we got to see his limitless potential. With minimal application he probably could've gone to the NBA and perhaps even landed a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Unfortunately, like so many Black men growing up in the ghettos of America, he was bit by the drug bug. He got hooked on heroin and it sucked his life away. I'd almost prefer to see a man gunned down than to see him succumb to a drug addiction.

Earl managed to kick his habit and do something positive though his college and professional hoop dreams were over. As the ending credits noted, he organized "The Goat Walk Away From Drugs Tournament" and had been running it for 25 years as of 1996. And maybe, just maybe this was a better outcome than his going pro, because who knows how many lives he positively affected through his tournament.

The greatest basketball player world has never known.

[Alive-3 · 10/10 · 18 November 1998]

Have you ever done a slam-dunk? Did you feel this triumph over the gravitation, height and fear? There are or there were persons who does or did it better. People will always remember players like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson. Will they remember the most celebrated streetball player Earl 'Goat' Manigault who has never played in NBA? This movie shows Earl Manigault not just as an idolized legend, but a person with his weakness, fear and shame. Jumping up and falling down are the opposite sides of complicated Earl's life. This is at least fair that 'Rebound' has been developed when Earl 'Goat' Manigault was alive. Everybody has his bottom line, but there are few persons who can get through it and find the way out. Earl was the one. I appreciated a play by Don Cheadle as Earl Manigault.

Serious, dramatic and fun movie for those who like basketball and not just it... Rating: 10 of 10.

The greatest basketball player world has never known

[Alive-3 · 10/10 · 15 November 1998]

Have you ever done a slam-dunk? Did you feel this triumph over the gravitation, height and fear? There are or there were persons who do or did it better. People will always remember players like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Irving, Magic Johnson. Will they remember the most celebrated streetball player Earl 'Goat' Manigault who has never played in NBA? This movie shows Earl Manigault not just as an idolized legend, but a person with his weakness, fear and shame. Jumping up and falling down are the opposite sides of the story about complicated Earl's life. This is at least fair that 'Rebound' has been developed when Earl 'Goat' Manigault was alive. Everybody has his bottom line, but there are few persons who can get through it and find the way out. And Earl was the one of them. Perfect movie for those who like basketball and not just it... Rating: 10 of 10.

Don Cheadle

[danpatchk · 7 January 2004]

Don Cheadle is amazing in this movie. His reaction to his friend's overdose is a truly astonishing piece of acting. I don't know if he won any awards for this role, but he should have. If you have not seen this flick, you must.

Could this be a rare good basketball movie?

[tastyhotdogs · 6/10 · 9 March 2007]

I was so scared after "Heaven Is A Playground" I thought I'd never see another basketball movie again. But with little else on, I decided to give "Rebound...." a go. I mean it's about basketball, tells the story of a legend, and has the "Soul Glo" guy from "Coming To America" in it, so it couldn't be all bad.

The story begins from "The Goat's" early days as a kid in Harlem. He amazes some older guys when given the chance to play in a pick up game and from there his legend rises. "The Goat" has an amazing leap, a deadly shot, great ball-handling skills- it seems the sky will be the limit. Soon though "the Goat" starts mixing with the wrong crowd and as tragedy enters his life, he gets into smack. Before he knows it, the best years of his life are gone and "The Goat" decides he'll turn to helping others.

It's an OK movie, but hardly a rare story and not much made this movie stand out. Could have had more stuff from when he quit the heroin and helped the kiddies, and a bit more basketball action, but that may have been difficult as Don Cheadle's basketball skills weren't too convincing.

The Best basketball movie ever made!!!!!!

[geemar22 · 10/10 · 22 July 1999]

Rebound is the best basketball movie I ever seen. I love how the 'Goat' soar through the air grabbing money of the top of the backboard. That guy could jump. I also like some of the moves he does when he drives and all kinds of stuff. Overall if you haven't seen this movie then go out and rent this.

rebound

[nycharlem · 10/10 · 5 June 2007]

was a great movie I thought it told of a mans life the roads each of us choose sometimes the bad as well as the good all in all the goat made the right move eventually . great movie true to life it showed the great city of new york for which Iam from fantastic new york story it also shows what do a man do when he falls he gets up it also focus on greats like Connie Hawkins/earl the pearl / Kareem Abdul jab bar/wilt chamberlain also it showed the real EARL MANIGAULT FANTASTIC he had moves that were not seen in those days......all of the actors were fantastic including don himself great movie that all should see also Eric Lasalle was fantastic as a director......

Basketball isn't everything

[ThunderKing6 · 10/10 · 26 November 2023]

There were to many notable actors in this joint.

If this story was 100% true. Earl truly did mess up. That's why basketball isn't everything.

November 26th 2023rd

Genres:

Sports, basketball, drama, biography

Duration:

1H 46M

What was this movie about? :

This movie was about the life of the so called greatest basketball player to never play in the NBA.

The story and the production overview:

Before he became War Machine he struggle in the war in the streets. Then became a looney to on God.

Anyways... A good film just was not expecting a big fall like that. He Had so much promise and threw it away.

Which makes the story highly interesting.

Don does well also assisted by many legendary actors.

Overall a solid sports flick about a guy that never became.

Highlight:

KG was Wilt Chamberlain

Moral:

Drugs are bad. Don't do drugs.

Villian:

He's the Lean on Me guy who wanted a piece of J Clark... He's a boss in this though

Rating:

Love it

Final Words:

GOAT became a lemming.

A fallen star

[IrockGswift · 27 February 2003]

A man who could have been the best NBA player in basketball history fell victim to the abuse of drugs (heroin). Earl Manigault was Kareem Abdul Jabbar favorite street ball player,and had the highest jump that anyone couldn't image. This movie was interesting and inspiring,especially for me who was playing ball at the park around the time this movie was televised (1996-97). Well written by ER star Eric Lasalle.

TV movie - but still a powerful message

[bob the moo · 13 September 2001]

Not really a basketball film - most of the action is pretty poor, but the film is a message of being disiplined and not succumbing to the things that can cause you top loose your dreams. Specifically abound the NBA but it does apply generally. It is inspiring to see "the goat" as a junkie and a failure but to rise up again as far as he could. Don Cheadle is excellent as ever - in fact most of the cast is. But please! Eric la Salle is truely awful, haming up his character, including sub-plots that means his character looses his hands, plays ball and visibly suffers the effects of drugs - all of which he does badly and it's almost like he set it up for him to "show-piece" his hammy acting. Apart from him it's a good TV movie and the story makes up for the lower production values.

Pretty good, but embarrassing to watch Eriq Le Salle

[CAM-32 · 13 October 2000]

**this review gives away some of the plot, be careful!**

It was good to see Don Cheadle, he's a fine actor, but don't expect a performance on par with his tough guys in Out of Sight and Devil in a Blue Dress. Cheadle was a good pick, the part of a great basketball player is tough because you can get a real player who has good basketball skills but says every line like he's reading a foreign language (Ray Allen), or you can get a great actor who shoots like he's using the wrong hand (Ed Norton). Cheadle's game (dribbling, shooting) looks pretty good, the only thing that wasn't convincing were the scenes displaying Manigault's amazing leaping. Because Cheadle obviously cannot get that high, we get a shot of him taking off, then another shot of him up by the rim standing on a ladder or something; its just not convincing. Manigault's alleged dunks are so unreal that I would have really liked to actually see the entire dunk just like the real goat, in one shot, whether it took computer graphics or a double that looks nothing like him (Vince Carter), or a springboard disguised as part of the court.

Watching director Eriq Le Salle act in this movie is painfully embarrassing. For example, in his basketball scenes in the beginning (btw I REALLY liked the casual dress of the players) Le Salle adorns a pantyhose style hat, its out of place, but what's so embarrassing is that since he was the director he chose to brandish the hat himself. Similarly embarrassing is that he tries to steal more of the spotlight by having his character go to Vietnam, like the pantyhose hat, this is utterly useless to the story but he includes it to promote himself. And on top of that, Le Salle has his character come back from 'Nam having lost both arms (cheap, cheap, cheap) then overdose on bad heroin. You'll get a huge laugh watching LaSalle shake on the ground with his prosthetic limbs, easily a foot longer then they should be with obvious lumps in the forearms (hands holding the prop arms.) This shows no class on the part of Eriq, who as the director introduces a character who provides no insight and is useless to the story so HE can play it and have a chance to act like a brotha and convulse like he's overdosing, how embarrassing!!

Aside from that, this movie is pretty good and I recommend it to a basketball fan. Clarence Williams III and Forest Whitaker are both very good as always.

decent pic, w/some bad basketball sequences

[obliv · 29 April 2003]

i was familiar w/the goat from my early basketball days, mostly from his write up in the "in your face basketball book". i was interested in the story, and it was a good yarn.

the only qualms i have were some parts of the hoop scenes. in the midst of real nba ballers, we se eriq la salle, as allegedly, the best player on the court, unable to dribble without looking at the ball or use his left hand...his under the legs pass to a treaking player for a dunk was so laughable i almost stopped watching...

still, la salle is a fine actor, and he makes up for his weak balling w/a solid performance and workmanlike direction.

recommended for its unique tale of a lost legend, and some unintentionally humoroud basketball...