Who says “boy meets girl” is the root of all movie plots? There’s an equally good case to be made for “underdogs meet the Big Game.”
The big game here is lacrosse, and the underdogs are Native American teenagers from the fictitious Senoquot reservation. Their scrappy team, the Crooked Arrows, reaches the playoffs via a redemption-seeking coach (Brandon Routh) and players who discover new reserves of talent and heart.
The twist on this old theme is the emphasis on lacrosse’s Native American roots, and its important, even sacred place in the teens’ culture. However, the young, mostly nonprofessional cast can’t flesh out characters who possess only stock qualities — the shy nerd, the aggressive star player, the feisty tomboy. Even lacrosse itself doesn’t gain much depth for the uninitiated. The impression given of the game consists of a ball, some sticks and people slamming into each other every 10 seconds.
In another era, “Crooked Arrows” might have been an after-school special, perfect to have on the TV while cleaning the house; miss a scene while you’re dusting under the couch, and you’ll still know exactly what’s happening later. Disliking this film feels churlish, like rooting for the Yankees to crush the Little League champs. But amiability, and the natural affinity most people have for David over Goliath, can’t substitute for skill and imagination.