FINDING TONY – A Review by John Strange
Finding Tony is a redemption story. There have been scores of this drama genre made over the decades. This film pits former basketball all-star, Tony Greene (Stephen Bishop), against a young lady, Destiny (Raquel Justice), who is supremely talented on the basketball court but has some real emotional issues that she is struggling with.
Each has emotional issues that are making a mess of their lives. Each has hurdles that they must surmount to reach a life worth living.
After a tumultuous start, the pair begin to straighten out their lives as the team develops a winning program. Then a car wreck brings out a bombshell that changes this story into something I didn’t expect!
The basketball action is well-written and choreographed. The dramatic scenes are as well written and performed as any I have ever seen. This is Raven Magwood Goodson’s directorial debut, though the third screenplay she is credited with writing.
Her decision to use Stephen Bishop was inspired. He knocks the role out of the park. As Destiny, Raquel Justice perfectly portrays the right levels of emotion to really bring out the young lady’s angst. The supporting characters were superb, each playing their role as it should be played.
Too often I see smaller independent films that get too full of themselves, but Finding Tony avoids that pitfall to give us a must-see movie! Well done everyone!
Director: Raven Magwood Goodson
Cast: Stephen Bishop, Raquel Justice, Josh Ventura, Columbus Short, David Banner, Isabelle Almoyan, Brook Sill, Jock McKissic, Rodney Perry, McKalin, Hope Jordan
MPAA Rating: NR TV-14
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 107 Min.
On-Demand Release Date: 06/18/2024
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Movie Site: FINDING TONY Official Site
Trailer: FINDING TONY Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
