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| Sunset Park | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Steve Gomer |
| Written by | Seth Zvi Rosenfeld Kathleen McGhee-Anderson |
| Produced by | Danny DeVito Michael Shamberg Dan Paulson |
| Starring | Rhea Perlman |
| Cinematography | Robbie Greenberg |
| Edited by | Arthur Coburn |
| Music by | Miles Goodman Kay Gee |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $10,163,782[1] |
Sunset Park is a 1996 Americansportscomedy drama film directed bySteve Gomer, based upon a screenplay by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld and Kathleen McGhee-Anderson.[2][3] The film starsRhea Perlman as thehead coach of a high school boys basketball team from theSunset Park neighborhood inNew York City. The film also starsOnyx rapperFredro Starr and features an early film appearance fromTerrence Howard. It was produced by Perlman's husbandDanny DeVito.
Filming took place inNew York City. Included in filming locations were various high schools and public buildings as well as the world-famousMadison Square Garden. TheSunset Park soundtrack featured one of the first solo appearances ofGhostface Killah.Sunset Park was released on April 26, 1996 and went on to gross about $10 million at the box office.
Phyllis Saroka is aP.E. teacher at Sunset Park High School in New York City, who reads a flyer that her school is looking for a new boys basketball coach. Looking for more money to pursue opening a restaurant onSt. Croix, Virgin Islands, she decides to give the job a shot despite knowing nothing of basketball. She contacts the correct people and is given the job.
She shows up for her first day on the job and the team is already skeptical of her. When she walks in, she lets basketball players run the team, calling their own fouls, running their own plays, and basically allowing them to be carefree. During a game, she makes some bad decisions which irks some of the players on the team. This inspires her to learn more about the game with the assistance of her players. They help her and the team begins to slowly find success.
The team also has to deal with outside forces that threaten the team. Tyrik "Shorty Doo-Wop" Russell is on probation and eventually gets into more trouble. Spaceman is also on probation, is constantly using drugs, and has trouble with a teacher. Busy-bee got shot during the season and misses several games.
Several other players are having academic trouble and some don't even get along with each other. The team also find out that the coach only plans to stay with them one season and then leave to open a restaurant.
The team eventually comes together despite their differences and troubles. They end up with very successful season, and get into the city championship. They go toMadison Square Garden to face their opponent (Washington Heights) and lose by a small margin. Afterward, the coach informs them that they should be proud of themselves and that she will return next season.
The film has a 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[4]