Storyline: High school student Annie Rojas (Coco Yares) has grown up playing basketball and loves the game. Since her school does not have a team for girls, Annie decides that the only way for her to play at a higher level is to try out with the boys. The coach, Will Cody (Rob Stewart), believes Annie is just as talented as most of the male players and encourages her; however, some players do not want a girl on their team, including Annie’s brother Freddie (Robert Luft).
It’s not often a Tacoma, Washington, high school basketball team gets nationwide notice. Actually, not often really comes down to never, but as the coming-of-age film Annie O was a nice story to consider and enjoy.
Viewer Review:
Cool
“This movie is about a girl that plays basketball all the time. I saw it on HB0 a long time ago. She wants to get on a basketball team. And no Annie O isn’t related to Annie (Tomorrow, Tomorrow, you’re only a day away) or Annie Oakley.”
Annie O was a nickname created from real life of “Little Miss Sure Shot” Annie Oakley.
Coco Yares who played Annie O, did a nice job acting with her brothers and her high school friends. Her shooting skills were nicely done, but . . . most of her baskets were set shots, which could have been easily blocked by a taller or just a decent defensive player.
“Rob Stewart played the coach who saw the ability of the young woman and encouraged her to participate and hone her basketball skills. Stewart, a Canadian born actor who specializes in action and adventure series, is best known for playing Nick Slaughter, the lead role in “Sweating Bullets.” A talented hockey player, Stewart had several athletic scholarships offered to him, which he had to turn down after sustaining an injury and losing a kidney.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
Like numerous films about Seattle and Tacoma, quite often producers have Vancouver, BC stand in for our local cities.
t was nice seeing a good film about sports being touted as happening in Tacoma. Although I was born in Nevada, Missouri (pronounced Mi-sur-a), my family moved to Tacoma when I was two years old. Before entering the fifth grade we moved to Lakewood, where I stayed until I found the love of my life at the University of Puget Sound. Since then, Peggy and I have pretty much only lived a mile or two or three from UPS.
I enjoy the game of Basketball. When the Seattle Sonics had their own Cable TV Channel Peg and I signed up to view them at home via TCI. Also, as members of the Tacoma Jaycees, we would rent a bus, buy a keg or two of beer and travel to Seattle to watch games live.
As a member of the Jaycees, I also played on our basketball team. I was actually more like a mascot. When we played for the state championship, I was dribbling the ball down court. As soon as I passed the half-court line, I fired up a nothing-but-net shot . . . and left the game a winner, much to the amusement of my fellow team members. One for one. So, you can see why I liked the film . . . and Annie O.
