If you don’t know who Chris Herren is, don’t worry- most of the world doesn’t know either.
A former high school and college basketball star, Herren could have been the Denver Nuggets’ answer to Jason Kidd. But drugs and alcohol ruined his career and left a more interesting story for director Jonathan Hock’s ESPN 30 for 30 film, “Unguarded.†Down to earth, real and emotional, Herren’s journey is a documentary you’ll remember, but it’s pulled punches end up being more memorable than the story itself.
The footage of Herren doing motivational speaking is exactly that. He’s lost it all, but has managed to put his life back together. His story is inspirational, but you never get the feeling that you’re watching him at his worst. The TV footage of Herren playing shows him sporting a big smile, playing his heart out, all the while high as a kite and fighting his demons. There is footage of him at home, but it’s not nearly as bad as the footage in a film the likes of “Run, Rickey, Run,†which showed former NFL standout Rickey Williams at the bottom of the barrel.
You never get that in this film and that’s what hurts it the most. A lack of NBA sources also limits the scope of the film. At one point, Herren says former Nuggets stars Antonio McDyess and Nick Van Exel took him to the side, knowing his history with drugs and told him they were going to keep him clean. Why weren’t they interviewed for this film? Herren spent a year in Boston and aside from the footage of him playing for the Celtics, there’s nothing from the organization itself showing or supporting the story.
Herren also has a loving wife that has stuck by him through it all, but their love isn’t explained as much as it could have been. She’s an amazing character and it’s a shame that Hock didn’t get better footage with her.
Most of the footage is from Herren’s college coach, family and friends. While they give heart-felt accounts of his life, it feels like it just starts to scratch the surface. While the coming of age and happy ending story is inspirational, this film doesn’t show us enough of the dark before the light.
What saves the film is Herren himself. He’s generous and selfless in front of the camera. His ability to share his life, from the moment where he almost decided to leave his family and live with homeless people, to the time when he could finally look himself in the face again, Herren is magnetic. Hock’s ability to capture this shows his ability as a director, but the failure to get the “other†people affected by Herren’s life choices involved in the film is what makes “Guarded†unable to hit the free throw it needs to stand with other big name ESPN films.
Leave a Reply