The small factory town is dead, and it's not coming back. We can talk about the heartland with nostalgic fondness, but it's almost become meaningless since we know that these are the ghost towns of the 21st century. Medora puts a human face not on an issue or a political argument but simply presents of a reality of impoverish people who could drown in despair, and decide to proudly fight for a win. Any victory will do, and Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart's documentary celebrates perseverance without ever reducing the concept down to a motivational poster. In the small farming community of Medora, Indiana, the high school basketball team can't even come close to winning a game. It's not their fault. Other towns have consolidated their schools, and therefore have a larger talent pool. The result is that it hurts to watch the Medora Hornets, a former championship team with its heyday during the factory town's glory years in the mid-20th century. Today, the Washington Generals have a better shot at victory. But the Hornets' losing streak has become a symbol of the town's decline and the difficult personal lives of the players who come from poverty and broken homes. If the town and players are tied to the team, then one victory could mean more than anything, even if it's just a high school basketball game. In 1989, Michael Moore's first documentary, Roger & Me, was released. The film is about the decline of Flint, Michigan where he was born. It's ...
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