Bad
as I Wanna Be: The Dennis Rodman Story (1998)(Made
for ABC-TV )
Dennis Rodman pops up to narrate at moments and interject
comments in this biopic that depicts his life from a
teen to the present. Mainly he's played as a character
by Dwayne Adway.
The piece is not the best made film with some moments
coming across as corny, some as badly produced and some
as poorly written. Still, for those of us who are interested
in Rodman, there is a lot to learn about his life exposed
here. We only have to stretch our imagineation a bit
to forget Adway isn't the wildman.
The best parts of the film come when Rodman is a youth
and having to deal with a strong willed mother. These
are followed by more good moments where Rodman is in
college and is "adopted" by a local white family. Of
course, he is in the deep south and the only dark skinned
person for miles, so the minute he gets off the bus,
rednecks drive by and taunt him verbally. Still, these
white folks who take him in, played with wonderful heart
by John Terry, Dee Wallace Stone and the young Michael
Caloz, make the story unique and interesting. It's a
surprising element in Rodman's life story that we just
haven't expected to unearth. When the real Rodman pops
up after some stereotypical moments to remind us it's
corny but true, it makes some of this work.
Later in the film, when Rodman hits stardom, the film
falters some, but it is still interesting to see what
changes Rodman into the odd person he has become. Also
interesting is his relationship with Madonna which tells
Rodman's side of their story.
"As Bad As I Wanna Be" may not be the best of films,
but for those of us interested in Rodman, there is much
to learn. For one, I didn't even know he played ball
before the Spurs. I didn't know he struggled so through
college. I didn't know about his friendships and hardships.
Call me crazy, but I think Rodman is one of those
exceptional humans, like Ellen Degeneres, Ryan White,
Rosa Parks, RuPaul, and Pedro Zamora who has made middle-America
wake up and take notice of the diversity of the world.
We need more people like that. The fact that Rodman
has done this via a sport that is particularly urban
and macho makes his story even more intriguing.
Note: A couple of songs by Third Eye Blind.
Review written in 1998
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