Sweetwater (2023)
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- PG-13
- 1h 58min
- Biography, Drama
- 29 Sep 2023 (USA)
- Movie
In the fall of 1950, Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton makes history in his journey to become the first African American to sign an NBA contract, forever changing the game of basketball.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Awards:
- 5 wins & 3 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Everett Osborne | ... |
Sweetwater
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| Cary Elwes | ... |
Ned Irish
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| Jeremy Piven | ... |
Joe Lapchick
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| Kevin Pollak | ... |
Abe Saperstein
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| Richard Dreyfuss | ... |
Maurice Podoloff
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| Jim Caviezel | ... |
Sports Writer
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| Emmaline | ... |
Jeanne Staples
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| Eric Roberts | ... |
Judd
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| Ernest Harden Jr. | ... |
Coach Will Robinson
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| Robert Ri'chard | ... |
Pop
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| Kevin Daley | ... |
Goose
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Deandre Turner | ... |
Ermer
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| Herbert 'Flight Time' Lang | ... |
Babe
(as Herbert Lang)
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| Jude Thomas | ... |
Marques
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| Gary Clark Jr. | ... |
T-Bone
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| Dave Cobert | ... |
Dick McGuire
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| Paul Hipp | ... |
Syd Flannigan
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| Mike Starr | ... |
Eddie Gottlieb
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| Dahlia Waingort Guigui | ... |
Mrs. Lapchick
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| Liam Risinger | ... |
Richard
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Frank Buckley | ... |
Howard
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| Todd Ant | ... |
Marty
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| Wayne Federman | ... |
Referee Pete
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| Jim Meskimen | ... |
Desk Clerk
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Bobby Portis Jr. | ... |
Earl Lloyd
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| Joshua King Brooks | ... |
Chuck Cooper
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| Eric Etebari | ... |
Frank Colonie
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Steven Morse | ... |
Referee Norm
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| Jason Sklar | ... |
Referee Donnie
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Noah Guigui | ... |
Little Trotter
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| Ca'Ron Jaden Coleman | ... |
Sweetwater - 7yo
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| Ashani Roberts | ... |
Sweetwater's Mom
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| David Goryl | ... |
Garden Security
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| Brian J. Singer | ... |
Ben
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| Paul Burroughs | ... |
Walter Brown
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| Thomas Del Beccaro | ... |
Bones McKinney
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| Billy Malone | ... |
Dan
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| Tim Kavanagh | ... |
Reporter
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| Bryan Rasmussen | ... |
Chef
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| Craig Robert Bruss | ... |
Leo
(as Craig Bruss)
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| Ian Fisher | ... |
Mo
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Delijah McAlpin | ... |
14 Year Old Sweetwater
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David Cuddy | ... |
All Star College Coach
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Zion Moorman | ... |
Son Trotter Fan
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| Darren Moorman | ... |
Father Trotter Fan
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| Zachary Cowan | ... |
Ernie
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| Harry Zinn | ... |
Maitre d'
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| Joel Weiss | ... |
Fan - Lloyd Game
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| James Quattrochi | ... |
Big Tony
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| Kurt Andon | ... |
Loud Fan
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| Nick Stellate | ... |
Newsreel Announcer (voice)
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Howie Gold | ... |
Radio Commentator (voice)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Jonathan D. Black | ... |
Basketball Player (uncredited)
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| Mark Bonfigli | ... |
Coach Kundla (uncredited)
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Trevor Ossian Cameron | ... |
Basketball Fan (uncredited)
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James Cesa | ... |
George Mikan (uncredited)
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| Tanner Cortez | ... |
Amazing Shot Fan (uncredited)
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| Brien Dougherty | ... |
Gus Campbell (uncredited)
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| Paul Riley Fox | ... |
Mechanic (uncredited)
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Preston Galli | ... |
Autograph Seeking Boy (uncredited)
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| Ryan Hafron | ... |
Basketball Player (uncredited)
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| Christine Heneise | ... |
Barn Game Attender (uncredited)
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| Marty Herzog | ... |
Bar Patron (uncredited)
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| John T. Hillman | ... |
Basketball Fan (uncredited)
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| Jeff Jocoy | ... |
Jim Pollard (uncredited)
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| Malik Jubal | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Nick Lux | ... |
Basketball Fan (uncredited)
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Ronald McAdams | ... |
Scorekeeper (uncredited)
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| Chance McCoy | ... |
Ernie Vandeweghe (uncredited)
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J.J. Miller | ... |
Doorman (uncredited)
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Clifton Nathaniel | ... |
Joe Nathaniel (uncredited)
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| Nikki Nevarez | ... |
Basketball Wife (uncredited)
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Bob Okun | ... |
The Mayor (uncredited)
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| Thiago Oliveira | ... |
Sweaty Knicks Player (uncredited)
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| Mircea Oprea | ... |
News Reporter (uncredited)
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Alessandro Palladino | ... |
All-Star Trainer (uncredited)
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| Jason Pfister | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Joel Post | ... |
Knicks Trainer (uncredited)
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| Logan Spahitz | ... |
Basketball Fan (uncredited)
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| Mark Tietsort | ... |
Les Harrison (uncredited)
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| Michael Westphal | ... |
Harry Gallatin (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Martin Guigui | ... | (directed by) |
Written by
| Martin Guigui | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Mark Bonfigli | ... | co-producer |
| Wen-Chia Chang | ... | executive producer |
| Craig Cheek | ... | executive producer |
| Ron Eli Cohen | ... | associate producer |
| Mason Cooper | ... | associate producer |
| David Cuddy | ... | executive producer |
| Rodric David | ... | associate producer |
| Jason Duan | ... | executive producer |
| Michael Durden | ... | executive producer (as Michael E. Durden) |
| David E. Fischer | ... | executive producer (as David Fischer) |
| Esther Guigui | ... | assistant producer |
| Michael Hauser | ... | associate producer |
| David Scott Helms | ... | executive producer (as D. Scott Helms) |
| Ruben Islas | ... | executive producer |
| Josi W. Konski | ... | producer |
| Megan Mieduch | ... | associate producer |
| Tim Moore | ... | producer (produced by) (p.g.a.) |
| Darren Moorman | ... | producer (produced by) (p.g.a.) |
| Tom Ortenberg | ... | executive producer |
| Warren Ostergard | ... | co-producer |
| Scott Pomeroy | ... | executive producer |
| Dee Shiver | ... | creative consultant |
| Nick Stellate | ... | co-producer |
| Dahlia Waingort Guigui | ... | producer (produced by) (p.g.a.) |
| Ming Wang | ... | executive producer |
| Svetlana Stella Dreyfuss Wolf | ... | co-producer (as Stella Dreyfuss) |
Music by
| Jeff Cardoni | ... | (music by) |
| Martin Guigui | ... | (music by) |
Cinematography by
| Massimo Zeri | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Eric Potter | ... | film editor |
Editorial Department
| Patrick Brennan | ... | data manager |
| John Daro | ... | digital intermediate colorist |
| Sheila Swift | ... | first assistant editor |
Casting By
| Zora DeHorter | ||
Production Design by
| Jack G. Taylor Jr. | ||
Set Decoration by
| Donald Krafft | ||
Costume Design by
| Tiffany Hasbourne | ||
Makeup Department
| Kim Berry | ... | hairstylist |
| Jeong-Hwa Fonkalsrud | ... | makeup department head |
| Mika Michelle Garcia | ... | makeup artist |
| Teresita Mariscal | ... | key hair stylist |
| Jason Chandler Pettus | ... | hair stylist |
| Alex Rondon | ... | additional makeup artist |
| Sapphire | ... | hair stylist |
| Myesha Starks | ... | hair department head |
| Ching Tseng | ... | additional makeup |
Production Management
| Tim Moore | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| John P. Aguirre | ... | additional second assistant director |
| Mustafa Harris | ... | additional second assistant director |
| Aida Lembo | ... | second second assistant director |
| Alan Steinman | ... | second assistant director |
| Tobijah Tyler | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
| Steve Ochoa | ... | property master |
| Michael Portillo | ... | gang boss: set dec |
| Andrew Rafner | ... | assistant property master |
| Josh Webb | ... | leadman |
Sound Department
| Rob Embrey | ... | post sound coordinator |
| José Antonio García | ... | sound mixer |
| Eric Gillingham | ... | sound effects editor |
| Jackie Johnson | ... | dialogue editor |
| Laurent Kossayan | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Itai Levy | ... | assistant sound editor |
| Chris McNaughton | ... | vocal engineer |
| Jacob Ortiz | ... | ADR Supervisor |
| James Parnell | ... | Supervising Sound Editor |
| G.W. Pope III | ... | foley artist |
| Ray Quintana | ... | Foley Mixer |
| Sheraton Toyota | ... | boom operator |
Visual Effects by
| Mayur Gangasagar | ... | vfx compositing supervisor |
| Mike F. Hedayati | ... | visual effects producer / visual effects supervisor : daybreak fx |
| Jeff Osborne | ... | visual effects producer |
| Jeffrey Osborne | ... | visual effects supervisor |
Stunts
| TaVon McVey | ... | stunt double |
| Peewee Piemonte | ... | stunt coordinator |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Mary Brown | ... | first assistant camera: "A" camera |
| Max Ciesynski | ... | electrician |
| Sal Coniglio | ... | additional first assistant camera |
| Dino Dumandan | ... | digital imaging technician |
| Blake M. Farmer | ... | rigging gaffer (as Blake Farmer) |
| Ian Fisher | ... | still photographer |
| Tammy Fouts | ... | "B" camera operator |
| Bruce Alan Greene | ... | "A" camera operator/steadicam |
| Christian Guerrero | ... | electrician |
| Brock Kingsland | ... | assistant chief lighting technician |
| Jonathan Kurt | ... | second assistant camera: "A" camera |
| Charlie McGlinsky | ... | best boy grip |
| Paul Monroe | ... | lighting programmer |
| Cale Nichols | ... | dolly grip |
| Jim Nygren | ... | first assistant camera "B"camera |
| Ashley Petrie | ... | grip |
| Jake Reeder | ... | key grip |
| Tony Rivetti Jr. | ... | additional still photographer |
| Andrew Small | ... | grip |
| Isaak van der Meulen | ... | chief lighting technician |
| Veronica Zazueta | ... | second assistant camera: "B" camera |
Casting Department
| Josh Engler | ... | extras casting |
| Rachel Gray | ... | extras casting |
| Selima Smith-Dell | ... | casting assistant |
| Merhawit Tewolde | ... | casting assistant |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Nicole D. Jones | ... | assistant costume designer (as Nicole Jones) |
| Jordana Leeds | ... | set costumer |
| Paola Serrano | ... | add'l costumer |
| Catharine Stuart | ... | costume supervisor |
| Gina Torretti | ... | wardrobe assistant |
| Tina Trinh | ... | additional set costumer |
Location Management
| Tawny Fernandez | ... | location manager |
| Juan Sebastian Laughlin | ... | key assistant location manager |
Music Department
| John Burk | ... | Executive Music Producer |
| Mason Cooper | ... | music supervisor |
| Gordon Goodwin | ... | score arrangement |
| Oren Hadar | ... | scoring mixer |
| Péter Illényi | ... | orchestra conductor |
| Apostolos Papapostolou | ... | Score Mix Assistant |
| Oliver Roman | ... | soundtrack and score recording engineer |
| Dénes Rédly | ... | recording engineer |
| Bálint Sapszon | ... | orchestra contractor |
| Yossi Shakked | ... | soundtrack and score mixing engineer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Sarah Horton | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| James Quattrochi | ... | transportation captain |
Additional Crew
| Mark Barrett | ... | stand-in |
| Dan Bazarian | ... | research consultant |
| Lisa Brown | ... | head wrangler |
| Candice A. Buenrostro | ... | production staff |
| Rocio Camacho | ... | additional production assistant |
| Kevin Daley | ... | basketball coordinator |
| André Devantier | ... | caterer |
| Lucas Fraser | ... | production assistant (as Luke Fraser) |
| Ashley Gasper | ... | production coordinator |
| Cassidy Hatchette | ... | production secretary |
| Kelsie Mathews | ... | production staff |
| Thiago Oliveira | ... | health and safety supervisor |
| Jacob Pozzi | ... | assistant production coordinator |
| Neil Sacker | ... | legal/creative consultant |
| Bill Tosheff | ... | historical consultant |
Thanks
| Cylk Cozart | ... | very special thanks |
| Shane Duffy | ... | very special thanks |
| Wayne Federman | ... | very special thanks |
| Steven Greener | ... | special thanks |
| Randy Holleschau | ... | special thanks |
| Ryan R. Johnson | ... | special thanks |
| Brett Kerr | ... | special thanks |
| Meadowlark Lemon | ... | acknowledgement |
| Tonia Madenford | ... | special thanks |
| Wallace Olsen Jr. | ... | very special thanks |
| Andrey Ostrovsky | ... | very special thanks |
| Tava Sofsky | ... | special thanks |
| Martin Sprock | ... | special thanks |
| David C. Traub | ... | very special thanks |
| Pete Wooster | ... | very special thanks |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Briarcliff Entertainment (2023) (United States)
- Hulu (2023) (United States) (video)
- Universal Pictures (2023) (United States) (Blu-ray)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Brauer & Co. (film tax credits)
- Budapest Scoring (orchestra contracting)
- Central Casting (extras casting)
- Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates (script annotation)
- Hollywood Caterers (catering)
- NBA Entertainment (production partner)
- Otto Nemenz International (camera equipment provided by)
- Pasaca Entertainment (funding)
- Ramo Law (Legal Services)
- Videogroove (production services)
- Warner Bros. Discovery (production services)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In 1949, Abe Saperstein, who owned and coached the Harlem Globetrotters, organized an exhibition game in New York City against the NBA champions, the Minneapolis Lakers. The game was witnessed by Ned Irish, owner of the New York Knicks, and his coach, Joe Lapchick. The Lakers were outplayed by the talented and inventive Black Globetrotters, with Sweetwater Clifton impressing the crowd with his graceful athleticism. Lapchick and Irish took the lead in advocating for the integration of the team, with the support of NBA President Maurice Podoloff. They worked with other team owners in the league to create a groundbreaking moment in history. Written by Frank Liesenborgs |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The story of the first African American to play in the NBA See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $8,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | After decades of failed attempts, thanks to efforts by the Naismith Hall of Fame and writer-Director Martin Guigui, in 2014 Sweetwater Clifton was finally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. At the press conference, Sweetwater's daughter Jataun Robinson accepted on her deceased Father's behalf and said "It's truly an honor, and it's about time." See more » |
| Goofs | While a player on the Globetrotters is tying his shoe, another player on his team comes to grab the ball directly from the distracted opposing inbounder, only to go ahead towards the basket for an easy lay-up. As this is happening, the referee does not blow his whistle to stop the play and call a violation, and instead appears to let the lay-up count for the Globetrotters. According to the NBA's rules, a defender cannot cross the plane of the boundary line and touch the ball until it is released from the inbounders hands. See more » |
| Quotes |
Mrs. Lapchick:
Look at me. You are Joe Lapchick. You don't have to break through a wall. You just go get Sweetwater, and you climb over that wall with him. See more » |