I'll watch a documentary on almost anything. Case in point, I just watched one on ping pong. And loved it.
It's no secret I really dug Spellbound back in 2002. It's an Oscar nominated doc about the national spelling bee. Riveting stuff. Well, Top Spin is like Spellbound but for table tennis players trying to make it to the Olympics in London in 2012. Kids who are 15 years old just kicking major ass.
Top Spin is really well done. Doesn't need a big budget. It just follows some students, tells their stories, and puts it all together in a quick narrative with a well-defined arc. Simple and effective.
The kids who are profiled are paragons of grit, as Angela Duckworth would say. It's true. These kids are the embodiment of steely grit and determination. I'd be super proud of them if I were their parents.
This is only 80 minutes. Stream it on Netflix. You'll learn about something you never knew about before....unless you happen to really, really be into ping pong.
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