Petr Nedved, Dale Tallon and Bryant 鈥淏ig Country鈥� Reeves.
They鈥檙e considered by many to be the holy trinity of 麻豆传媒映画sporting disasters, players with seemingly unlimited potential in their youth who then flamed out spectacularly once they reached the big leagues.
Kat Jayme, writer and director of the film Finding Big Country, with some of her memorabilia from the 麻豆传媒映画Grizzlies鈥� six-year run in town. Photo by Dan Toulgoet
Kat Jayme wants to change that narrative.
A life-long 麻豆传媒映画Grizzlies fan and Big Country devotee from day one, Jayme has spent the last three years looking for the elusive Arkansas giant who appeared to have dropped off the face of the Earth after his retirement from the NBA in 2001.
Jayme鈥檚 documentary Finding Big Country premieres this weekend at the 麻豆传媒映画International Film Festival. The film chronicles her search for Reeves and the city鈥檚 apparent blas茅 attitude towards Vancouver鈥檚 short flirtation with professional basketball.
鈥淚 think we had a legend in our backyard,鈥� Jayme told the Courier. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 understand that at the time, but after doing my research and making this film, his legacy became clearer to me.鈥�
On the surface, a 12.5 points-per-game career average does not scream 鈥渓egend,鈥� particularly given Reeves鈥� standing as a two-time Big Eight Player of the Year in college. It鈥檚 the same story for Nedved, who put up 145 points in his final year of major junior and only 124 points in his three years in Vancouver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afn7HkrEeMg
As for Tallon, a second-overall draft pick in 1970, he鈥檒l forever be dogged by Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault鈥檚 legendary career with the Buffalo Sabres that saw him amass 1,326 points.
All of that鈥檚 an aside for Jayme, and her love for the seven-footer goes beyond boards and dimes.
Just seven when the Grizzlies moved to town in 1995, Reeves is emblematic of Jayme鈥檚 childhood. Her dad and grandfather took her to boatloads of games while the team was in town and Reeves was the guy who always stuck out.
鈥淗e was the biggest guy out there,鈥� Jayme recalled. 鈥淚 knew he was our franchise player and his nickname was hard to forget. As a kid, he was the one that always stood out the most to me.鈥�
The Grizzlies鈥� woeful six-year run in 麻豆传媒映画ended in 2001, the same year Reeves retired from pro ball. Fourteen years later and armed with a UBC education in film, Jayme began her search. She spoke to beat reporters who covered the Grizzlies, former team employees and ex-club general manager Stu Jackson.
She didn鈥檛 get so much as a whiff of his whereabouts from any of them.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I found that no one has found Big Country 鈥� there鈥檚 no trace of him online,鈥� Jayme said. 鈥淲hen I talked to reporters, I was told he was considered the holy grail of interviews in Vancouver, so I made it my life鈥檚 mission to find him.鈥�
Predictably, Jayme is mum on the film鈥檚 outcome. She won鈥檛 say if the title rings true or if she travelled to Reeves鈥� home 鈥� at least according to Wikipedia 鈥� in small town Oklahoma.
All that is secondary in Jayme鈥檚 mind, anyway.
鈥淭he film is about childhood dreams, childhood heroes and who they become in our lives,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also about dreams and failures and looking at those failures years later and looking at them in a different light.鈥�
Advance tickets are sold out for both screenings of聽Finding Big Country聽on Sept. 30 and Oct. 8, though some remain for the Oct. 10 show the 麻豆传媒映画Playhouse.
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