Spirit of the Game (2016) Movie Script
Hello, Delyle Condie speaking.
Basketball star.
It's a long time since
I've been called that.
Yeah.
Ken Watson?
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that.
He was a good man.
Yes. Well, thanks
for letting me know.
I'll keep you in my prayers.
Goodbye.
Oh, there's something
on your nose.
Every time!
Yeah, one of these days,
you'll catch on.
I hope not.
Emily, will you marry me?
I was going to get a ring first
and plan it all out, but...
Yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
Oh, shoot. I should have
asked your dad first.
What can he say?
Hi, Dad.
Hi, son.
Bye, son.
Oh, yeah, I'm getting married.
That's nice, son.
Hi, Mom.
You look happy.
Must have been a good movie.
Mmm.
We saw Lady and the
Tramp at the Grand,
and I don't know what it was,
but something about that movie
made me realize that Emily's...
Well, you know, her and I...
We just... We just...
Oh, dang it, I just
proposed to her!
Oh!
What did she say? Did she say yes?
How did you propose?
Wait, you don't have a ring yet?
Do you have a ring yet?
Oh, was she excited?
Oh, Delyle, this is so exciting!
Mom, take a breath, okay?
I don't have a ring yet.
But she said yes.
Congratulations.
Frank obviously gave
you his blessing?
Well, I haven't had the
chance to ask him yet.
Dad, I wanted to
talk to all of you
before I did anything,
but it just sort of popped out.
That's just you being you.
You have a great big,
loving Condie heart.
Could that be a problem, Dad?
Knowing Frank, I doubt it.
But I would take care of it
first thing tomorrow.
Well, we need to get you a ring.
Tomorrow we'll drive
to Molinelli's
at Pocatello and go shopping.
Oh, my, there is
so much to organize.
I need to make a list.
So many people to invite.
All the Wilsons, the Hamiltons.
Oh, dear, we can't
forget the McQueens.
Now look what you've done.
Congratulations, son.
Come here.
Kids have all gone
to bed, Mother.
Time for you as well.
I'm down to the last dozen.
No, they can wait till tomorrow.
May I have this dance?
Mmm.
Well. That was quite a...
Risky move back there.
Your eyes don't shine
Like they used to shine
And the thrill is gone
When your lips meet mine
Hey, Emily.
What are you doing here?
I needed to see you.
Sure.
Let's go outside though,
before someone sees you.
I have to, um...
I have to go to California
to help my sister Jodi
with her children.
Is everything all right?
It's just hard for her
with Jeff being away.
Do you need me to drive you?
No, thank you.
I'll catch the Hound
in the morning.
Is there anything I can do?
You're sweet,
but, no, I should only
be gone a few weeks.
I want to see you
in the playoffs.
I know you'll be great.
This is all I have,
but I want you to take it.
I have enough, thank you.
Well, I should go pack,
and you have to go
back to your studies.
Call me when you get there.
I will.
I love you, Em.
And your shot from the top
of the key, it was amazing!
Great game tonight, son.
Dad!
You should have told me
you were in town,
I would have got you tickets.
I was in town on business,
I just wanted to surprise you.
Yeah, well, you did.
It's great to see you.
Have you eaten?
You want to get something?
I would love that.
Let's go.
Okay.
You know, Lyman's
discharged from the Navy next week.
You think you can make it
back for his homecoming?
We're on the road
in Arizona next week,
but I could drive up as soon
as we get back to town.
He'd be happy to see you
whenever you can get there.
They all will.
How is everyone?
Well, your mother
misses you, of course.
There's no one to
cook for or fuss over.
Have you heard from Emily?
When is she coming back?
Well, she's busy
with her sister's kids.
She'll be back
in a week, I guess.
Oh.
Oh, and I forgot to mention.
Deverl Herzog had his
mission farewell last week.
See, he's leaving for
South Texas tomorrow.
No, I got a letter
from him last week.
Mmm.
Yeah, he's going to make
a great missionary.
You're doing what you love, son.
And that's good, too.
Your brothers would be proud.
All of them.
I know, Dad. Thanks.
Yeah.
How you kids listen to that
music I'll never know.
It's just yelling syllables.
You're showing
your age now, Pop.
Yeah, well, maybe I am.
Well, you just make sure you
get home to see your brother
first chance you get.
He's been gone a long time.
No, I will, Dad.
See you on home plate.
Bottom of the ninth.
It's a big game, okay,
let's just have some fun.
And you try and remember to
actually put some in the ring.
Not like last time.
The best shooter in the team.
Get out of here.
Give me that!
I always show you how it's done.
You made it!
Delyle.
I, um... I need
to speak with you.
I can't now.
I'll see you after the game.
We'll go somewhere
and celebrate.
I can't marry you, Delyle.
What?
Emily, I'll see you
after the game.
We can talk then.
No, there's nothing to
talk about. I just...
I can't marry you.
But why?
Here we go, honey.
Oh, thank you, dear.
There must be
something we can do for him.
Mother, we can't fight
their battles for them.
All we can do is
love and support them.
But look at him. He's lost.
I'm worried for him.
All right.
I'll talk to him.
Okay.
Okay.
Son.
You take a break, your mother
brought some lemonade.
Training camp starts
in a couple of weeks.
So what are you
planning on doing?
Because you've been moping
around here like a lame steer,
and I think
an apology is in order.
I'm sorry, Dad.
Not me, the backboard.
I should have gone to
California with her.
I was so stupid
to let her go on her own.
Yeah, well, did you
ever stop to think
that maybe it wasn't
meant to be?
You did everything right, son.
But it's God's will,
it's not yours.
It won't be the last time
that a girl does your head in.
It's not like that
with you and Mom.
We've had our moments,
we just don't do it
in front of you kids.
I'd be a weak man
if I let anger
control my emotions.
I just...
I thought she was the one.
Hmm.
I know the experts say that
you can't truly know love
until you've had
your heart broken.
Did you ever get yours broken?
No.
And there hasn't been a day
that I haven't loved your
mother with all my heart.
So what do
the experts know, right?
"Ex" means old, and spurt
is a drip of water.
"Drip of water."
You can, however,
use what you're feeling inside
to make you a better person.
Son, the decisions you make now
will determine
the rest of your life.
So choose things
that help you grow.
I know you're gonna
choose the right path.
Hey.
I want those boys to be doing fast
breaks all the way down the...
Delyle, come on in.
Could I please
speak to you, Coach?
You're cutting it
pretty fine, son,
you almost missed the bus.
I'm not getting on the bus.
Snowy, would you
give us a moment please?
I've decided I'm going to...
I'm going to serve a mission.
Why would you want to do that?
It's the right time in my life.
If I don't go now, I'll
probably never go, so...
I heard about your fiancee, son.
And I have to tell you
from experience
that you can't make
decisions like this
when your head's all messed
up because of a girl.
I want you to think
carefully about this.
We're creating a legacy here
that will be the envy
of all other schools.
If you leave now,
you're going to miss it.
No, it's not a decision
I've come to easily.
It's been on my mind
a lot lately.
I need to go and serve.
It's the right thing to do.
You can convince yourself that almost
anything is the right thing to do.
Playing basketball
could be the right thing.
This team's capable of anything.
You're capable of anything.
But I'm telling you now, if you
leave now to serve on some mission,
this, all this, is gone.
And I don't think you'll
ever play basketball again.
I'm sorry, Coach.
My mind's made up.
Condie.
Good luck, son.
This is heavy.
Bye, brother.
Don't forget Ted.
Really?
Oh, you.
Write to me every week, okay?
Let me know
if you need some food.
Goodness knows what
they eat down there.
And boil the water
before you drink it,
and don't go into the Outback.
God be with you
till we meet again.
Bye.
This is it, Dad.
It's really happening.
It is an honor and a privilege
to have you as my son.
I'll see you on home plate.
Bottom of the ninth.
Yeah.
Hi. You must be Condie.
I've been waiting for you.
I'm Elder Groberg.
Pleased to meet you.
Good times, huh?
Yeah.
Grab your stuff, let's go.
So, are you heading
to Australia, too?
No, I'm getting off at Tonga.
Tonga? Sounds
like heaven.
Yeah.
How are you today, sir?
Buongiorno, Bruno.
Welcome.
Elder Condie?
Welcome to Melbourne.
I'm Elder Johnson.
Brother Jones is driving.
Welcome, son.
This is Elder Christensen.
Good to meet you.
And that gentleman is your
companion, Elder Morton.
How's the journey?
Well, I fed most of
the fish in the Pacific,
but other than that it was okay.
You know, I'm keen to get
to the mission home,
have a shower and get settled.
Oh, you will.
But first we're gonna make a little detour.
We got a game on.
Of course, you've just arrived,
so why take you straight
to the mission home?
Let's go play a game instead.
A game?
Basketball.
You're playing basketball?
On your mission?
Yeah, I mean,
Australia is not like
anywhere else on this planet.
You are not in
Idaho anymore, Toto.
Thank you.
So, are you Australian?
Excuse me?
I'm British.
From Britain?
I speak the Queen's English.
Not the gibberish
they call language here.
Don't confuse me with
these barbarians again.
Well... I'm kidding.
It's a joke.
Ah.
Not about the barbarians though.
That bit's true.
Condie,
we're a man short. We're
gonna need you to play.
I don't have any gear.
What you're wearing will do.
All right, let's toss it.
Right, here we go, boys!
Great work, boys.
Go, Condie! Nice!
Yes, Condie, good!
Yeah, nice.
Great work, boys.
Nice work, boys.
Yeah!
Great game.
Good job, guy.
Well played, Condie,
well played.
Hey, good game tonight, Jim.
More Americans?
G'day, I'm Elspeth.
This is my husband Jim.
What are you doing?
Well, I'm just saying hi.
Sorry, sorry.
You get used to it.
President Bingham's
expecting us.
Any advice before I meet him?
He's not too bad, really.
Okay.
Come in!
Elder Condie, welcome to the mission.
Thank you, sir.
So, how was the game tonight?
Well, we won, sir.
I understand you played
in your regular attire?
Yes, sir, I didn't know
I was going to be playing
basketball tonight.
Well, it's a good thing you won
because I have to inform you
that's the last game you'll be
playing while you're here with us.
As of today, I'm going
to stop all activities
that don't directly
relate to our work.
We didn't come here
to play sport.
We have to get
our house in order
and that means not wasting time.
This is a very
difficult mission,
as you'll come to understand.
You'll need to be
obedient and steadfast.
Find, teach, baptize.
Now, get some rest.
Tomorrow you hit
the ground running.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Welcome to the room, Condie.
That's you just there.
Bathroom is just there.
That's it.
This is the most
beautiful ring I've ever seen.
I've already picked out our first
child's name. Just so you know.
Oh, you have?
Yes. It'll be a boy.
Noah Ethan Condie.
A boy, huh?
Mmm-hmm.
Great names, but do I get a say?
You can pick out
the girl's names.
Okay. Well, in that
case, I like...
Jezebel.
I thought you were serious.
I'm so happy right now.
Well, look at you all keen
and eager on your first day.
Well, I'm excited to get out
and meet some people.
Yeah, that'll wear off
soon enough.
What do you mean?
Eagerness is good, yeah,
but, uh, you gotta
prepare yourself.
For what?
What?
Never mind, you'll
find out soon enough.
- Hello, I'm Elder Condie...
- No.
Well, at least you
got to say hello.
Hello, sir.
We're missionaries from
the Church of Jesus...
That's the thing. It's really
important from the start...
You kids! I oughta... Stop.
Is every day like today?
Ugh.
Not every day.
There are some good days.
When you find someone who wants to
listen, it's like walking on air.
How do you handle it?
The rejection, I mean.
I leave in two weeks, Condie.
I've learned to get over it.
You have to. And you just
do what you have to.
Sometimes I say to myself,
"Norman, why go through all this
for people who don't care?"
Because it's why we're here.
You say that when we have
enough tomato seeds
to start a market garden.
Your first name's Norman?
Mmm.
Norman the Mormon?
Oh... God sure
blessed you.
Yes, he did.
Wow.
Dear Dad.
I've never taken
anything for granted
or expected things to be
handed to me on a platter.
But, boy,
I could sure use a break.
It seems every day is a test.
As great as
the Australian people are,
they are steadfast and stubborn.
Most have little
or no time for us,
and I fear my foot may soon break
from all the doors slammed on it.
Hello, how are you?
Some days really get me down,
and I'm worried that too many more
of these might take a heavy toll.
Have I made a mistake, Dad?
I would have been
married by now.
Elder Morton
goes home this week,
so I'm getting
a new companion, too.
I miss you and Mom so much.
Have you ever heard of Vegemite?
Best to avoid it at all costs.
My dear son,
in our life are challenges.
They can make you grow
and bring you closer to God,
or you can let them destroy you.
The choice, as always, is yours.
You didn't think a mission
would be easy, did you?
This is about your faith
as much as theirs.
Try to find common ground
with these people,
something that appeals to them.
You can be all things to all
people if you choose to be.
Your loving father.
This is our bungalow.
Mrs. Tonkin is the landlady.
She's sweet.
Is she a member?
No, her and her daughters
are Salvation Army.
Daughters, huh?
Obviously they don't do
the cleaning then?
I... Sorry about the mess.
You can have this bed over here
and hang your clothes in there.
Clearly you miss your mom.
Morton was the cleaning lady
in this companionship.
So what's your story, Elder?
My story?
Are you writing a book?
We all have one.
Why we're here, I mean.
I'm here to serve a mission.
I was just trying to get
to know my companion.
I didn't mean to be intrusive.
If you don't want to talk,
that's fine by me.
I'm sorry, I'm just tired.
I almost didn't come here.
I had no intention
to serve a mission.
But it didn't turn out that way.
I'm keen to get out and
meet the people tomorrow.
Oh, you will.
You like tomatoes?
I guess. Why?
You'll see.
Okay.
Don't put your hands
or feet near the door
if you ever want
to use them again.
Hello.
I'm Elder Condie and this is Elder Hull.
We're missionaries.
We'd like to share
a message with you.
You get away from her!
I know all about you Mormons.
You take young girls
away to marry them.
Well, you're not
taking my daughter!
Get off my property!
Run! Run!
Melbourne, at this moment,
is in the throes of immense
preparations for the Olympic Games,
which will be the first to be
held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Six thousand athletes from all around
the world will descend on our nation,
and construction
is well underway
to house them just outside town.
For goodwill and fair play it's
going to be a red letter day,
not only for Melbourne,
but for all Australia
when the Olympic fanfare
rings out
and the Olympic flag is
hoisted at the stadium.
Hi, Jim.
Stan.
And how are we going?
Have you seen the size of some of
the players on the other teams?
Look, obviously we can't
compete on height.
We just have to concentrate
on skills and tactics.
Look, it's their first Olympics.
We just have to train hard,
teach them what we can.
You never know.
Mate, it'd take 20 years
to whip this lot
into decent shape.
You just gotta have
a little faith, my friend.
Come on, boys.
Come on!
I'm starving.
What did Sister Tonkin
make for us today?
Oh, Vegemite!
I hate this stuff.
It's like eating axle grease.
It's probably
all she can afford.
Well, someone's got to
say something to her.
You can. I'd rather
suffer in silence.
I'm so hungry, I could
eat a Vegemite sandwich.
I hate Vegemite, I hate flies,
and I hate rude people.
You sure do hate
a lot of things, Condie.
I'm just happy to be here.
Hi, there.
You play basketball?
Yeah. So?
Mind if we take a shot?
If you want.
How did you...
Hello, again.
Elspeth, wasn't it?
That's right!
We met at the basketball.
Right, Elder Condie.
We were just walking by and saw
your son shooting baskets.
We didn't mean to intrude.
Oh, no, Brett's
my little brother.
This is Elder Hull.
This is Elspeth.
Her husband plays in the local league.
He's a good player.
Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
You should see
this guy shoot the ball.
He got it in from way over here!
It's been hard on him
since Mum died.
Dad's a boozer,
so he's never around.
And we're better off
without him anyway.
What about you? What are
you blokes all about?
Well...
Oh, here's Jim now.
Jim! Come and meet
the elders.
I'm so sorry, I... I think
that he's had a hard day.
Hull, we best be going anyway.
When can you come back?
Tomorrow?
I'll see what I can do.
Thanks for the water.
Oh, wait, should we go
back and give them a book?
I think we wore out
our welcome today.
I think we're gonna
have to be realistic
and look at these Olympics as...
As gaining experience.
This isn't a training exercise,
Stan, it's the Olympic Games.
Got the whole nation
looking over our shoulders.
Mate,
there just aren't
enough hours in the day
to get them to where
they need to be.
Imagine if we had
the college system here.
Imagine the players we'd
have then, the experience.
But we can't
replicate that in six months.
Don't worry.
With Rose and Fraser
in the pool,
I doubt anyone will
even know we're there.
You know if our boys could play
as well as you can swill beer,
we'd win a flamin' medal.
Yes, we would.
Hey, 6:00 swill.
Mmm-hmm.
I wanna get home before
Betty puts the kids to bed.
I'll see you later.
See you, Bill.
See you.
This is becoming pointless.
Come on, Condie.
Things will turn around
if we have faith.
Faith is something that is
so foreign to these people.
Can't they see that we're
just trying to help them?
You've only got 13 months left.
You just gotta
keep chipping away.
No, I don't want to chip away.
I want to make a difference
in people's lives.
I'm not giving up two years of
my life just to pass the time.
There has to be someone here
who wants to listen.
I'm not giving up
until I find them.
So let's just tract the rest of
this street and call it a day.
I'm beat anyways.
Good afternoon, ma'am,
I'm Elder Condie
and this is Elder Hull.
We're missionaries
from the Church
of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
If you have a spare moment,
we'd like to share an
important message with you.
Oh!
Well, you probably
want my husband.
He gets all the
important messages.
Ken!
There's some
young men at the door
with an important
message for you!
How important's the message?
Well, I don't know. They
didn't say what the message was.
Well, it couldn't
have been that important.
Did you ask them?
No.
They've got something to do
with ladders and snakes.
What? They're visionaries
or something.
They look very official.
They've got accents.
What can I do for you chaps?
We're from the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We'd like to share a
spiritual message with you.
Oh, right.
Look, we're...
We're pretty good for
spiritual messages today.
Thanks very much.
Thank you all the same, sir.
Have a nice day.
No worries.
Were they the police?
No, they weren't the police.
Well, I don't know.
Hey, hang on, fellas.
Are you chaps Mormons?
Yes, sir, we are!
Didn't I see you
playing basketball?
Yes.
Ken Watson's my name.
Elder Condie.
Hello.
Elder Hull.
Why don't you come
back inside, fellas?
Thank you, sir.
- It's a beautiful home.
- Thank you.
Stan.
Stan, I have solved
all our problems.
You have?
Mormons.
Mormons?
Mormon basketballers.
Beer, mate?
Uh...
Yes, yes, all right.
Yeah, two beers.
Yeah.
Eh?
Mr. Watson, this is my
wife, Sister Bingham.
It's very nice to meet you.
Please have a seat. Thank you.
Mr. Watson, could I offer you a
refreshment, a glass of water, perhaps?
A cup of tea would be lovely.
We don't have tea. I can
offer you milk or water.
Oh, right.
Uh, well, whatever you've got
will be fine, thank you.
Adele, would you fetch Mr. Watson
and me a glass of water please?
Of course.
Mr. Watson, on the
telephone you said
that you needed our help.
Yes, yes, I do.
I'm the coach of the
Australian basketball team.
As I'm sure you know,
the Olympics are coming.
Look, I'll be honest.
We're struggling.
And we could really appreciate
going up against some
players with experience.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Otherwise we're
gonna get thrashed.
I'm sorry,
Mr. Watson,
but we have disbanded
the basketball program.
Yes, they're here to work,
not to play athletics.
Oh... Mr. Bingham...
President.
I don't know a great deal
about your church.
But I do know those boys are
some of the finest examples
of basketballers
in this country.
Now, in Australia,
our religion is sport.
And if you want to
connect with Aussies,
well, then you do it
through sport.
Do you have children,
Mr. Watson?
Yes, I do.
Well, then you'll know
you must provide them
with strict rules
and discipline.
These boys need to be
attentive and obedient,
and not partake in, shall
we say, worldly activities.
Oh, missus.
Basketball is a good,
wholesome sport.
It was started by Christians.
But I can see
you've made up your mind.
It's simply not
why they're here.
We could do great things.
To the Church,
for basketball.
I hope you'll think about it.
I'm sorry we can't
help you, Mr. Watson.
Well, thank you anyway.
Thanks for coming.
- Goodbye, Mr. Watson.
- Please.
Wouldn't have a bar of it.
I thought they were
here to teach.
Church stuff, not basketball.
He was adamant and his
wife even more so.
And do you know what? They wouldn't
even give me a cup of tea.
Well, if those Mormon boys
are anything like my kids,
they won't listen
to what they're told.
Ken.
What President Bingham
doesn't know won't hurt him.
Now, do not let him shoot, okay?
Hands in there.
Put your hands in there.
Don't let him shoot!
Don't! Come on!
Thanks for
letting us come around.
I haven't seen him smile
that much in a long time.
It's good for him.
Because he's small for his age,
he has trouble fitting in.
Well, he sure
does love basketball.
He doesn't have much of a choice
with Jim playing it
all the time.
It's a good sport.
He sure does idolize you blokes.
Well, mostly Hull.
He's a swell kid.
Would you like to stay for tea?
Yes! Thank you!
Don't! Don't let him shoot again!
Yeah! Come on.
Ready? Ready?
Oh, yeah.
Who's Stan Page?
Stan, Stan. What?
Hello.
Fellas.
I'm Stan Page. I believe
you've already met Ken.
Thanks for coming.
We got your note.
How can we help you?
We were hoping to appeal to your
sensibilities as sportsmen.
Yes, this is our Olympic squad.
As you can see,
they're pretty raw.
We want you to work with
us on our skills and drills.
And I could certainly use some
help as far as coaching goes.
I'm sorry, Coach,
but we're not allowed
to play basketball anymore.
No, well, we thought you'd be
able to help us on your days off.
You know, sort of on the sly,
if you know what I mean?
That's not possible, sir.
Don't you miss it?
The thrill of the game
when the buzzer goes!
You have a chance
to help these boys
with more than just basketball.
I don't think you understand.
What you're asking would go
against everything we stand for.
Well, we didn't realize that.
Uh... Sorry.
They could send us home.
Really?
Yes.
I'm sorry, sir.
Well, that went well.
Mmm.
Can you believe them?
Asking us to be
disobedient like that.
Yeah.
Wait, you're not
thinking about it?
No! No, no way,
of course not.
I mean, you've got to admit
it's a great opportunity.
For what?
Think of the doors
this could open for us.
Like with Brett and Elspeth.
The only reason we got
invited in was because of...
This is different.
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
This is bigger!
This is the Olympic team.
Imagine all the people
we could reach.
No more being hosed off lawns.
No more doors in the face.
Even if you're right,
President Bingham said no.
"Find, teach, baptize"
is what he said.
You're prodding at a
tiger in its cage here.
We should be sharing our skills.
Basketball, it can
break down barriers for us.
I'm going to talk to President Bingham.
Are you crazy?
Condie, we're being disobedient
just by being here.
Just relax, okay?
President Bingham, he's
really just a teddy bear.
Yeah, but Sister
Bingham's like a dragon.
She's really scary.
At the moment,
we're just these
strange Americans
who knock on people's
doors, but...
But they love sport and they're
crazy for the Olympics.
If we help them with this,
we can break down
so many barriers.
We'll be a part
of their community.
Elder Condie, your
enthusiasm is admirable,
but it's misguided.
You need to re-channel all that
enthusiasm into your missionary work.
I have been, President Bingham.
Every day we go out tracting,
and I can tell you firsthand
that getting our message
across is that much easier
when there's a point of
connection, like basketball.
There's this young boy, Brett...
Elder Condie,
if you wanted to play
basketball so much,
you should have
stayed in college.
We are not a basketball team,
I am not your coach.
No, I understand that,
sir, but...
No buts.
We have but one purpose
and one purpose only.
We cannot do our work if we are
distracted by playing sports.
Now, gentlemen, let this be the
last time we talk of this matter.
Are you okay?
"My son
is an intuitive young man.
"And he feels that basketball
could be the means
"to help them to connect
with the people.
"And indeed ingratiate
themselves into the community."
Brethren, Elder Tanner
passed this on to me
from his good friend,
Brother Condie.
Missionary work is hard enough
without us making it any harder.
We send our fine young men
out into the mission field.
And we have an opportunity
to assist them
to bring others into
the arms of the Lord.
And that is exactly
what I intend to do.
Elder Condie, you must
have prayed very hard.
Salt Lake has proposed that we
put a basketball team together
in order to help
the Australians.
And I'm putting you
in charge of it.
We'll do whatever
you ask of us, sir.
I want to make it absolutely
clear from the outset
that there will be
certain parameters.
Elders are not to be distracted
from their missionary work.
You will be given one
day a week to practice.
I want you to work closely
together with Elder Burt
to handpick the best team
from the mission.
Don't let me down.
Johnson was at BYU. Where's
he serving at the moment?
He's in Adelaide. But he
goes home in a few weeks.
Dang. West and Grant
were at the U.
Grant's in Tasmania.
Elder Garn was a starter
at Sugar City, Idaho.
Oh, yeah, I remember playing against him.
That guy is fast.
Frodsham. He's a good
all-around sportsman.
He played at BYU.
He's tough as nails, too.
Elder Hull, sit up straight.
That is not a footrest and this
is not a Chinese bathhouse.
Do up your tie.
So, are you elders
staying for dinner, then?
We hadn't planned to, so please
don't go to any trouble for us.
Well, I'm planning for you
and I already have,
so it's settled.
I still think all of
this is a silly idea,
but if President McKay
thinks we should,
then I will support it.
Oh! And don't forget
Elder Kimball.
He was a star at
Provo High School.
Let me be quite clear.
You are first and
foremost missionaries.
You'll manage your time well,
but if your work should suffer,
then you'll be relieved
of this assignment.
Basketball, in and of itself,
doesn't convert
people to the gospel.
So always remember who you are
and what you stand for.
Yes, sir.
When you guard me, you want to
stand a little closer if you can.
Yeah, and keep low.
Okay.
You'll see
which way I'm going to cut.
Good, that's it, well done.
Halt. If you spread your
hands wider on the ball,
it's easier to control.
I don't need any help from you.
Okay.
Hey, come on.
Come, boys. Time out.
Let's just have a spell, fellas.
Can you try and
put into practice
what it is that
they're telling us?
We don't...
They're here to help us!
We don't need these guys.
Yes, we do, Jim.
We can't run to the Yanks every
time we need our necks saved.
It was bad enough
during the bloody war.
So what can we do
to improve ourselves?
Playing basketball is one thing.
How you live your life
is another.
All I'm saying to you guys, if
you're smoking, if you're drinking,
you're crucifying your bodies
and wasting your life.
You don't see us running up
court gasping for air, do you?
Hey! Go back
and join your team.
I don't need sermons,
and I don't need them to
tell me how to live my life.
I think you do, Jim,
'cause you're not doing a
very good job of it yourself.
Go back and join
your team. Please.
Anyway, I've seen you all doing the shots.
That's great.
You've got
the two-handed set shot,
but we really want to start
focusing on the jump shot.
And the point of the jump
is to shoot from
a higher position
to make it more difficult
for the defender to block.
It also lowers
the angle of the basket.
So let's try some.
And now we're
privileged to have in the studio
members of the Mormon Yankees
basketball team.
We sure do appreciate
you taking the time...
Listen!
It's the elders!
That's Elder Condie.
I just love their accents.
Yes, sir, that's correct.
Oi! We're listening
to that!
I've heard some bad things
about these Mormons.
They sacrifice live goats and try
to trap you into their cult.
They don't do that, Jim! They're
very nice people.
Well, I'll have nothing to do
with 'em and neither will you
if you want to stay
married to me.
And no more going to their church.
It's a waste of time.
Stop being
a drongo and fix the car.
Shush! I can't hear.
Well, we wish
you and your team all the best
for the up-and-coming Bendigo
game with the state team.
And now a word from our sponsor.
So the state team invite us to
play in a city two hours away,
and we have to hitchhike
while the others drive?
How did we draw the short straw?
Think of it as a way
to meet people.
Hey. It says here, "The discovery
of gold in Bendigo during the 1850s
"made it one of
the most significant
"Victorian boom towns
in Australia."
Hey, we might find a nugget.
I need to find a bathroom.
And get bit on the
butt by a snake?
I'll hold.
I think we should split up.
Be a lot easier
to pick up two than four.
Good idea.
We'll run ahead
and if you get a ride,
have them pick us up.
Is something on your mind, then?
How can you keep
pushing all the time?
Doesn't this ever get to you?
Don't you miss your family?
Yeah, I do.
I just keep working.
Yeah, I am working.
More than I've ever worked.
Sacrificed so much,
and for what?
I just want to be at home
with my family.
You're not the only one
who feels like that.
The more I let it get to me,
the further away I feel.
As much as I want
to be near them,
to sit on the porch with my dad,
or to smell my mom's cooking...
I know this isn't forever.
But I want to finish
what I started here first.
Is your mom a good cook?
Oh, brother, she's the best.
Thanksgiving especially.
What about yours?
Every year my dad would get a
turkey before Thanksgiving,
and my brother would attach
himself to it, claim it as a pet.
He didn't realize
we were eating his pet
until he was eight or nine.
He's never eaten turkey since.
Hey.
Thanks.
Where you headin', cobber?
Bendigo.
Okay, jump in.
Hey, here they are.
Thank you.
Go, go, go!
Come on.
You guys, come on.
Okay.
No... Hey!
Guys. Stop kidding
around, guys. Come on.
Real funny, guys, really funny.
Nice one, guys.
What do you mean
they've cancelled the game?
I don't know any details.
They just said the game was off.
They couldn't notify us earlier?
So we've hitchhiked
all this way for nothing?
Well done, Condie, that's another
fine mess you got us into.
So, what do we do now?
Head back home, I guess.
I see what they mean about
four seasons in one day.
It's freezing!
Hey. Are you guys
those Mormon Yankees?
Yes, sir, we are.
Oh, I've been looking
everywhere for you.
How did you know
where to find us?
Well, there's not too many
American-looking fellas
above six foot around here.
I'm John Whitaker from
the Bendigo prison.
Heard your game got cancelled.
We were wondering whether
you'd be interested
in having a bit of an exhibition
game up at the prison.
A prison?
Who would we play?
Prisoners.
I've coached some of
them into a team,
and we play in the local league.
When they heard you
were coming to Bendigo,
they all wanted to play
the great Mormon Yankees.
Isn't it meant to
rain today, sir?
You're Mormons, aren't you?
Can't you take care of that?
Can I have a quick
word with my team?
We cannot play in a prison.
President Bingham
will freak out.
But can you think of
any group of people
under the sun
who we could help more?
He could send you home.
I'm not just
passing the time, Hull.
What if we get stabbed?
We're here. We got
nothing else to do.
You know, I saw
a James Cagney film once
where the prisoners had shivs
and stabbed each other.
We'll play on one condition.
We get a hot meal.
And some ice cream.
Done.
I've spent my whole life living
right and I end up in prison.
Just don't be here
when we leave.
Hey, it's great to see you. Thanks, boys.
Thanks for coming.
We really appreciate this.
Well, I got a girl
She's fine
She looks like
Frankenstein
She got friends
Well, that's true
But I think they
come from a zoo
But I love her
Yes, I do
'Cause she is my girl
She got big eyes
and droopy lips
And when she walks
Her hips do the flip
She's got a smile
Boy, she can
giggle a while
But I love her
Yes, I do
'Cause she is my girl, yeah!
If I had to climb a mountain
or swim the deepest sea
She's the only girl for me
That's it, that's all
Just look
what you have done
But I love her
Yes, I do
'Cause she is my girl
A prison?
What were you thinking?
The opportunity was there,
so I did
what I thought was right.
What you thought was right.
Elder Condie,
I put my faith in you
to make good choices.
This was not one of them.
Did you even consider the danger
of what might have
happened there?
Sir, it's not like
we got stabbed.
Sir, there were guards
with us at all time.
Elder Condie, that is
hardly the point.
This game could set
the Church back years
if word gets out.
Now, these shenanigans must end.
Or you'll find yourself
door-knocking in the Outback.
I doubt they play
basketball out there.
Yes, sir.
Mmm.
These things are amazing.
How can he not see it?
I can't think of a better way
for them to accept us.
Otherwise, what's
the point of being here?
You know, Condie...
At the start, I was just
going along with you
because you were my companion.
But after the prison match,
one of the inmates asked
me to teach him about God.
I think you're
onto something here,
and it's kind of exciting.
Are you sure you
don't want some?
It's really good.
So, the Olympic Committee
won't allow nations
to play each other before
the actual games begin.
So, they want to put
together a tournament,
where countries can play
you boys or some local teams
to get some match practice
before the Olympics.
Us, play against
the Olympic teams?
If you can give them
some good warm-up games,
it makes for a better spectacle.
We'll have to run it past
President Bingham first.
I'm not exactly his
favorite person right now.
Wouldn't you want to go up
against the best in the world?
See how good you can be?
And see us get our trash kicked?
Oh, no, son.
No, you're
as good as I've ever seen.
We'll ask. But don't
hold your breath.
Excuse me...
Come here.
You boys have got a fan.
Excuse me, sir, could I
please have an autograph?
Sure. Do you play?
My brother and I only
really just started.
We usually play footy.
Well, basketball will be
a blessing in your life.
- What's your name?
- Lindsay.
Lindsay Gaze.
It's nice to meet you, Lindsay.
Thanks.
Don't worry. If Bingham's going
to flip, I'll take the heat.
No, you won't.
We're companions.
I'm with you all the way.
What is it, my dear?
That was Governor Souter
from Bendigo prison.
The inmates have asked that we
send missionaries there to teach,
at the prison!
Apparently, all this
basketball nonsense
may have its merits after all.
You have always chosen the right
and taken care of the underdog.
And the man I know
would never be afraid
to admit when he's
been wrong before.
They are our boys.
We better find out what
these games are all about.
With the
Olympics now just days away,
basketball fever appears
to be sweeping the nation,
with teams playing
exhibition matches
to showcase this growing sport.
Crowd favorites,
the Mormon Yankees,
are set to take on the Russians
after their
convincing win over China.
These boys look set to win hearts
and minds all across the country
with their on-court skills shining
against the best in the world.
When you're on defense,
you have to be on your man.
Use your body. Don't be
afraid to use your body.
That's right, that's good!
Nice. Really good.
Use your body. It's okay.
You're not gonna hurt him.
You just pass it off.
Dribble it across to me.
Good, good,
good. Really nice.
We should play these Americans.
Play against these Mormons?
They don't even
represent their country.
No, no, it's pointless.
But coach we need to train.
We haven't played
anyone since getting here.
Train with idiots?
This is the Olympics,
Beugnot, OK!
We're not going to church!
Come on.
You're gonna watch
any events, Frank?
I wouldn't know what to watch.
So many weird sports
I've never heard of.
You should still
support your country.
Really?
Well, when they have football
or cricket in there,
I'll go along and watch.
Think I'll go and watch
Dawn Fraser in the pool.
Hey!
Are you blokes
those Mormon Yankees?
Yes, sir, we are.
Fair dinkum?
That's you blokes in the paper?
We've got some
famous people in here, Syd!
No charge for you blokes.
- Thank you, sir.
- Hey.
Make sure you give those Ruskis
a run for their money
tonight, all right?
We'll do our best.
"So, I'll sign off now.
"Give my love to James
and the girls, and Mom,
"of course, and thank
you again, Dad.
"As always,
your loving son."
Oh.
Would you look at him?
That's great, that's
against the Russians.
He looks like
he's doing well, Pop.
Dear Dad.
Our exhibition games
have been going well
and have led to many opportunities
with the Australian people.
Their love of sport
is very strong
and has given us the chance to talk
to them in a more meaningful way.
It has certainly
lifted the spirits
of a lot of
the elders on the team.
I finally feel like
I know why I'm here.
Our game against the French team
proved to be one of the toughest
challenges we've had so far.
Their coach picked a disused
warehouse out of town
and kept
the press and public out.
He runs a tight ship.
I think a lot of his team
are actually afraid of him.
This is going to work in our
favor, Stan. I just know it, mate.
Nice.
We started strongly
and managed to get in
a few early baskets.
Come on let's go!
One, two, one, two.
But it's not easy
keeping one of the best
teams in the world behind you.
They didn't take too kindly to a bunch
of missionaries taking the lead,
that's for sure.
Very good, very good!
Come on, keep up, boys.
Keep it tight!
What's the matter?
This is rubbish.
Boys, if they're going to play
like that, watch yourselves!
What's going on?
Stay strong, stay strong!
Front and guard!
Let's keep focus, boys.
We need to...
Look, he plays like an idiot.
Front and guard!
Come on, ref!
Pretty soon,
we learned the hard way
that not everyone plays
by the same rules we do.
But we kept our cool, even when
the French were losing theirs.
Let's go! The game is up
the other end... look.
Keep your hands
to yourself, mate!
Focus. Put it in.
That was nice.
Good work.
Get ready, boys.
- Nice. Good work.
- Keep it up, man.
Let's go, boys!
He can't do that!
He can't do that!
Come on, come on.
Why is no one ahead!
Let's go! Come
on, boys, you've got this!
Game!
We're still aching
from the encounter.
But can you believe it?
We beat one of
the best teams in the world.
Thanks for the great game.
Pathetic...
Pathetic...
Losing to this religious bunch.
Coach, they are much better
than we thought.
You will not speak of this game. Not
to each other. Not to anyone! Ok?
- Just pass it off. Move across.
- Really good.
French are going around saying
that they beat you boys.
They can say whatever they like.
We know what happened.
They're insisting on a rematch.
Yeah, we'll play them again.
But this time
under our conditions.
Olympic Stadium, open to the
public, with Olympic referees.
And TV cameras.
They'll hate it!
But anything to see the French
get their knickers in a knot!
I'm sure we can arrange that.
Yeah. Good. Good.
- We better get back.
- Yes, yes.
Nice work, guys.
Just pass it off.
Dribble it across to me.
Nice work!
Condie!
Bill Russell!
Delyle Condie.
I played against you
at Utah, right?
That's right, sir.
I'm down here on a mission
for my church.
Well, that's one basketball
player who got it right.
This here is Coach Tucker.
This is my team.
Guys, this is Bill Russell,
Coach Tucker
and the entire American squad.
Saw your match the other day.
Some good defense.
Thank you, Coach.
You boys got it. You
all doing our country proud.
Delyle, best jump shot
I ever seen, man!
You should have
been on our team.
So, are you guys up
for a match against us?
You know, you're a tough
team to track down.
Are you kidding?
No, we wouldn't stand
a chance against you guys.
It wouldn't feel right playing
against our national team.
Well, you think about it.
Anyway, I was hoping
you could give us
the lowdown on the Russians.
Well, their tall
guy is just that.
He doesn't do much else.
The one you need to watch
though is the short guy.
- He's fast.
- All right.
Faster than
anybody I've ever seen.
The way he brings it down
the court like that.
He'll put it up and score two
before you can do anything.
With only days to go before the opening
ceremony of the Olympic Games,
we're thrilled
to bring you this live
television event
on ABC TV tonight.
Behind me, people are gathering
to watch this
exhibition basketball game
between the Mormon Yankees,
a team made up of
young church missionaries,
and the French Olympic team.
This is the second time
these teams will have met,
and we should be set
for an exciting game.
Elder Condie.
Tell me, are you anxious
about this evening's game?
"Anxious"?
Uh... I'm excited.
The French are incredible players.
They're a great team.
But the Mormon Yankees,
we're excited to get out there
and play our best, so...
That's fantastic. Congratulations
and good luck, sir!
Roger Breeny, ABC TV.
Welcome to the official telecast
of the much anticipated rematch
between the French
Olympic basketball team
and Australia's
adopted favorites,
the Mormon Yankees.
The Yankees have been preparing
our very own boys
for the Olympic Games,
and taken time out from their
training for this exhibition match,
coming to you live from Olympic
Stadium, right here in Melbourne.
If I could have a moment.
After today's over,
we go back to being
just missionaries.
Go on, go on.
My father once told me
that basketball
could bring people
from all walks of life together,
no matter what color
or religion you are.
These people are
here to watch us.
We've been blessed.
Just want to say thank you
to all of you.
Including you, President.
I was told that
serving a mission
would be the best
two years of my life.
And it has been.
To be able to use
the game that I love
to bring people
towards salvation...
It's a story worth telling
our kids about, right?
As you all know,
I wasn't in favor of
allowing my missionaries
to play organized basketball.
But I was wrong.
The sportsmanship
that you have exhibited
to everyone who's seen you play
is going to change
people's hearts.
You've done us proud.
Now, I don't know
much about basketball,
but I know that tonight
we're going to beat
the pants off the French.
Elder Garn, would you lead
us in prayer, please?
Dear Heavenly Father...
The crowd are on their feet
as the Mormon Yankees enter the stadium.
There he is.
Who?
Delyle.
Where?
He's the star player
of the team.
These young
American missionaries
are set to take on
the best in the world.
Coming to you live from Olympic
Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
Yankees on three.
One, two, three.
Yankees!
The starting lineup
for the Mormon Yankees
are Condie, Hull, Frodsham,
Kimball and Garn,
with the French team fielding Ray,
Antoine, Monclar, Beugnot and Grange.
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag
was still there...
Dad, what are they singing?
The national anthem.
O say, does that
star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave
If they pull those roughhouse
tactics on us again,
I want you to be our enforcer.
Within the spirit
of the game, of course.
You don't have to ask me twice.
I'll show those wine sippers
how we play ball.
Missionary style.
And, Garn,
Monclar's their go-to guy.
If you give him space,
he'll score on you.
Not tonight, he's not.
Let's play ball, boys!
Very short shorts.
And we're
all set for the tip-off.
The French are
certainly athletic
and one of the best
teams in the world.
They'll be looking to dominate
this young American Mormon team.
First possession goes to the Mormon
Yankees, Hull carrying the ball.
A low pass from Garn to Kimball.
The Yankees look
in complete control here.
Frodsham to Condie who goes up,
and the Yankees
are first to score!
Ray is bringing
the ball down for the French,
but the Yankee defense
is looking solid.
To Antoine now, who makes short
work of Garn and passes to Monclar.
Monclar is going in and...
He goes down!
Just minutes in and this game
is already getting physical.
Seven, push.
Prepare for war.
Oh, yeah? How'd the
last one work out?
Monclar easily
taking his free throws
as the tension mounts
between these two teams.
And another
Mormon boy goes down.
That was on 12 white, push.
What are they doing?
That was
an interesting call, ref.
If you don't like it, too bad.
No, you were spot on,
it was most definitely a foul.
Thank you. It's just
for the wrong team.
A foul called on the Yankees!
The crowd clearly showing their
displeasure at this decision
as the French score,
slowly starting to pull ahead.
A long ball finds Hull.
Shoots it to Condie.
He's contacted by Beugnot.
Condie's on his feet, but they
are really taking a beating.
Come on, come on!
Clearly, the French are trying to
intimidate the Mormon Yankee team
with some rough tactics.
With Hull now.
And he, too, goes down
as we hit halftime.
Oh, no!
The French are the
fourth-ranked team in the world
and are pulling out all the stops
against these young Mormons,
leading them by just four points
at this stage of the game.
Right, listen, listen!
Those guys are going to
throw everything at us.
Prepare yourselves.
If we can ride the knocks
and hold them steady,
we can win this.
Hull, Hull?
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Okay.
What is that?
You continue to be humiliated by
this bunch of religious fools.
But this time
in front of the world.
But coach
it was a superb basket.
And you, you play for
your superb country...
France...
Does that mean anything to you?
Remember why we got on that
boat to come out here.
This is not for us, but for all
of those who are following us.
And for those who
are cheering for us.
Okay, this, this is our time.
Come on, boys!
Come on, boys, come on!
And Condie scores again!
Antoine is moving up the court,
the momentum shifting to the French
as they swiftly close the gap.
Let's go, Yankees!
Tight defense!
Boo!
A pass to Beugnot.
Hull steals.
And he's running down the clock.
Foul by the French captain!
That's five fouls for him.
And he takes
a seat on the bench.
Those Mormon Yankees, they're
the best I have ever played.
This match has been a
war of attrition by the French,
wearing down the Yankees who are
showing clear signs of fatigue.
Here, Kimball!
And Condie goes down!
He appears to be out cold.
Come on, kid, you gotta
get up and keep going.
And he's up! Condie is on
his feet! Just listen to that crowd!
We got this.
Time out!
Time out, ref!
Hey. You all right?
There's no shame
in retiring, son.
Your health is much more
important than just a game.
No. This is more
than just a game, sir...
To them.
Yes, it is.
Look around at the bleachers.
These people who used to shun us
and slam doors on our faces
are cheering for us.
And here, tonight,
I want people to remember the
Mormon Yankees for who we are,
and what we stand for.
Yankees will have
to forfeit the match.
Says who? How can they
be three on the floor?
Are you prepared to tell all these
people that they have to forfeit?
It's an exhibition game, mate!
They can hang from the bloody
rafters if they want to.
Play ball.
Let them play,
let them play, let them play!
Did you hear what I said?
Let them play,
let them play, let them play!
Did you hear what I said?
Blow your whistle
and let's get started.
Go on.
"Play ball," said the referee!
This is extraordinary.
The Yankees, with only three men
on the court
and just seconds remaining.
This game is going to
go down to the wire.
We can run down the clock
and score two to win it.
But we must get possession.
Hull, Kimball.
There are no plays
that I can tell you from now.
All right,
now it's all instinctive.
Let's go, Yankees!
Come on, come on!
So now the Yankees are
down to three fit men on the court.
Well, you'd never know
that these two countries
were allies during the war.
This is what you'd expect
from the Russians.
Come on.
Come on!
Stay open!
Come on, boys, come on.
Come on!
Score! The French Olympic
team have beaten the Mormon Yankees
by the narrowest of margins
in what can only be described
as a nail-biting finish.
We played that game
fair and square!
You can't have an extra free throw!
"Travel"?
We'll protest, son.
Protest to who, Ken?
We're here
to give them practice,
and that's what we did.
When I'm wrong, I admit it.
Good game, Condie.
You're a great player.
Basketball star.
It's a long time since
I've been called that.
Yeah.
Ken Watson?
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that.
He was a good man.
Yes. Well, thanks
for letting me know.
I'll keep you in my prayers.
Goodbye.
Oh, there's something
on your nose.
Every time!
Yeah, one of these days,
you'll catch on.
I hope not.
Emily, will you marry me?
I was going to get a ring first
and plan it all out, but...
Yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
Oh, shoot. I should have
asked your dad first.
What can he say?
Hi, Dad.
Hi, son.
Bye, son.
Oh, yeah, I'm getting married.
That's nice, son.
Hi, Mom.
You look happy.
Must have been a good movie.
Mmm.
We saw Lady and the
Tramp at the Grand,
and I don't know what it was,
but something about that movie
made me realize that Emily's...
Well, you know, her and I...
We just... We just...
Oh, dang it, I just
proposed to her!
Oh!
What did she say? Did she say yes?
How did you propose?
Wait, you don't have a ring yet?
Do you have a ring yet?
Oh, was she excited?
Oh, Delyle, this is so exciting!
Mom, take a breath, okay?
I don't have a ring yet.
But she said yes.
Congratulations.
Frank obviously gave
you his blessing?
Well, I haven't had the
chance to ask him yet.
Dad, I wanted to
talk to all of you
before I did anything,
but it just sort of popped out.
That's just you being you.
You have a great big,
loving Condie heart.
Could that be a problem, Dad?
Knowing Frank, I doubt it.
But I would take care of it
first thing tomorrow.
Well, we need to get you a ring.
Tomorrow we'll drive
to Molinelli's
at Pocatello and go shopping.
Oh, my, there is
so much to organize.
I need to make a list.
So many people to invite.
All the Wilsons, the Hamiltons.
Oh, dear, we can't
forget the McQueens.
Now look what you've done.
Congratulations, son.
Come here.
Kids have all gone
to bed, Mother.
Time for you as well.
I'm down to the last dozen.
No, they can wait till tomorrow.
May I have this dance?
Mmm.
Well. That was quite a...
Risky move back there.
Your eyes don't shine
Like they used to shine
And the thrill is gone
When your lips meet mine
Hey, Emily.
What are you doing here?
I needed to see you.
Sure.
Let's go outside though,
before someone sees you.
I have to, um...
I have to go to California
to help my sister Jodi
with her children.
Is everything all right?
It's just hard for her
with Jeff being away.
Do you need me to drive you?
No, thank you.
I'll catch the Hound
in the morning.
Is there anything I can do?
You're sweet,
but, no, I should only
be gone a few weeks.
I want to see you
in the playoffs.
I know you'll be great.
This is all I have,
but I want you to take it.
I have enough, thank you.
Well, I should go pack,
and you have to go
back to your studies.
Call me when you get there.
I will.
I love you, Em.
And your shot from the top
of the key, it was amazing!
Great game tonight, son.
Dad!
You should have told me
you were in town,
I would have got you tickets.
I was in town on business,
I just wanted to surprise you.
Yeah, well, you did.
It's great to see you.
Have you eaten?
You want to get something?
I would love that.
Let's go.
Okay.
You know, Lyman's
discharged from the Navy next week.
You think you can make it
back for his homecoming?
We're on the road
in Arizona next week,
but I could drive up as soon
as we get back to town.
He'd be happy to see you
whenever you can get there.
They all will.
How is everyone?
Well, your mother
misses you, of course.
There's no one to
cook for or fuss over.
Have you heard from Emily?
When is she coming back?
Well, she's busy
with her sister's kids.
She'll be back
in a week, I guess.
Oh.
Oh, and I forgot to mention.
Deverl Herzog had his
mission farewell last week.
See, he's leaving for
South Texas tomorrow.
No, I got a letter
from him last week.
Mmm.
Yeah, he's going to make
a great missionary.
You're doing what you love, son.
And that's good, too.
Your brothers would be proud.
All of them.
I know, Dad. Thanks.
Yeah.
How you kids listen to that
music I'll never know.
It's just yelling syllables.
You're showing
your age now, Pop.
Yeah, well, maybe I am.
Well, you just make sure you
get home to see your brother
first chance you get.
He's been gone a long time.
No, I will, Dad.
See you on home plate.
Bottom of the ninth.
It's a big game, okay,
let's just have some fun.
And you try and remember to
actually put some in the ring.
Not like last time.
The best shooter in the team.
Get out of here.
Give me that!
I always show you how it's done.
You made it!
Delyle.
I, um... I need
to speak with you.
I can't now.
I'll see you after the game.
We'll go somewhere
and celebrate.
I can't marry you, Delyle.
What?
Emily, I'll see you
after the game.
We can talk then.
No, there's nothing to
talk about. I just...
I can't marry you.
But why?
Here we go, honey.
Oh, thank you, dear.
There must be
something we can do for him.
Mother, we can't fight
their battles for them.
All we can do is
love and support them.
But look at him. He's lost.
I'm worried for him.
All right.
I'll talk to him.
Okay.
Okay.
Son.
You take a break, your mother
brought some lemonade.
Training camp starts
in a couple of weeks.
So what are you
planning on doing?
Because you've been moping
around here like a lame steer,
and I think
an apology is in order.
I'm sorry, Dad.
Not me, the backboard.
I should have gone to
California with her.
I was so stupid
to let her go on her own.
Yeah, well, did you
ever stop to think
that maybe it wasn't
meant to be?
You did everything right, son.
But it's God's will,
it's not yours.
It won't be the last time
that a girl does your head in.
It's not like that
with you and Mom.
We've had our moments,
we just don't do it
in front of you kids.
I'd be a weak man
if I let anger
control my emotions.
I just...
I thought she was the one.
Hmm.
I know the experts say that
you can't truly know love
until you've had
your heart broken.
Did you ever get yours broken?
No.
And there hasn't been a day
that I haven't loved your
mother with all my heart.
So what do
the experts know, right?
"Ex" means old, and spurt
is a drip of water.
"Drip of water."
You can, however,
use what you're feeling inside
to make you a better person.
Son, the decisions you make now
will determine
the rest of your life.
So choose things
that help you grow.
I know you're gonna
choose the right path.
Hey.
I want those boys to be doing fast
breaks all the way down the...
Delyle, come on in.
Could I please
speak to you, Coach?
You're cutting it
pretty fine, son,
you almost missed the bus.
I'm not getting on the bus.
Snowy, would you
give us a moment please?
I've decided I'm going to...
I'm going to serve a mission.
Why would you want to do that?
It's the right time in my life.
If I don't go now, I'll
probably never go, so...
I heard about your fiancee, son.
And I have to tell you
from experience
that you can't make
decisions like this
when your head's all messed
up because of a girl.
I want you to think
carefully about this.
We're creating a legacy here
that will be the envy
of all other schools.
If you leave now,
you're going to miss it.
No, it's not a decision
I've come to easily.
It's been on my mind
a lot lately.
I need to go and serve.
It's the right thing to do.
You can convince yourself that almost
anything is the right thing to do.
Playing basketball
could be the right thing.
This team's capable of anything.
You're capable of anything.
But I'm telling you now, if you
leave now to serve on some mission,
this, all this, is gone.
And I don't think you'll
ever play basketball again.
I'm sorry, Coach.
My mind's made up.
Condie.
Good luck, son.
This is heavy.
Bye, brother.
Don't forget Ted.
Really?
Oh, you.
Write to me every week, okay?
Let me know
if you need some food.
Goodness knows what
they eat down there.
And boil the water
before you drink it,
and don't go into the Outback.
God be with you
till we meet again.
Bye.
This is it, Dad.
It's really happening.
It is an honor and a privilege
to have you as my son.
I'll see you on home plate.
Bottom of the ninth.
Yeah.
Hi. You must be Condie.
I've been waiting for you.
I'm Elder Groberg.
Pleased to meet you.
Good times, huh?
Yeah.
Grab your stuff, let's go.
So, are you heading
to Australia, too?
No, I'm getting off at Tonga.
Tonga? Sounds
like heaven.
Yeah.
How are you today, sir?
Buongiorno, Bruno.
Welcome.
Elder Condie?
Welcome to Melbourne.
I'm Elder Johnson.
Brother Jones is driving.
Welcome, son.
This is Elder Christensen.
Good to meet you.
And that gentleman is your
companion, Elder Morton.
How's the journey?
Well, I fed most of
the fish in the Pacific,
but other than that it was okay.
You know, I'm keen to get
to the mission home,
have a shower and get settled.
Oh, you will.
But first we're gonna make a little detour.
We got a game on.
Of course, you've just arrived,
so why take you straight
to the mission home?
Let's go play a game instead.
A game?
Basketball.
You're playing basketball?
On your mission?
Yeah, I mean,
Australia is not like
anywhere else on this planet.
You are not in
Idaho anymore, Toto.
Thank you.
So, are you Australian?
Excuse me?
I'm British.
From Britain?
I speak the Queen's English.
Not the gibberish
they call language here.
Don't confuse me with
these barbarians again.
Well... I'm kidding.
It's a joke.
Ah.
Not about the barbarians though.
That bit's true.
Condie,
we're a man short. We're
gonna need you to play.
I don't have any gear.
What you're wearing will do.
All right, let's toss it.
Right, here we go, boys!
Great work, boys.
Go, Condie! Nice!
Yes, Condie, good!
Yeah, nice.
Great work, boys.
Nice work, boys.
Yeah!
Great game.
Good job, guy.
Well played, Condie,
well played.
Hey, good game tonight, Jim.
More Americans?
G'day, I'm Elspeth.
This is my husband Jim.
What are you doing?
Well, I'm just saying hi.
Sorry, sorry.
You get used to it.
President Bingham's
expecting us.
Any advice before I meet him?
He's not too bad, really.
Okay.
Come in!
Elder Condie, welcome to the mission.
Thank you, sir.
So, how was the game tonight?
Well, we won, sir.
I understand you played
in your regular attire?
Yes, sir, I didn't know
I was going to be playing
basketball tonight.
Well, it's a good thing you won
because I have to inform you
that's the last game you'll be
playing while you're here with us.
As of today, I'm going
to stop all activities
that don't directly
relate to our work.
We didn't come here
to play sport.
We have to get
our house in order
and that means not wasting time.
This is a very
difficult mission,
as you'll come to understand.
You'll need to be
obedient and steadfast.
Find, teach, baptize.
Now, get some rest.
Tomorrow you hit
the ground running.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Welcome to the room, Condie.
That's you just there.
Bathroom is just there.
That's it.
This is the most
beautiful ring I've ever seen.
I've already picked out our first
child's name. Just so you know.
Oh, you have?
Yes. It'll be a boy.
Noah Ethan Condie.
A boy, huh?
Mmm-hmm.
Great names, but do I get a say?
You can pick out
the girl's names.
Okay. Well, in that
case, I like...
Jezebel.
I thought you were serious.
I'm so happy right now.
Well, look at you all keen
and eager on your first day.
Well, I'm excited to get out
and meet some people.
Yeah, that'll wear off
soon enough.
What do you mean?
Eagerness is good, yeah,
but, uh, you gotta
prepare yourself.
For what?
What?
Never mind, you'll
find out soon enough.
- Hello, I'm Elder Condie...
- No.
Well, at least you
got to say hello.
Hello, sir.
We're missionaries from
the Church of Jesus...
That's the thing. It's really
important from the start...
You kids! I oughta... Stop.
Is every day like today?
Ugh.
Not every day.
There are some good days.
When you find someone who wants to
listen, it's like walking on air.
How do you handle it?
The rejection, I mean.
I leave in two weeks, Condie.
I've learned to get over it.
You have to. And you just
do what you have to.
Sometimes I say to myself,
"Norman, why go through all this
for people who don't care?"
Because it's why we're here.
You say that when we have
enough tomato seeds
to start a market garden.
Your first name's Norman?
Mmm.
Norman the Mormon?
Oh... God sure
blessed you.
Yes, he did.
Wow.
Dear Dad.
I've never taken
anything for granted
or expected things to be
handed to me on a platter.
But, boy,
I could sure use a break.
It seems every day is a test.
As great as
the Australian people are,
they are steadfast and stubborn.
Most have little
or no time for us,
and I fear my foot may soon break
from all the doors slammed on it.
Hello, how are you?
Some days really get me down,
and I'm worried that too many more
of these might take a heavy toll.
Have I made a mistake, Dad?
I would have been
married by now.
Elder Morton
goes home this week,
so I'm getting
a new companion, too.
I miss you and Mom so much.
Have you ever heard of Vegemite?
Best to avoid it at all costs.
My dear son,
in our life are challenges.
They can make you grow
and bring you closer to God,
or you can let them destroy you.
The choice, as always, is yours.
You didn't think a mission
would be easy, did you?
This is about your faith
as much as theirs.
Try to find common ground
with these people,
something that appeals to them.
You can be all things to all
people if you choose to be.
Your loving father.
This is our bungalow.
Mrs. Tonkin is the landlady.
She's sweet.
Is she a member?
No, her and her daughters
are Salvation Army.
Daughters, huh?
Obviously they don't do
the cleaning then?
I... Sorry about the mess.
You can have this bed over here
and hang your clothes in there.
Clearly you miss your mom.
Morton was the cleaning lady
in this companionship.
So what's your story, Elder?
My story?
Are you writing a book?
We all have one.
Why we're here, I mean.
I'm here to serve a mission.
I was just trying to get
to know my companion.
I didn't mean to be intrusive.
If you don't want to talk,
that's fine by me.
I'm sorry, I'm just tired.
I almost didn't come here.
I had no intention
to serve a mission.
But it didn't turn out that way.
I'm keen to get out and
meet the people tomorrow.
Oh, you will.
You like tomatoes?
I guess. Why?
You'll see.
Okay.
Don't put your hands
or feet near the door
if you ever want
to use them again.
Hello.
I'm Elder Condie and this is Elder Hull.
We're missionaries.
We'd like to share
a message with you.
You get away from her!
I know all about you Mormons.
You take young girls
away to marry them.
Well, you're not
taking my daughter!
Get off my property!
Run! Run!
Melbourne, at this moment,
is in the throes of immense
preparations for the Olympic Games,
which will be the first to be
held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Six thousand athletes from all around
the world will descend on our nation,
and construction
is well underway
to house them just outside town.
For goodwill and fair play it's
going to be a red letter day,
not only for Melbourne,
but for all Australia
when the Olympic fanfare
rings out
and the Olympic flag is
hoisted at the stadium.
Hi, Jim.
Stan.
And how are we going?
Have you seen the size of some of
the players on the other teams?
Look, obviously we can't
compete on height.
We just have to concentrate
on skills and tactics.
Look, it's their first Olympics.
We just have to train hard,
teach them what we can.
You never know.
Mate, it'd take 20 years
to whip this lot
into decent shape.
You just gotta have
a little faith, my friend.
Come on, boys.
Come on!
I'm starving.
What did Sister Tonkin
make for us today?
Oh, Vegemite!
I hate this stuff.
It's like eating axle grease.
It's probably
all she can afford.
Well, someone's got to
say something to her.
You can. I'd rather
suffer in silence.
I'm so hungry, I could
eat a Vegemite sandwich.
I hate Vegemite, I hate flies,
and I hate rude people.
You sure do hate
a lot of things, Condie.
I'm just happy to be here.
Hi, there.
You play basketball?
Yeah. So?
Mind if we take a shot?
If you want.
How did you...
Hello, again.
Elspeth, wasn't it?
That's right!
We met at the basketball.
Right, Elder Condie.
We were just walking by and saw
your son shooting baskets.
We didn't mean to intrude.
Oh, no, Brett's
my little brother.
This is Elder Hull.
This is Elspeth.
Her husband plays in the local league.
He's a good player.
Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
You should see
this guy shoot the ball.
He got it in from way over here!
It's been hard on him
since Mum died.
Dad's a boozer,
so he's never around.
And we're better off
without him anyway.
What about you? What are
you blokes all about?
Well...
Oh, here's Jim now.
Jim! Come and meet
the elders.
I'm so sorry, I... I think
that he's had a hard day.
Hull, we best be going anyway.
When can you come back?
Tomorrow?
I'll see what I can do.
Thanks for the water.
Oh, wait, should we go
back and give them a book?
I think we wore out
our welcome today.
I think we're gonna
have to be realistic
and look at these Olympics as...
As gaining experience.
This isn't a training exercise,
Stan, it's the Olympic Games.
Got the whole nation
looking over our shoulders.
Mate,
there just aren't
enough hours in the day
to get them to where
they need to be.
Imagine if we had
the college system here.
Imagine the players we'd
have then, the experience.
But we can't
replicate that in six months.
Don't worry.
With Rose and Fraser
in the pool,
I doubt anyone will
even know we're there.
You know if our boys could play
as well as you can swill beer,
we'd win a flamin' medal.
Yes, we would.
Hey, 6:00 swill.
Mmm-hmm.
I wanna get home before
Betty puts the kids to bed.
I'll see you later.
See you, Bill.
See you.
This is becoming pointless.
Come on, Condie.
Things will turn around
if we have faith.
Faith is something that is
so foreign to these people.
Can't they see that we're
just trying to help them?
You've only got 13 months left.
You just gotta
keep chipping away.
No, I don't want to chip away.
I want to make a difference
in people's lives.
I'm not giving up two years of
my life just to pass the time.
There has to be someone here
who wants to listen.
I'm not giving up
until I find them.
So let's just tract the rest of
this street and call it a day.
I'm beat anyways.
Good afternoon, ma'am,
I'm Elder Condie
and this is Elder Hull.
We're missionaries
from the Church
of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
If you have a spare moment,
we'd like to share an
important message with you.
Oh!
Well, you probably
want my husband.
He gets all the
important messages.
Ken!
There's some
young men at the door
with an important
message for you!
How important's the message?
Well, I don't know. They
didn't say what the message was.
Well, it couldn't
have been that important.
Did you ask them?
No.
They've got something to do
with ladders and snakes.
What? They're visionaries
or something.
They look very official.
They've got accents.
What can I do for you chaps?
We're from the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We'd like to share a
spiritual message with you.
Oh, right.
Look, we're...
We're pretty good for
spiritual messages today.
Thanks very much.
Thank you all the same, sir.
Have a nice day.
No worries.
Were they the police?
No, they weren't the police.
Well, I don't know.
Hey, hang on, fellas.
Are you chaps Mormons?
Yes, sir, we are!
Didn't I see you
playing basketball?
Yes.
Ken Watson's my name.
Elder Condie.
Hello.
Elder Hull.
Why don't you come
back inside, fellas?
Thank you, sir.
- It's a beautiful home.
- Thank you.
Stan.
Stan, I have solved
all our problems.
You have?
Mormons.
Mormons?
Mormon basketballers.
Beer, mate?
Uh...
Yes, yes, all right.
Yeah, two beers.
Yeah.
Eh?
Mr. Watson, this is my
wife, Sister Bingham.
It's very nice to meet you.
Please have a seat. Thank you.
Mr. Watson, could I offer you a
refreshment, a glass of water, perhaps?
A cup of tea would be lovely.
We don't have tea. I can
offer you milk or water.
Oh, right.
Uh, well, whatever you've got
will be fine, thank you.
Adele, would you fetch Mr. Watson
and me a glass of water please?
Of course.
Mr. Watson, on the
telephone you said
that you needed our help.
Yes, yes, I do.
I'm the coach of the
Australian basketball team.
As I'm sure you know,
the Olympics are coming.
Look, I'll be honest.
We're struggling.
And we could really appreciate
going up against some
players with experience.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Otherwise we're
gonna get thrashed.
I'm sorry,
Mr. Watson,
but we have disbanded
the basketball program.
Yes, they're here to work,
not to play athletics.
Oh... Mr. Bingham...
President.
I don't know a great deal
about your church.
But I do know those boys are
some of the finest examples
of basketballers
in this country.
Now, in Australia,
our religion is sport.
And if you want to
connect with Aussies,
well, then you do it
through sport.
Do you have children,
Mr. Watson?
Yes, I do.
Well, then you'll know
you must provide them
with strict rules
and discipline.
These boys need to be
attentive and obedient,
and not partake in, shall
we say, worldly activities.
Oh, missus.
Basketball is a good,
wholesome sport.
It was started by Christians.
But I can see
you've made up your mind.
It's simply not
why they're here.
We could do great things.
To the Church,
for basketball.
I hope you'll think about it.
I'm sorry we can't
help you, Mr. Watson.
Well, thank you anyway.
Thanks for coming.
- Goodbye, Mr. Watson.
- Please.
Wouldn't have a bar of it.
I thought they were
here to teach.
Church stuff, not basketball.
He was adamant and his
wife even more so.
And do you know what? They wouldn't
even give me a cup of tea.
Well, if those Mormon boys
are anything like my kids,
they won't listen
to what they're told.
Ken.
What President Bingham
doesn't know won't hurt him.
Now, do not let him shoot, okay?
Hands in there.
Put your hands in there.
Don't let him shoot!
Don't! Come on!
Thanks for
letting us come around.
I haven't seen him smile
that much in a long time.
It's good for him.
Because he's small for his age,
he has trouble fitting in.
Well, he sure
does love basketball.
He doesn't have much of a choice
with Jim playing it
all the time.
It's a good sport.
He sure does idolize you blokes.
Well, mostly Hull.
He's a swell kid.
Would you like to stay for tea?
Yes! Thank you!
Don't! Don't let him shoot again!
Yeah! Come on.
Ready? Ready?
Oh, yeah.
Who's Stan Page?
Stan, Stan. What?
Hello.
Fellas.
I'm Stan Page. I believe
you've already met Ken.
Thanks for coming.
We got your note.
How can we help you?
We were hoping to appeal to your
sensibilities as sportsmen.
Yes, this is our Olympic squad.
As you can see,
they're pretty raw.
We want you to work with
us on our skills and drills.
And I could certainly use some
help as far as coaching goes.
I'm sorry, Coach,
but we're not allowed
to play basketball anymore.
No, well, we thought you'd be
able to help us on your days off.
You know, sort of on the sly,
if you know what I mean?
That's not possible, sir.
Don't you miss it?
The thrill of the game
when the buzzer goes!
You have a chance
to help these boys
with more than just basketball.
I don't think you understand.
What you're asking would go
against everything we stand for.
Well, we didn't realize that.
Uh... Sorry.
They could send us home.
Really?
Yes.
I'm sorry, sir.
Well, that went well.
Mmm.
Can you believe them?
Asking us to be
disobedient like that.
Yeah.
Wait, you're not
thinking about it?
No! No, no way,
of course not.
I mean, you've got to admit
it's a great opportunity.
For what?
Think of the doors
this could open for us.
Like with Brett and Elspeth.
The only reason we got
invited in was because of...
This is different.
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
This is bigger!
This is the Olympic team.
Imagine all the people
we could reach.
No more being hosed off lawns.
No more doors in the face.
Even if you're right,
President Bingham said no.
"Find, teach, baptize"
is what he said.
You're prodding at a
tiger in its cage here.
We should be sharing our skills.
Basketball, it can
break down barriers for us.
I'm going to talk to President Bingham.
Are you crazy?
Condie, we're being disobedient
just by being here.
Just relax, okay?
President Bingham, he's
really just a teddy bear.
Yeah, but Sister
Bingham's like a dragon.
She's really scary.
At the moment,
we're just these
strange Americans
who knock on people's
doors, but...
But they love sport and they're
crazy for the Olympics.
If we help them with this,
we can break down
so many barriers.
We'll be a part
of their community.
Elder Condie, your
enthusiasm is admirable,
but it's misguided.
You need to re-channel all that
enthusiasm into your missionary work.
I have been, President Bingham.
Every day we go out tracting,
and I can tell you firsthand
that getting our message
across is that much easier
when there's a point of
connection, like basketball.
There's this young boy, Brett...
Elder Condie,
if you wanted to play
basketball so much,
you should have
stayed in college.
We are not a basketball team,
I am not your coach.
No, I understand that,
sir, but...
No buts.
We have but one purpose
and one purpose only.
We cannot do our work if we are
distracted by playing sports.
Now, gentlemen, let this be the
last time we talk of this matter.
Are you okay?
"My son
is an intuitive young man.
"And he feels that basketball
could be the means
"to help them to connect
with the people.
"And indeed ingratiate
themselves into the community."
Brethren, Elder Tanner
passed this on to me
from his good friend,
Brother Condie.
Missionary work is hard enough
without us making it any harder.
We send our fine young men
out into the mission field.
And we have an opportunity
to assist them
to bring others into
the arms of the Lord.
And that is exactly
what I intend to do.
Elder Condie, you must
have prayed very hard.
Salt Lake has proposed that we
put a basketball team together
in order to help
the Australians.
And I'm putting you
in charge of it.
We'll do whatever
you ask of us, sir.
I want to make it absolutely
clear from the outset
that there will be
certain parameters.
Elders are not to be distracted
from their missionary work.
You will be given one
day a week to practice.
I want you to work closely
together with Elder Burt
to handpick the best team
from the mission.
Don't let me down.
Johnson was at BYU. Where's
he serving at the moment?
He's in Adelaide. But he
goes home in a few weeks.
Dang. West and Grant
were at the U.
Grant's in Tasmania.
Elder Garn was a starter
at Sugar City, Idaho.
Oh, yeah, I remember playing against him.
That guy is fast.
Frodsham. He's a good
all-around sportsman.
He played at BYU.
He's tough as nails, too.
Elder Hull, sit up straight.
That is not a footrest and this
is not a Chinese bathhouse.
Do up your tie.
So, are you elders
staying for dinner, then?
We hadn't planned to, so please
don't go to any trouble for us.
Well, I'm planning for you
and I already have,
so it's settled.
I still think all of
this is a silly idea,
but if President McKay
thinks we should,
then I will support it.
Oh! And don't forget
Elder Kimball.
He was a star at
Provo High School.
Let me be quite clear.
You are first and
foremost missionaries.
You'll manage your time well,
but if your work should suffer,
then you'll be relieved
of this assignment.
Basketball, in and of itself,
doesn't convert
people to the gospel.
So always remember who you are
and what you stand for.
Yes, sir.
When you guard me, you want to
stand a little closer if you can.
Yeah, and keep low.
Okay.
You'll see
which way I'm going to cut.
Good, that's it, well done.
Halt. If you spread your
hands wider on the ball,
it's easier to control.
I don't need any help from you.
Okay.
Hey, come on.
Come, boys. Time out.
Let's just have a spell, fellas.
Can you try and
put into practice
what it is that
they're telling us?
We don't...
They're here to help us!
We don't need these guys.
Yes, we do, Jim.
We can't run to the Yanks every
time we need our necks saved.
It was bad enough
during the bloody war.
So what can we do
to improve ourselves?
Playing basketball is one thing.
How you live your life
is another.
All I'm saying to you guys, if
you're smoking, if you're drinking,
you're crucifying your bodies
and wasting your life.
You don't see us running up
court gasping for air, do you?
Hey! Go back
and join your team.
I don't need sermons,
and I don't need them to
tell me how to live my life.
I think you do, Jim,
'cause you're not doing a
very good job of it yourself.
Go back and join
your team. Please.
Anyway, I've seen you all doing the shots.
That's great.
You've got
the two-handed set shot,
but we really want to start
focusing on the jump shot.
And the point of the jump
is to shoot from
a higher position
to make it more difficult
for the defender to block.
It also lowers
the angle of the basket.
So let's try some.
And now we're
privileged to have in the studio
members of the Mormon Yankees
basketball team.
We sure do appreciate
you taking the time...
Listen!
It's the elders!
That's Elder Condie.
I just love their accents.
Yes, sir, that's correct.
Oi! We're listening
to that!
I've heard some bad things
about these Mormons.
They sacrifice live goats and try
to trap you into their cult.
They don't do that, Jim! They're
very nice people.
Well, I'll have nothing to do
with 'em and neither will you
if you want to stay
married to me.
And no more going to their church.
It's a waste of time.
Stop being
a drongo and fix the car.
Shush! I can't hear.
Well, we wish
you and your team all the best
for the up-and-coming Bendigo
game with the state team.
And now a word from our sponsor.
So the state team invite us to
play in a city two hours away,
and we have to hitchhike
while the others drive?
How did we draw the short straw?
Think of it as a way
to meet people.
Hey. It says here, "The discovery
of gold in Bendigo during the 1850s
"made it one of
the most significant
"Victorian boom towns
in Australia."
Hey, we might find a nugget.
I need to find a bathroom.
And get bit on the
butt by a snake?
I'll hold.
I think we should split up.
Be a lot easier
to pick up two than four.
Good idea.
We'll run ahead
and if you get a ride,
have them pick us up.
Is something on your mind, then?
How can you keep
pushing all the time?
Doesn't this ever get to you?
Don't you miss your family?
Yeah, I do.
I just keep working.
Yeah, I am working.
More than I've ever worked.
Sacrificed so much,
and for what?
I just want to be at home
with my family.
You're not the only one
who feels like that.
The more I let it get to me,
the further away I feel.
As much as I want
to be near them,
to sit on the porch with my dad,
or to smell my mom's cooking...
I know this isn't forever.
But I want to finish
what I started here first.
Is your mom a good cook?
Oh, brother, she's the best.
Thanksgiving especially.
What about yours?
Every year my dad would get a
turkey before Thanksgiving,
and my brother would attach
himself to it, claim it as a pet.
He didn't realize
we were eating his pet
until he was eight or nine.
He's never eaten turkey since.
Hey.
Thanks.
Where you headin', cobber?
Bendigo.
Okay, jump in.
Hey, here they are.
Thank you.
Go, go, go!
Come on.
You guys, come on.
Okay.
No... Hey!
Guys. Stop kidding
around, guys. Come on.
Real funny, guys, really funny.
Nice one, guys.
What do you mean
they've cancelled the game?
I don't know any details.
They just said the game was off.
They couldn't notify us earlier?
So we've hitchhiked
all this way for nothing?
Well done, Condie, that's another
fine mess you got us into.
So, what do we do now?
Head back home, I guess.
I see what they mean about
four seasons in one day.
It's freezing!
Hey. Are you guys
those Mormon Yankees?
Yes, sir, we are.
Oh, I've been looking
everywhere for you.
How did you know
where to find us?
Well, there's not too many
American-looking fellas
above six foot around here.
I'm John Whitaker from
the Bendigo prison.
Heard your game got cancelled.
We were wondering whether
you'd be interested
in having a bit of an exhibition
game up at the prison.
A prison?
Who would we play?
Prisoners.
I've coached some of
them into a team,
and we play in the local league.
When they heard you
were coming to Bendigo,
they all wanted to play
the great Mormon Yankees.
Isn't it meant to
rain today, sir?
You're Mormons, aren't you?
Can't you take care of that?
Can I have a quick
word with my team?
We cannot play in a prison.
President Bingham
will freak out.
But can you think of
any group of people
under the sun
who we could help more?
He could send you home.
I'm not just
passing the time, Hull.
What if we get stabbed?
We're here. We got
nothing else to do.
You know, I saw
a James Cagney film once
where the prisoners had shivs
and stabbed each other.
We'll play on one condition.
We get a hot meal.
And some ice cream.
Done.
I've spent my whole life living
right and I end up in prison.
Just don't be here
when we leave.
Hey, it's great to see you. Thanks, boys.
Thanks for coming.
We really appreciate this.
Well, I got a girl
She's fine
She looks like
Frankenstein
She got friends
Well, that's true
But I think they
come from a zoo
But I love her
Yes, I do
'Cause she is my girl
She got big eyes
and droopy lips
And when she walks
Her hips do the flip
She's got a smile
Boy, she can
giggle a while
But I love her
Yes, I do
'Cause she is my girl, yeah!
If I had to climb a mountain
or swim the deepest sea
She's the only girl for me
That's it, that's all
Just look
what you have done
But I love her
Yes, I do
'Cause she is my girl
A prison?
What were you thinking?
The opportunity was there,
so I did
what I thought was right.
What you thought was right.
Elder Condie,
I put my faith in you
to make good choices.
This was not one of them.
Did you even consider the danger
of what might have
happened there?
Sir, it's not like
we got stabbed.
Sir, there were guards
with us at all time.
Elder Condie, that is
hardly the point.
This game could set
the Church back years
if word gets out.
Now, these shenanigans must end.
Or you'll find yourself
door-knocking in the Outback.
I doubt they play
basketball out there.
Yes, sir.
Mmm.
These things are amazing.
How can he not see it?
I can't think of a better way
for them to accept us.
Otherwise, what's
the point of being here?
You know, Condie...
At the start, I was just
going along with you
because you were my companion.
But after the prison match,
one of the inmates asked
me to teach him about God.
I think you're
onto something here,
and it's kind of exciting.
Are you sure you
don't want some?
It's really good.
So, the Olympic Committee
won't allow nations
to play each other before
the actual games begin.
So, they want to put
together a tournament,
where countries can play
you boys or some local teams
to get some match practice
before the Olympics.
Us, play against
the Olympic teams?
If you can give them
some good warm-up games,
it makes for a better spectacle.
We'll have to run it past
President Bingham first.
I'm not exactly his
favorite person right now.
Wouldn't you want to go up
against the best in the world?
See how good you can be?
And see us get our trash kicked?
Oh, no, son.
No, you're
as good as I've ever seen.
We'll ask. But don't
hold your breath.
Excuse me...
Come here.
You boys have got a fan.
Excuse me, sir, could I
please have an autograph?
Sure. Do you play?
My brother and I only
really just started.
We usually play footy.
Well, basketball will be
a blessing in your life.
- What's your name?
- Lindsay.
Lindsay Gaze.
It's nice to meet you, Lindsay.
Thanks.
Don't worry. If Bingham's going
to flip, I'll take the heat.
No, you won't.
We're companions.
I'm with you all the way.
What is it, my dear?
That was Governor Souter
from Bendigo prison.
The inmates have asked that we
send missionaries there to teach,
at the prison!
Apparently, all this
basketball nonsense
may have its merits after all.
You have always chosen the right
and taken care of the underdog.
And the man I know
would never be afraid
to admit when he's
been wrong before.
They are our boys.
We better find out what
these games are all about.
With the
Olympics now just days away,
basketball fever appears
to be sweeping the nation,
with teams playing
exhibition matches
to showcase this growing sport.
Crowd favorites,
the Mormon Yankees,
are set to take on the Russians
after their
convincing win over China.
These boys look set to win hearts
and minds all across the country
with their on-court skills shining
against the best in the world.
When you're on defense,
you have to be on your man.
Use your body. Don't be
afraid to use your body.
That's right, that's good!
Nice. Really good.
Use your body. It's okay.
You're not gonna hurt him.
You just pass it off.
Dribble it across to me.
Good, good,
good. Really nice.
We should play these Americans.
Play against these Mormons?
They don't even
represent their country.
No, no, it's pointless.
But coach we need to train.
We haven't played
anyone since getting here.
Train with idiots?
This is the Olympics,
Beugnot, OK!
We're not going to church!
Come on.
You're gonna watch
any events, Frank?
I wouldn't know what to watch.
So many weird sports
I've never heard of.
You should still
support your country.
Really?
Well, when they have football
or cricket in there,
I'll go along and watch.
Think I'll go and watch
Dawn Fraser in the pool.
Hey!
Are you blokes
those Mormon Yankees?
Yes, sir, we are.
Fair dinkum?
That's you blokes in the paper?
We've got some
famous people in here, Syd!
No charge for you blokes.
- Thank you, sir.
- Hey.
Make sure you give those Ruskis
a run for their money
tonight, all right?
We'll do our best.
"So, I'll sign off now.
"Give my love to James
and the girls, and Mom,
"of course, and thank
you again, Dad.
"As always,
your loving son."
Oh.
Would you look at him?
That's great, that's
against the Russians.
He looks like
he's doing well, Pop.
Dear Dad.
Our exhibition games
have been going well
and have led to many opportunities
with the Australian people.
Their love of sport
is very strong
and has given us the chance to talk
to them in a more meaningful way.
It has certainly
lifted the spirits
of a lot of
the elders on the team.
I finally feel like
I know why I'm here.
Our game against the French team
proved to be one of the toughest
challenges we've had so far.
Their coach picked a disused
warehouse out of town
and kept
the press and public out.
He runs a tight ship.
I think a lot of his team
are actually afraid of him.
This is going to work in our
favor, Stan. I just know it, mate.
Nice.
We started strongly
and managed to get in
a few early baskets.
Come on let's go!
One, two, one, two.
But it's not easy
keeping one of the best
teams in the world behind you.
They didn't take too kindly to a bunch
of missionaries taking the lead,
that's for sure.
Very good, very good!
Come on, keep up, boys.
Keep it tight!
What's the matter?
This is rubbish.
Boys, if they're going to play
like that, watch yourselves!
What's going on?
Stay strong, stay strong!
Front and guard!
Let's keep focus, boys.
We need to...
Look, he plays like an idiot.
Front and guard!
Come on, ref!
Pretty soon,
we learned the hard way
that not everyone plays
by the same rules we do.
But we kept our cool, even when
the French were losing theirs.
Let's go! The game is up
the other end... look.
Keep your hands
to yourself, mate!
Focus. Put it in.
That was nice.
Good work.
Get ready, boys.
- Nice. Good work.
- Keep it up, man.
Let's go, boys!
He can't do that!
He can't do that!
Come on, come on.
Why is no one ahead!
Let's go! Come
on, boys, you've got this!
Game!
We're still aching
from the encounter.
But can you believe it?
We beat one of
the best teams in the world.
Thanks for the great game.
Pathetic...
Pathetic...
Losing to this religious bunch.
Coach, they are much better
than we thought.
You will not speak of this game. Not
to each other. Not to anyone! Ok?
- Just pass it off. Move across.
- Really good.
French are going around saying
that they beat you boys.
They can say whatever they like.
We know what happened.
They're insisting on a rematch.
Yeah, we'll play them again.
But this time
under our conditions.
Olympic Stadium, open to the
public, with Olympic referees.
And TV cameras.
They'll hate it!
But anything to see the French
get their knickers in a knot!
I'm sure we can arrange that.
Yeah. Good. Good.
- We better get back.
- Yes, yes.
Nice work, guys.
Just pass it off.
Dribble it across to me.
Nice work!
Condie!
Bill Russell!
Delyle Condie.
I played against you
at Utah, right?
That's right, sir.
I'm down here on a mission
for my church.
Well, that's one basketball
player who got it right.
This here is Coach Tucker.
This is my team.
Guys, this is Bill Russell,
Coach Tucker
and the entire American squad.
Saw your match the other day.
Some good defense.
Thank you, Coach.
You boys got it. You
all doing our country proud.
Delyle, best jump shot
I ever seen, man!
You should have
been on our team.
So, are you guys up
for a match against us?
You know, you're a tough
team to track down.
Are you kidding?
No, we wouldn't stand
a chance against you guys.
It wouldn't feel right playing
against our national team.
Well, you think about it.
Anyway, I was hoping
you could give us
the lowdown on the Russians.
Well, their tall
guy is just that.
He doesn't do much else.
The one you need to watch
though is the short guy.
- He's fast.
- All right.
Faster than
anybody I've ever seen.
The way he brings it down
the court like that.
He'll put it up and score two
before you can do anything.
With only days to go before the opening
ceremony of the Olympic Games,
we're thrilled
to bring you this live
television event
on ABC TV tonight.
Behind me, people are gathering
to watch this
exhibition basketball game
between the Mormon Yankees,
a team made up of
young church missionaries,
and the French Olympic team.
This is the second time
these teams will have met,
and we should be set
for an exciting game.
Elder Condie.
Tell me, are you anxious
about this evening's game?
"Anxious"?
Uh... I'm excited.
The French are incredible players.
They're a great team.
But the Mormon Yankees,
we're excited to get out there
and play our best, so...
That's fantastic. Congratulations
and good luck, sir!
Roger Breeny, ABC TV.
Welcome to the official telecast
of the much anticipated rematch
between the French
Olympic basketball team
and Australia's
adopted favorites,
the Mormon Yankees.
The Yankees have been preparing
our very own boys
for the Olympic Games,
and taken time out from their
training for this exhibition match,
coming to you live from Olympic
Stadium, right here in Melbourne.
If I could have a moment.
After today's over,
we go back to being
just missionaries.
Go on, go on.
My father once told me
that basketball
could bring people
from all walks of life together,
no matter what color
or religion you are.
These people are
here to watch us.
We've been blessed.
Just want to say thank you
to all of you.
Including you, President.
I was told that
serving a mission
would be the best
two years of my life.
And it has been.
To be able to use
the game that I love
to bring people
towards salvation...
It's a story worth telling
our kids about, right?
As you all know,
I wasn't in favor of
allowing my missionaries
to play organized basketball.
But I was wrong.
The sportsmanship
that you have exhibited
to everyone who's seen you play
is going to change
people's hearts.
You've done us proud.
Now, I don't know
much about basketball,
but I know that tonight
we're going to beat
the pants off the French.
Elder Garn, would you lead
us in prayer, please?
Dear Heavenly Father...
The crowd are on their feet
as the Mormon Yankees enter the stadium.
There he is.
Who?
Delyle.
Where?
He's the star player
of the team.
These young
American missionaries
are set to take on
the best in the world.
Coming to you live from Olympic
Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
Yankees on three.
One, two, three.
Yankees!
The starting lineup
for the Mormon Yankees
are Condie, Hull, Frodsham,
Kimball and Garn,
with the French team fielding Ray,
Antoine, Monclar, Beugnot and Grange.
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag
was still there...
Dad, what are they singing?
The national anthem.
O say, does that
star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave
If they pull those roughhouse
tactics on us again,
I want you to be our enforcer.
Within the spirit
of the game, of course.
You don't have to ask me twice.
I'll show those wine sippers
how we play ball.
Missionary style.
And, Garn,
Monclar's their go-to guy.
If you give him space,
he'll score on you.
Not tonight, he's not.
Let's play ball, boys!
Very short shorts.
And we're
all set for the tip-off.
The French are
certainly athletic
and one of the best
teams in the world.
They'll be looking to dominate
this young American Mormon team.
First possession goes to the Mormon
Yankees, Hull carrying the ball.
A low pass from Garn to Kimball.
The Yankees look
in complete control here.
Frodsham to Condie who goes up,
and the Yankees
are first to score!
Ray is bringing
the ball down for the French,
but the Yankee defense
is looking solid.
To Antoine now, who makes short
work of Garn and passes to Monclar.
Monclar is going in and...
He goes down!
Just minutes in and this game
is already getting physical.
Seven, push.
Prepare for war.
Oh, yeah? How'd the
last one work out?
Monclar easily
taking his free throws
as the tension mounts
between these two teams.
And another
Mormon boy goes down.
That was on 12 white, push.
What are they doing?
That was
an interesting call, ref.
If you don't like it, too bad.
No, you were spot on,
it was most definitely a foul.
Thank you. It's just
for the wrong team.
A foul called on the Yankees!
The crowd clearly showing their
displeasure at this decision
as the French score,
slowly starting to pull ahead.
A long ball finds Hull.
Shoots it to Condie.
He's contacted by Beugnot.
Condie's on his feet, but they
are really taking a beating.
Come on, come on!
Clearly, the French are trying to
intimidate the Mormon Yankee team
with some rough tactics.
With Hull now.
And he, too, goes down
as we hit halftime.
Oh, no!
The French are the
fourth-ranked team in the world
and are pulling out all the stops
against these young Mormons,
leading them by just four points
at this stage of the game.
Right, listen, listen!
Those guys are going to
throw everything at us.
Prepare yourselves.
If we can ride the knocks
and hold them steady,
we can win this.
Hull, Hull?
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Okay.
What is that?
You continue to be humiliated by
this bunch of religious fools.
But this time
in front of the world.
But coach
it was a superb basket.
And you, you play for
your superb country...
France...
Does that mean anything to you?
Remember why we got on that
boat to come out here.
This is not for us, but for all
of those who are following us.
And for those who
are cheering for us.
Okay, this, this is our time.
Come on, boys!
Come on, boys, come on!
And Condie scores again!
Antoine is moving up the court,
the momentum shifting to the French
as they swiftly close the gap.
Let's go, Yankees!
Tight defense!
Boo!
A pass to Beugnot.
Hull steals.
And he's running down the clock.
Foul by the French captain!
That's five fouls for him.
And he takes
a seat on the bench.
Those Mormon Yankees, they're
the best I have ever played.
This match has been a
war of attrition by the French,
wearing down the Yankees who are
showing clear signs of fatigue.
Here, Kimball!
And Condie goes down!
He appears to be out cold.
Come on, kid, you gotta
get up and keep going.
And he's up! Condie is on
his feet! Just listen to that crowd!
We got this.
Time out!
Time out, ref!
Hey. You all right?
There's no shame
in retiring, son.
Your health is much more
important than just a game.
No. This is more
than just a game, sir...
To them.
Yes, it is.
Look around at the bleachers.
These people who used to shun us
and slam doors on our faces
are cheering for us.
And here, tonight,
I want people to remember the
Mormon Yankees for who we are,
and what we stand for.
Yankees will have
to forfeit the match.
Says who? How can they
be three on the floor?
Are you prepared to tell all these
people that they have to forfeit?
It's an exhibition game, mate!
They can hang from the bloody
rafters if they want to.
Play ball.
Let them play,
let them play, let them play!
Did you hear what I said?
Let them play,
let them play, let them play!
Did you hear what I said?
Blow your whistle
and let's get started.
Go on.
"Play ball," said the referee!
This is extraordinary.
The Yankees, with only three men
on the court
and just seconds remaining.
This game is going to
go down to the wire.
We can run down the clock
and score two to win it.
But we must get possession.
Hull, Kimball.
There are no plays
that I can tell you from now.
All right,
now it's all instinctive.
Let's go, Yankees!
Come on, come on!
So now the Yankees are
down to three fit men on the court.
Well, you'd never know
that these two countries
were allies during the war.
This is what you'd expect
from the Russians.
Come on.
Come on!
Stay open!
Come on, boys, come on.
Come on!
Score! The French Olympic
team have beaten the Mormon Yankees
by the narrowest of margins
in what can only be described
as a nail-biting finish.
We played that game
fair and square!
You can't have an extra free throw!
"Travel"?
We'll protest, son.
Protest to who, Ken?
We're here
to give them practice,
and that's what we did.
When I'm wrong, I admit it.
Good game, Condie.
You're a great player.