Faith and family fuel Sundance 'Linsanity' documentary

As a high school freshman, Jeremy stood only 5-foot-3. Both his parents measure 5-foot-6, so it was something of a surprise when Jeremy shot up to 6-foot-3. By his junior year he was good enough to lead his high school team deep into the playoffs. However, on the night before the state semifinals, Lin broke his ankle playing a pickup basketball game. In “Linsanity,” Lin reflects that God took from him the thing he cared most about in order to teach him to trust in God’s plan for his life.

Another instance of religious introspection in “Linsanity” comes during footage from 2011, as Lin tells a group of children at his annual basketball camp that he plays basketball only for God, because he knows God has a plan for him. One of the film’s most poignant moments occurs when Lin’s pastor, Stephen Chen, recalls Lin’s earnest yearning to trust in God during December 2011, while he was in the midst of being released by both the Warriors and Rockets in a span of less than two weeks.

Right place, right time

Long before the mainstream media ever came calling for Jeremy Lin, Leong was already documenting Lin’s life as the only Asian-American then playing in the NBA.

Lin wasn’t selected in the 2010 NBA draft. But the native of Palo Alto, Calif., caught on with the Golden State Warriors — the team he cheered for as a child — for the 2010-11 season. Leong, who was then based in the Bay Area, met Lin and pitched the player on the concept of a documentary about Lin’s career. After some initial hesitance, Lin eventually embraced the idea.

In practical terms, the origins of the project that would become “Linsanity” result in the documentary’s namesake wearing Golden State Warriors gear on and off the court throughout most of the film. (Lin played for the Warriors for 17 months before being released in December 2011. The Rockets picked him up for two weeks, but then on Christmas Eve they too released Lin. He finally found his way to the Knicks on Dec. 27.)

Throughout most of the production of “Linsanity,” Leong was crafting an intimate documentary about someone who was not famous by any stretch of the imagination. The film is primarily framed as a portrait of a likable, articulate basketball player in his early 20s wrestling the racial stereotypes that come part and parcel with being an Asian-American trailblazer. In fact, the entire first hour of the movie concerns itself with tracing Lin’s path from “child of immigrants” to the cusp of stardom.

Refreshing glimpses

“Linsanity” offers audiences several candid snapshots of Jeremy Lin not taking himself too seriously — such as Lin singing karaoke with his family to the Disney song “A Whole New World,” or explaining to the camera why he prefers his “Lion King” blanket to his Garfield blanket.

During one scene in particular, Lin roams the aisles of a Target store with a friend as they shop for basic household items with which to outfit Lin’s new apartment. Upon encountering a display rack full of relaxation fountains priced under $20, Lin can’t believe his good fortune. The camera next cuts to Lin alone in his kitchen, unboxing his relaxation fountain and silently poring over the instructional manual before commencing assembly. Finally, the fountain vignette finishes with an image of Lin turning on his now-assembled fountain for the very first time.

As the water begins to gurgle over three tiers of small rocks in a brown bowl, a look of I-can’t-believe-this exuberance flashes across Lin’s face.

Jamshid Ghazi Askar is a graduate of BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School and member of the Utah State Bar. Contact him at jaskar@desnews.com or 801-236-6051.