Words can't do this justice. I've never seen anything like this. If I'm ever flipping through the channels and see this on, I stop what I'm doing, and watch. The story of this team is unbelievable, and the legend of Jim Valvano lives on.
12 Reviews
Powerful
obliv30 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
In a series that has been almost uniformly excellent (with a couple clunkers), 'Survive and Advance" really sets a new bar for any upcoming episodes. As someone who watched the NC State team's run live in 83, it was fascinating to get a bit of the "behind the scenes" of what went on with Coach V. But the real power comes from seeing the players, now around 50, and the deep emotions they still have for Coach Valvano. As someone who grew up a Carolina fan, and worshipped at the altar of "Phi Slamma jamma", I still have a soft spot for that Wolfpack team. Seeing the last days of Coach V is almost too much to bear by the end of the film. This isn't just one of the best 30 for 30 films, but maybe the best film I will see this year.
With such a compelling story, it's hard not to get sucked into this one...
planktonrules23 December 2014
This installment from "30 for 30" is about Jim Valvano and the NCAA champion NC State team from 1983. So, it is NOT a biography of Valvano nor is it really about any of Valvano's other teams he coached. Why is this subject THAT compelling? Because there really never has been another NCAA basketball team that kept winning in the post-season even though they were usually behind with only a minute or two to go. Yet, again and again, they pulled victory out of the blue--first at the ACC tournament and then in the subsequent NCAA tournament. This film is their story. However, because Valvano died prematurely of cancer in 1993, the film is taught mostly using the surviving members of the 1983 team.
Like so many of ESPN's "30 for 30" documentaries, this one is surprisingly good and entertaining EVEN WITH FOLKS WHO DON'T CARE FOR SPORTS! Yes, I am not much of a sports fan in general and particularly don't like basketball...yet I was fascinated by the story from start to finish because the subject matter was compelling and because it was told so well.
Like so many of ESPN's "30 for 30" documentaries, this one is surprisingly good and entertaining EVEN WITH FOLKS WHO DON'T CARE FOR SPORTS! Yes, I am not much of a sports fan in general and particularly don't like basketball...yet I was fascinated by the story from start to finish because the subject matter was compelling and because it was told so well.
One of the Best Episodes Yet
Michael_Elliott17 March 2013
30 for 30: Survive and Advance (2013)
**** (out of 4)
The new year brings another installment to the ESPN series and it's one of the best yet. SURVIVE AND ADVANCE follows the path of the 1983 North Carolina State basketball team as they did the impossible by reaching the tournament that year but the bigger shock was to follow when they managed to win it. While this story is being told we also get to hear about their basketball coach Jimmy Valvano and his battle with cancer, which would take his life ten-years after winning the championship. I think anyone with even a limited amount of knowledge knows this story but what's so incredibly is how much director Jonathan Hock makes you feel not only for Valvano but also the nervous tension of the tournament. Everyone knows that NC State won yet you really do feel the pressure of watching this team come from behind one game after another and you get to see why Houston was such a force and favorite in that final game. Along the way we hear from the surviving members of the team as they talk about what was happening throughout this period but we also get to hear from members of the other teams as well as coaches like Mike Krzyzewski. The documentary also offers up a speaking engagement that Valvano himself would give later in life so that we can hear some of his feelings on the events. This is certainly one of the best episodes in a terrific series because there's just so much emotion going on here. It's great because people know NC State won the championship but we get to see some of the other games that aren't often discussed. We also get to see what Valvano would be most happy about and that's how his now legendary speech manages to live today as well as still earn money for cancer research. The scenes of him slowly dying are certainly hard to watch as is the pain that his players still feel to this day but at the same time you have to see this guy in a completely different way. It doesn't really matter if you know the story of that 1983 team or if you know about the speech, this is still an incredibly powerful and uplifting film.
**** (out of 4)
The new year brings another installment to the ESPN series and it's one of the best yet. SURVIVE AND ADVANCE follows the path of the 1983 North Carolina State basketball team as they did the impossible by reaching the tournament that year but the bigger shock was to follow when they managed to win it. While this story is being told we also get to hear about their basketball coach Jimmy Valvano and his battle with cancer, which would take his life ten-years after winning the championship. I think anyone with even a limited amount of knowledge knows this story but what's so incredibly is how much director Jonathan Hock makes you feel not only for Valvano but also the nervous tension of the tournament. Everyone knows that NC State won yet you really do feel the pressure of watching this team come from behind one game after another and you get to see why Houston was such a force and favorite in that final game. Along the way we hear from the surviving members of the team as they talk about what was happening throughout this period but we also get to hear from members of the other teams as well as coaches like Mike Krzyzewski. The documentary also offers up a speaking engagement that Valvano himself would give later in life so that we can hear some of his feelings on the events. This is certainly one of the best episodes in a terrific series because there's just so much emotion going on here. It's great because people know NC State won the championship but we get to see some of the other games that aren't often discussed. We also get to see what Valvano would be most happy about and that's how his now legendary speech manages to live today as well as still earn money for cancer research. The scenes of him slowly dying are certainly hard to watch as is the pain that his players still feel to this day but at the same time you have to see this guy in a completely different way. It doesn't really matter if you know the story of that 1983 team or if you know about the speech, this is still an incredibly powerful and uplifting film.
Gripping and Emotional
jackbailey-9138617 September 2020
A fascinating look at "The Wolfpack" college team and their time under coach Jim Valvano. Rarely have i seen a documentary where you feel so ambivalent over the course of the duration; feeling so high to feeling so down and emotional. Any documentary fan should watch this, as much as it is a sports documentary, basketball is merely the medium in which the story of the characters is told. Beautiful piece of work.
One of the best 30 for 30 films to date
dpcsharp2217 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Probably the second best 30 for 30 behind once brothers. A truly great story about more then just basketball, but about life and how great it can be. Of course the best part is that it all actually just happened. The 30 for 30 film series continues to surprise me. It seems its almost just getting better and better with the new "Survive and Advance" right at the top. It covers the 1983 Cinderella run to the national championship by NC state with a "David and Goliath" finish and since its all true its not a cliché. Unfortunately the coach of the team was diagnosed with cancer and is no longer with us but he did beat the odds for a quite a few years. The film also showcases coach k who was a good friend of the last NC state head coach. A special story about a special man who could only make miracles happen for so long. "Survive and Advance" 1983 National Champs NC State...RIP Coach V
My first 30 for 30
coreygrip30 June 2021
This was the first ESPN 30 for 30 I watched and it was amazing, particularly learning about one of the best nicknames in sports history "Cardiac Pack". This is the ultimate underdog story and is truly inspiring, especially learning about the most unorthodox coach of all time in Jim Valvano. My love for March Madness had already been growing, but this documentary took my love for the sport to all new heights. This documentary proves that in sports, teams do not win on paper, but on the field or court. That is a valuable lesson for sports teams at all levels.
Make no mistake, this is a love story
maropis11 April 2020
Survive and Advance remains the standard by which all other ESPN 30 for 30 episodes are measured, and how fitting that this beautiful love story takes place exactly 30 years after NC State won the national championship in a huge upset over Houston.
I saw Survive and Advance when it debuted in March of 2013. I have revisited it several times over the past seven years, and I have recommended it to practically all of my family and friends. For viewers with any aspirations to coach, I strongly recommend they read Joe Ehrmann's excellent book, Inside Out Coaching, and that they see this documentary.
Jim Valvano was not an old school coach who "kicked" his players by yelling and screaming and demeaning them. Conversely, he was one of the new era coaches (see Tony Dungy) who embraced his players. Perhaps, this can be traced back to Valvano's own parents who loved him unconditionally and believed in him wholeheartedly. He used that foundation of love and belief and instilled it in all the young men that he had the privilege of coaching in basketball and, as they would come to realize in later years, in life. He loved on his players and taught them to love one another. When you can successfully marry those two things in a hungry and talented group of players who buy in, great things, and in this case even sports miracles, can occur.
Survive and Advance is not a basketball story per se. The over-arching theme is love-the love that a coach has for his players and the love that the players have for one another. When those players gather on a tragic occasion, they realize how much their coach transformed their lives by loving them and by using basketball as a vehicle to teach them about life. Make no mistake, at its core, Survive and Advance is a love story, so you do not have to be a basketball fan or even a sports fan, for that matter, to enjoy it. Basketball is a minor co-star in this amazing and exceptional documentary.
An amazing and inspiring story
Woodyanders9 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The college basketball team the North Carolina State Wolfback experience a remarkable winning streak that enables them to make it to the NCAA championship in the 1982-1983 season thanks to the expert and infectiously enthusiastic guidance by dynamo coach Jim Valvano.
Director Jonathan Hock wisely lets the extraordinary facts of this astonishing Cinderella tale speak for themselves by employing a stark and simple no-frills style. Since this is a story charged with emotion, with a strong underlying theme about hope and never giving up on realizing one's dreams, it's no surprise that this particular episode of 30 for 30 packs an exceptionally potent and moving punch. One can't help but admire Valvano for his uplifting positive spirit and admirable knack for passing said spirit onto others. Moreover, the camaraderie the players all share with each other is a heart-warming joy to behold. Essential viewing.
Director Jonathan Hock wisely lets the extraordinary facts of this astonishing Cinderella tale speak for themselves by employing a stark and simple no-frills style. Since this is a story charged with emotion, with a strong underlying theme about hope and never giving up on realizing one's dreams, it's no surprise that this particular episode of 30 for 30 packs an exceptionally potent and moving punch. One can't help but admire Valvano for his uplifting positive spirit and admirable knack for passing said spirit onto others. Moreover, the camaraderie the players all share with each other is a heart-warming joy to behold. Essential viewing.
Basketball & Courage (paytv)
leplatypus3 January 2022
So far the only thing i knew about the late Jim Valvano was that when my home basketball team CSP Limoges became European Champion under the coaching of Bozidar Maljkovic, medias said that it was the best coaching ever since this NCAA tournament 1983 won by Jim.
With this documentary, you have indeed a great resume of this NC state team winning all games in the last seconds. Beyond the athletic achievement, what's extremely good here is that you have the original footage of the games plus the gathering of the team decade later. It's just beautiful because you can touch what sports is about and especially basketball. It's an epic journey with teammates helping and believing and sharing a bond that lasts forever. They did something unique and they have this joy every day.
But, the documentary achieves greatness because it offers in parallel the biography of Jim who died from cancer at a young age. Born from Italian parents, he was proud of his roots and what a guy he was: funny, easy to talk, imaginative, caring and for sure, courageous: when cancer broke him down, he managed to get up when needed to deliver very moving speech and visiting his old players. And the big surprise was that all along, his best friend was Coach K, the best ever USA basketball coach (a winning streak of 83 winning games!) and you understand why: the duo had amazing beliefs, deep human fundamentals.
Honestly, I like Phil Jackson, Jordan and the Bulls. But Jim was like a divine shooting star and this documentary pays him an amazing homage and ranks as the best biopic ever, beyond sports and hoops. A must see to get your life back in track!
With this documentary, you have indeed a great resume of this NC state team winning all games in the last seconds. Beyond the athletic achievement, what's extremely good here is that you have the original footage of the games plus the gathering of the team decade later. It's just beautiful because you can touch what sports is about and especially basketball. It's an epic journey with teammates helping and believing and sharing a bond that lasts forever. They did something unique and they have this joy every day.
But, the documentary achieves greatness because it offers in parallel the biography of Jim who died from cancer at a young age. Born from Italian parents, he was proud of his roots and what a guy he was: funny, easy to talk, imaginative, caring and for sure, courageous: when cancer broke him down, he managed to get up when needed to deliver very moving speech and visiting his old players. And the big surprise was that all along, his best friend was Coach K, the best ever USA basketball coach (a winning streak of 83 winning games!) and you understand why: the duo had amazing beliefs, deep human fundamentals.
Honestly, I like Phil Jackson, Jordan and the Bulls. But Jim was like a divine shooting star and this documentary pays him an amazing homage and ranks as the best biopic ever, beyond sports and hoops. A must see to get your life back in track!
Reminiscing Over Shared History with a Big, Open-Hearted Family
drqshadow-reviews21 September 2018
A wild ride to the NCAA men's basketball finals with plucky third-year coach Jim Valvano and his unlikely NC State Wolfpack. Already lead players in a dramatic, historic underdog tale, in getting to know the team on a personal basis, we're given even more reasons to pull for their seemingly-impossible victory.
The surviving members of the squad, having suffered two major personal losses in the thirty years since they were Final Four Cinderellas, now meet on an annual basis to reconnect and recount memories of that one destiny-driven ride. We sit in on one such reunion, with the former teammates' overwhelming sense of community and kinship not only providing a more colorful, entertaining narration for the action on the court, but an intense, raw shared emotion that shows us the full depth of character present in each man. By the closing credits, they feel like family and the incredible conclusion of their athletic pinnacle, thirty years gone, resonates with a new sense of vibrancy.
Stirring, motivating, emotionally-affecting stuff that swells the heart and moves the spirit.
The surviving members of the squad, having suffered two major personal losses in the thirty years since they were Final Four Cinderellas, now meet on an annual basis to reconnect and recount memories of that one destiny-driven ride. We sit in on one such reunion, with the former teammates' overwhelming sense of community and kinship not only providing a more colorful, entertaining narration for the action on the court, but an intense, raw shared emotion that shows us the full depth of character present in each man. By the closing credits, they feel like family and the incredible conclusion of their athletic pinnacle, thirty years gone, resonates with a new sense of vibrancy.
Stirring, motivating, emotionally-affecting stuff that swells the heart and moves the spirit.
Survive and Advance is the most breathtaking and inspirational documentary of any sports team in modern film history.
trm-6308617 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people, do extraordinary things." This is just one of Jim Valvano's many moving quotes from Survive and Advance. Survive and Advance is a sports documentary based on the 1983 North Carolina State miracle basketball team, directed by Jonathan Hock. Jim Valvano was the head coach of this closely knit group of men. Throughout the duration of the film, the audience follows Dereck Whittenburg, the star on the team, as he talks about his experiences with Coach Valvano, also known as Coach V. He is a very genuine man who loves everyone of his player and has a very close relationship with everyone of them. This is what makes this film so difficult to watch without getting emotional. After seeing how Coach V affected each player's life and how they were all able to come together in his last moments of life is truly special. Because of theses reasons, Survive and Advance is the most breath taking and inspirational documentary of any sports team in modern film history.
This film started off by showing the struggles the Wolfpack team went through in their beginning years. However, coach V always told them to " Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead". From the first time he walked into the gym he told his team "I am going to win a national title". This inspired me because, without even knowing what his team was like he believed in them. He had so much faith in his team which makes me hope that one day I can find a coach like this. Everyone thought he was ridiculous, Coach V was a dreamer. He was able to implement this dream into everyone of his men. However, the team soon realized dreaming was different from doing. The team has been together for nearly four years and their relationships with each other have begun to flourish. Dereck Whittenburg said, "Coach V taught us how to be a family. He taught us how to love one another." This is something as a player I can only hope for in a coach. I want a coach that will believe in me in the toughest of times and be able to make a team into a family. You get to see how close this group actually is when you find out Coach V is diagnosed with cancer. The team transforms from a team into a family that cares for each of their brothers. This is inspiring to me as a player because I want to be apart of a team that I know will be there for me no matter what.
Coach V always had a way with words and before every game he would give a moving speech. So, when he gave a speech at the ESPY's the team already knew something great was going to happen. It was like God had given him words to speak that night. In this speech he gives so many quotes about life and effected everyone in the audience and everyone at home watching. This speech was truly breath taking because of the way it was able to connect to my heart. It made me believe that there was nothing that could stop me. If he could fight through cancer I could fight through any road block in my way. He knew and so did everyone else watching that his cancer was terminal. Yet, he was still fighting, he believed that he was going to win. He was going to beat cancer.
Coach V taught everyone that no matter how bad their situation may seem there was always a positive side. It was so inspiring to see how someone who was living with terminal cancer could have such joy in life everyday. After his speech and seeing the way he lived everyday with such hope it made me want to live everyday as though I was lucky to be alive. Now I never take any day for granted. Whether this speech connected to you personally or not you were moved by the words he was saying. The film was able to capture all of these emotions that would have been felt if you were able to live through it.
This film was able to not only connect to the people who were alive at the time this happened but also to the younger generations. It was able to connect with people because they saw the struggles that Coach V was going through and everyone can relate to seeing someone struggle in life. Survive and Advance is the most moving film ever because of the way it was able to connect with the people and express the story that Coach V went through. Therefore, this film is the most inspiring and breath taking film ever
This film started off by showing the struggles the Wolfpack team went through in their beginning years. However, coach V always told them to " Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead". From the first time he walked into the gym he told his team "I am going to win a national title". This inspired me because, without even knowing what his team was like he believed in them. He had so much faith in his team which makes me hope that one day I can find a coach like this. Everyone thought he was ridiculous, Coach V was a dreamer. He was able to implement this dream into everyone of his men. However, the team soon realized dreaming was different from doing. The team has been together for nearly four years and their relationships with each other have begun to flourish. Dereck Whittenburg said, "Coach V taught us how to be a family. He taught us how to love one another." This is something as a player I can only hope for in a coach. I want a coach that will believe in me in the toughest of times and be able to make a team into a family. You get to see how close this group actually is when you find out Coach V is diagnosed with cancer. The team transforms from a team into a family that cares for each of their brothers. This is inspiring to me as a player because I want to be apart of a team that I know will be there for me no matter what.
Coach V always had a way with words and before every game he would give a moving speech. So, when he gave a speech at the ESPY's the team already knew something great was going to happen. It was like God had given him words to speak that night. In this speech he gives so many quotes about life and effected everyone in the audience and everyone at home watching. This speech was truly breath taking because of the way it was able to connect to my heart. It made me believe that there was nothing that could stop me. If he could fight through cancer I could fight through any road block in my way. He knew and so did everyone else watching that his cancer was terminal. Yet, he was still fighting, he believed that he was going to win. He was going to beat cancer.
Coach V taught everyone that no matter how bad their situation may seem there was always a positive side. It was so inspiring to see how someone who was living with terminal cancer could have such joy in life everyday. After his speech and seeing the way he lived everyday with such hope it made me want to live everyday as though I was lucky to be alive. Now I never take any day for granted. Whether this speech connected to you personally or not you were moved by the words he was saying. The film was able to capture all of these emotions that would have been felt if you were able to live through it.
This film was able to not only connect to the people who were alive at the time this happened but also to the younger generations. It was able to connect with people because they saw the struggles that Coach V was going through and everyone can relate to seeing someone struggle in life. Survive and Advance is the most moving film ever because of the way it was able to connect with the people and express the story that Coach V went through. Therefore, this film is the most inspiring and breath taking film ever
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