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High Flying Bird

High Flying Bird is a 2019 American sports drama film written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film stars André Holland as Ray Burke, a sports agent who, amid an NBA lockout, devises a bold scheme to protect his rookie client's career while challenging the league's entrenched power dynamics. Shot entirely on iPhone smartphones over three weeks in early 2018, it exemplifies Soderbergh's experimental approach to low-budget, high-concept filmmaking. The narrative unfolds during a fictional league-wide work stoppage, where Burke pitches a controversial business proposition to his promising young basketball prospect, Erick Scott (Melvin Gregg), aiming to upend the exploitative structures of professional sports. Supporting performances include Zazie Beetz as agent Sam, Sonja Sohn as Myra, and appearances by Kyle MacLachlan, Zachary Quinto, and Bill Duke, lending depth to the ensemble's portrayal of industry insiders grappling with economic pressures and racial inequities. McCraney's screenplay, informed by his background in theater and prior collaboration on Moonlight, delivers incisive dialogue that critiques capitalism and labor relations in athletics without resorting to melodrama. Upon its Netflix premiere on February 8, 2019, High Flying Bird garnered critical acclaim for its taut pacing, intellectual rigor, and relevance to real-world , earning a 91% approval rating on from 137 reviews. Reviewers praised its focus on empowerment and disruption over on-court action, with awarding it 3.5 out of 4 stars for refusing narrative limbo in favor of proactive agency. The film's iPhone cinematography, while innovative, sparked discussions on the viability of consumer-grade tech for professional features, though it did not translate to widespread metrics given its streaming-exclusive release.

Synopsis

Plot Summary

During an that has sidelined players and agents alike, Ray Burke, a determined , navigates financial strain while representing his clients, including rookie point guard Erick Scott. Advising Erick on prudent money management amid the uncertainty, Ray uncovers leverage against the league by proposing a bold scheme: staging and live-streaming an unsanctioned one-on-one game between Erick and veteran Jamero Umber in a gym. The match, executed over a compressed 72-hour timeline, explodes in popularity online, catalyzing spontaneous pickup games in cities like and that draw crowds and media scrutiny, thereby amplifying player discontent and forcing league commissioner David Seton and owners to the negotiating table. , with input from players' association representative and aspiring agent , maneuvers through tense confrontations with stakeholders, including a principled coach Spence, to secure a resolution featuring a player revenue share surpassing the 50% threshold. In the aftermath, Ray preserves his agency from collapse and hints at career advancement, while entrusting Erick with The Revolt of the Black Athlete by Harry Edwards—a volume urging systemic reform in professional sports—symbolizing a push beyond immediate gains toward broader equity and ownership for athletes.

Cast and Characters

Principal Performers

leads the cast as Ray Burke, a principled maneuvering through the to protect his clients' interests. co-stars as , Burke's sharp associate who aids in negotiating amid the league's labor dispute. portrays Erick Scott, the promising rookie whose career hangs in the balance during the lockout, representing the young athletes caught in the power struggle between players and owners. Supporting principal roles include as Myra, a key figure in the agents' network; as Garrett, a league executive embodying institutional resistance; and as Phil, another agent highlighting internal industry conflicts. appears as Al, providing veteran perspective on labor dynamics in professional sports. These performances, shot in a dialogue-driven style on iPhones, emphasize character-driven realism over spectacle, aligning with director Steven Soderbergh's low-budget approach.

Character Analysis

Ray Burke, portrayed by , serves as the film's protagonist and a seasoned whose agency faces financial ruin amid the , prompting him to devise a high-stakes scheme involving an unsanctioned to empower players and challenge league owners. Resourceful and manipulative, Burke leverages personal connections and strategic deception—such as feigning corporate constraints—to rally stakeholders, reflecting the cutthroat opportunism inherent in sports representation during labor disputes. His arc underscores tensions between individual ambition and , as he navigates ethical gray areas to protect his interests while ostensibly advancing player autonomy. Erick Scott, played by Melvin Gregg, is Burke's primary client, a promising drafted in the first round whose career hangs in limbo due to the lockout's suspension of salaries and opportunities. Initially hesitant and focused on short-term financial survival, Scott embodies the vulnerability of young athletes reliant on agents amid institutional power imbalances, ultimately agreeing to Burke's controversial pitch after weighing risks to his NBA prospects. His character highlights the precarious economics of entry-level , where lockouts exacerbate dependencies on external negotiations rather than on-court performance. Supporting characters like (Zazie Beetz), Burke's former assistant who defects to a rival firm, illustrate internal betrayals within the agency world, driven by survival instincts during economic stasis; she later inherits Burke's playbook, signaling generational shifts in agent tactics. (Bill Duke), a retired coach and Burke's mentor, provides philosophical through anecdotes on basketball's evolution and racial exclusion, critiquing how white ownership historically marginalized black talent while urging . Figures such as (Sonja Sohn), a league-affiliated executive, and (Zachary Quinto), representing ownership interests, contrast the protagonists' improvisations with institutional rigidity, emphasizing entrenched hierarchies in professional basketball's labor dynamics.

Production

Development and Pre-Production

The concept for High Flying Bird originated with actor , who pitched an initial idea to director following the conclusion of the first season of the HBO series in 2014. Screenwriter , known for co-writing , expanded Holland's one-page outline into a full over nearly two years, writing it on spec. McCraney drew inspiration from real-world athlete dissent, including the 2014 scandal involving the ' owner and the early stages of Colin Kaepernick's protests against police brutality beginning in 2016, to examine economic power imbalances, labor disputes, and masculinity within professional . The project fell under Soderbergh's production company, Extension 765, aligning with his interest in low-budget, experimental filmmaking using consumer-grade equipment like the , as seen in prior works such as (2018). Pre-production emphasized efficiency to match the script's compressed 72-hour timeline, with casting centered on in the lead role of agent Ray Burke and supporting performers including , , and . The film was publicly announced in early February 2018, with principal photography planned as a rapid two-week shoot concluding by the end of that month in locations including to evoke a setting. This accelerated phase, totaling about 13 days of actual filming, reflected Soderbergh's approach to minimizing traditional overhead, enabling a first edit to be completed shortly thereafter on a using Adobe Premiere.

Filming Techniques and Style

High Flying Bird was filmed entirely using smartphones, enabling a production characterized by high mobility and rapid execution in confined urban environments. employed the Filmic Pro application to override the device's automatic camera settings, allowing manual adjustments to , ISO, and focus for capture. This approach facilitated handheld and dynamic shots, such as transitions from elevators to corridors, executed with a $200 Mobile mounted on a to simulate crane movements without bulky equipment. The visual style emphasizes a clean, anamorphic aesthetic with slick compositions, diverging from the grittier look of Soderbergh's prior project . Lighting relied on minimal setups, including compact 12x12-inch LED panels, prioritizing naturalistic illumination over elaborate artificial schemes to enhance . The technique incorporated a documentary-like immediacy, blending scripted scenes with real NBA player interviews to underscore the film's labor-themed narrative. Challenges inherent to the included inconsistent sensor responses to varying light, where localized adjustments—such as a figure passing a window—could alter portions of the frame mid-shot, prompting Soderbergh to advocate for hardware improvements from Apple. Despite these limitations, particularly in wide shots demanding extensive or , the method yielded a professional polish, leveraging the device's portability to access authentic locations unattainable with traditional cinema cameras.

Historical and Economic Context

The 2011 NBA Lockout

The 2011 NBA lockout commenced at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 1, 2011, immediately after the collective bargaining agreement () between the league owners and the (NBPA) expired without renewal. The dispute centered on the division of basketball-related income (BRI), with owners proposing a reduction in players' share from 57 percent under the prior to a 50-50 split, arguing that several franchises operated at a loss amid rising player salaries and uneven revenue distribution across markets. Owners also advocated for a harder , shorter contract lengths, reduced guaranteed money, and expanded among teams to address competitive imbalances and financial disparities, while the NBPA, led by Billy Hunter, resisted these changes to preserve player earnings and flexibility. Negotiations stalled through summer and fall, marked by multiple proposals and counterproposals that failed to bridge gaps; for instance, the league's August 2011 offer included a $45 million reduction in the salary cap floor and elimination of exceptions for mid-level signings, which players viewed as punitive. The NBPA explored antitrust litigation and union decertification to gain leverage, briefly dissolving in November before federal mediation under George Cohen of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service facilitated progress. Escalating concessions included the indefinite postponement of training camps and cancellation of 43 preseason games on September 23, 2011, followed by the first regular-season games being scrapped on November 14, with Commissioner David Stern announcing the cancellation of all December games by December 1 if no deal emerged. The lockout concluded on , 2011, with a tentative agreement on a new 10-year , ratified by owners on December 20 and players shortly after, enabling a compressed 66-game regular season to begin on Day 2011. Key concessions reduced players' BRI share to a sliding scale averaging around 50 percent—specifically 51.15 percent for 2011-12—while introducing a higher to deter spending excesses, a mid-level exception capped at $5 million, and restrictions on maximum lengths to five years for re-signings. among teams increased to 50 percent of local revenues, aiming to bolster smaller-market franchises. Economically, the work stoppage lasted 161 days, resulting in approximately $400 million in lost salaries and $200-300 million in forgone from cancelled preseason and early regular-season games, though broader economic impacts on host cities were limited due to the NBA's modest multiplier effects compared to or . Owners absorbed about $1 million per cancelled game in direct losses, but the lockout's structure—imposed by owners—exerted greater short-term pressure on s with finite career spans, ultimately yielding concessions that prioritized long-term sustainability over immediate gains.

Real-World Labor Dynamics in Professional Sports

Labor relations in professional sports leagues are governed by negotiated between players' unions and team owners, which establish revenue-sharing formulas, , free agency rules, and mechanisms to balance competitive parity with economic incentives. These dynamics reflect a tension between labor seeking higher compensation amid rising league revenues—primarily from media rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships—and owners aiming to control costs, distribute talent evenly, and maximize franchise values. In the NBA, for instance, the (NBPA), founded in 1954, secured its first significant CBA in 1970, but transformative changes came in 1983 with the introduction of a tied to a guaranteed player share of basketball-related income (BRI), initially around 53%, marking a shift from owner-dominated reserve systems to structured revenue splits. Major disputes often escalate to strikes or lockouts, with owners leveraging lockouts—halting operations to pressure unions—more effectively than players' strikes, given players' limited leverage from short career spans (NBA average of 4.5 years) and perishable athletic prime. Historical examples include the MLB players' strike of 1994–1995, which canceled the World Series and led to luxury tax reforms favoring owners; the NFL's 2011 lockout, resolving with a 10-year CBA extending rookie wage scales; and the NHL's 2004–2005 lockout, which wiped out an entire season and reduced player salary shares from 75% to 54% of revenues. In the NBA, the 2011 lockout compressed the season to 66 games and adjusted the player BRI share from 57% under the 2005 CBA to 49–51% (escalating annually), incorporating harsher luxury taxes to curb spending by high-revenue teams. These outcomes underscore owners' structural advantages, including control over arenas and broadcasting deals, though unions have gained ground through legal tactics like antitrust decertification threats, which expose leagues to player lawsuits absent CBA protections. Economically, players capture a substantial but capped portion of league revenues—NBA players received about 50% of BRI post-2011, fueling average salaries exceeding $10 million by 2023—yet face monopsonistic pressures from leagues that restrict free agency and impose drafts to suppress entry-level pay. Owners justify caps and revenue shares as essential for competitive balance, arguing unchecked player salaries (as in pre-cap eras) lead to market distortions and small-market team viability issues, though empirical analyses show such restrictions primarily transfer income from players to franchises by limiting bidding wars. Players counter with risks like career-ending injuries and post-retirement financial insecurity, despite pensions and benefits negotiated in CBAs, while league-wide revenue growth—NBA BRI hit $10.5 billion in 2022—amplifies disputes over splits. This interplay has evolved toward more owner-favorable terms in recent decades, as evidenced by repeated lockout successes, reflecting capital's long-term horizon versus labor's immediate earning windows.

Release

Premiere and Distribution

High Flying Bird world premiered at the in , on January 27, 2019. The film, directed by and produced as a Netflix original, received its streaming debut globally on on February 8, 2019. Distribution was handled exclusively by , bypassing traditional wide theatrical release in favor of direct-to-streaming availability, aligning with Soderbergh's experimental approach to film dissemination. A limited theatrical rollout accompanied the streaming launch in select U.S. markets on the same date, though specific theater counts and box office figures were not widely reported due to the platform's emphasis on viewership metrics over ticket sales. The decision to partner with for distribution, announced in September 2018, reflected the service's strategy of acquiring high-profile independent projects to bolster its original content library.

Reception

Critical Response

High Flying Bird received generally positive reviews from critics, earning a 91% approval rating on based on 137 reviews with an average score of 7.3/10. On , the film holds a score of 78 out of 100 from 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Reviewers frequently praised the film's sharp dialogue and insightful exploration of labor dynamics in , crediting screenwriter for a script informed by thorough research into NBA issues. Critics highlighted director Steven Soderbergh's efficient, dialogue-driven style, shot on iPhones, which emphasized verbal sparring over visual spectacle and effectively captured the tension of the 2011 NBA lockout. The New York Times described it as a "thrilling dunk on capitalism," noting its momentum in dissecting modern cultural contradictions. The Guardian commended its bold handling of race and power in sports, attributing the perspective partly to McCraney's input rather than Soderbergh alone. Roger Ebert's review awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, calling it one of the best films about sports due to its intellectual depth. Some critiques pointed to the film's heavy reliance on conversation, with minimal on-court action, potentially limiting its appeal to audiences expecting traditional sports drama. The Hollywood Reporter characterized it as a "smart little inside- feature," appreciating its niche focus but implying it may not transcend the genre for broader viewers. Despite these notes, the consensus affirmed the film's success in portraying the business side of through character-driven negotiations.

Commercial Performance

High Flying Bird was produced on a modest of $2 million, reflecting its low-cost approach, which included on iPhones and a rapid filming schedule. As a original released directly to streaming on February 8, 2019, the film bypassed traditional theatrical distribution and earnings. does not publicly disclose precise viewership metrics for individual titles, but director stated that approximately 8 million people watched the film within its initial period of availability. Soderbergh further estimated that this audience size would translate to roughly $64 million in hypothetical theatrical revenue, based on industry benchmarks for per-viewer ticket equivalents. These figures underscore the film's efficient model, enabling profitability through streaming without the risks associated with wide theatrical releases.

Thematic Analysis and Critique

Portrayal of Labor and Capital

In High Flying Bird, the (NBA) players are depicted as a collective of laborers whose livelihoods are precarious and subject to the whims of league owners, who embody entrenched capital interests. The narrative unfolds amid a lockout, mirroring the real-world dispute where owners halted operations to pressure players into accepting a reduced share of basketball-related (BRI), dropping from approximately % to as low as 47% in initial proposals. This portrayal underscores the asymmetry: players, despite generating the on-court value through physical labor with finite career spans—often averaging under five years—hold limited leverage without unified action, while owners wield control over infrastructure, broadcasting rights, and revenue streams exceeding $4 billion annually by . Protagonist Ray Burke, a sports played by , maneuvers between client advocacy and systemic constraints, highlighting agents' intermediary role in a gig-economy parallel where athletes' bodies are commodified assets. Burke's strategy involves pitching an underground to Erick Scott, bypassing owners to demonstrate players' independent and challenge the on talent . This scheme symbolizes labor's potential to disrupt capital's gatekeeping, as Burke articulates the players' : their labor fuels profits, yet lockouts impose financial hardship without reciprocal risk for owners diversified in other ventures. The film critiques revenue-sharing models as perpetuating inequality, with owners portrayed as risk-averse elites prioritizing broadcast deals over player welfare, a dynamic rooted in the NBA's shift from player-driven unions to corporatized negotiations post-1990s . Critics interpret this as a pointed for broader capitalist tensions, where labor's is undermined by individualism and short-term incentives, yet redeemable through innovative defiance. Director , known for underdog sympathies, frames owners' intransigence as greedy entrenchment rather than prudent business, contrasting players' immediate vulnerabilities—such as lost wages during the 161-day 2011 lockout, costing players over $400 million—with capital's long-term buffering. However, the resolution's optimism—players gaining agency via the rogue game—overlooks real-world union concessions, like the eventual 50-50 BRI split, suggesting a dramatized that prioritizes uplift over empirical outcomes.

Racial and Power Dynamics

In High Flying Bird, the serves as a backdrop to illustrate entrenched racial power imbalances, with the league's player base comprising approximately 78 percent American athletes during the 2011-2012 season, generating billions in revenue primarily for a predominantly white ownership class. This disparity manifests in the film's depiction of players as commodified labor, their physical talents exploited to sustain a controlled by executives who dictate contract terms and revenue shares. The narrative underscores causal mechanisms where owners leverage lockouts to extract concessions, reinforcing structural dependencies that limit athletes' despite their demographic dominance on the court. Protagonist Ray Burke, a , embodies navigation of these dynamics, advising clients on resisting owner tactics while confronting the incentives that pit agents against players in a zero-sum environment. The script references historical precedents, such as the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson , which revitalized NBA viewership in the partly through unspoken racial contrasts—white versus stars—yet ultimately accrued power to league structures rather than players. Writer integrates these elements to highlight the dual vulnerability and leverage of Black athletes, whose marketability drives profitability but exposes them to manipulation by capital interests indifferent to racial equity. Critiques observe that prioritizes economic over overt racial , portraying as derived from contractual rather than interpersonal , though characters exhibit racial in discussions of . This approach reveals intra-community fractures, as Black professionals like prioritize individual amid lockout hardships, reflecting empirical patterns where economic self-interest often supersedes racial in high-stakes negotiations. The resolution posits player-initiated alternatives to owner monopolies, suggesting pathways for racial majorities in labor to disrupt entrenched hierarchies through innovation rather than .

Achievements and Limitations

High Flying Bird garnered acclaim for its incisive dialogue and exploration of labor dynamics in , with critics highlighting the 's ability to distill complex negotiations into tense, character-driven exchanges. The film's script, penned by , earned a nomination for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best in 2019, reflecting recognition for its intellectual rigor and thematic depth. André Holland's portrayal of Ray Burke was similarly nominated for Best Actor at the same awards, praised for conveying strategic cunning amid crisis. The production's efficiency—directed, shot on an , and edited by , with a first cut completed less than three hours after wrapped—exemplified innovative that prioritized narrative over spectacle. Critics aggregated a 91% approval rating on from 137 reviews, underscoring strengths in cerebral drama over action, often comparing it favorably to films like for dissecting the business of sports. Roger Ebert awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, commending its focus on empowerment and refusal to accept stagnation during the depicted lockout. The film's low-budget approach, costing under $2 million, enabled a nimble examination of power imbalances without reliance on star power or lavish sets, allowing emphasis on ideological confrontations between players, agents, and league executives. Despite these merits, the film faced limitations in dramatic structure and pacing, with some reviewers noting plot gaps and a failure to sustain rhythmic tension throughout its 87-minute runtime. Vulture critiqued its episodic feel, suggesting it mournfully circles themes without fully resolving into a cohesive climax, akin to an extended setup rather than a complete arc. Others observed that while intellectually engaging, the dialogue-heavy format occasionally verges on didacticism, prioritizing exposition on exploitation and ownership over visceral stakes, which may limit broader emotional resonance. Commercial metrics reflect modest impact, with no box office data due to its Netflix-exclusive release following a limited Sundance premiere on January 27, 2019, and audience scores averaging 6.2 on IMDb from over 9,500 ratings, indicating polarized reception beyond critical circles. The absence of major award wins, despite nominations, underscores constraints in mainstream visibility for indie sports dramas lacking high-profile endorsements.

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