Finding Tony (2024)

Finding Tony Review

The most relatable stories are redemption tales. We place ourselves in the character’s shoes and root for them to get what they need to win. Finding Tony is a sports redemption movie in which you will cheer like you’re at a game. Starring Steven Bishop and Raquel Justice, Finding Tony tells the story of a former basketball player who coaches a women’s basketball team after suffering a tragic loss. The team behind the film wants to show that you can make it through anything.

“I want viewers to understand that no matter what adversity you may be going through, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. There’s something you can do with that adversity and your story as a testimony,” said Raven Magwood Goodson, Director of Finding Tony.

Goodson directs while NBA basketball player Anthony Davis executive produces. The movie is about widowed NBA star, Tony Greene, who loses everything after his wife is murdered. He then reluctantly begins coaching a junior college women’s basketball team where he meets an orphaned basketball phenom named Destiny who changes his life forever. The independent film also stars David Banner and Columbus Short. Finding Tony deals with grief, depression, and overcoming obstacles.

“It’s not about how hard you fall but how high up you bounce back up from. Community and village are big parts of this film.Tony, Destiny and even some of the other girls on the basketball team come into the situation broken but leave whole because of one another,” said Steven Bishop, star of Finding Tony.

Finding Tony marks Goodson’s directorial debut. The sports drama was shot in 17 days by her and her entire crew. Goodson hopes for this movie to be more than just another basketball film. She presents us first with having a male coach for a women’s basketball team. Goodson wanted authenticity when she says she had an intense one on one game between Destiny (Raquel) and Tony (Steven).

“What I enjoyed about the Destiny and Tony one on one game is that it challenged the actors. I said from jump I want it to be authentic. We won’t have doubles. I want them to play basketball. Raquel was hitting shots, Stephens was hitting threes; it was cool to see them in that element,” said Goodson.

There were also other elements within the script that attracted the star power in the film. Goodson says Davis did not want to do a basketball film because he thought it would be stereotypical. He changed his mind after reading the Finding Tony script.

“He was very hands on with what was going on. He was in season when we first started shooting so we would send him and his team updates. They liked how things were going. Anthony and his wife watched the final version and they loved it. Anthony said they talked about it all night because it was such a good movie. It was dope to get his stamp of approval and go above my expectations,” said Goodson.

On Wednesday, May 1st at Clark Atlanta University, Goodson and her crew held a showing of Finding Tony. She desired the Mass Media Arts students to have an opportunity to watch and talk about this film.

Tragedy meets inspiration in Finding Tony, but it doesn’t stop there. Employing other narrative tools as well, this movie keeps you hooked until the final frame. That’s because Goodson along with Bishop worked their butts off (and everyone else too) to tell a sports redemption tale unlike any other so far done before it. Digital release date: May 10th, Finding Tony!

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