The House That Rob Built is an inspirational sports documentary that also serves as a look into the modern landscape of women in sports. The film follows Rod Selvig who was the head coach at University of Montana for the women’s basketball team. From 1978-2016, he helped build a culture that helped change women’s basketball in Montana.
In what may seem like an oddity in today’s college recruiting world, Selvig recruited much of his team from Montana. This led to a special connection between the team and their fans. He recruited from the little towns and the reservations of Montana. It also provided educational opportunities to those that may have never received them.
The documentary also touches on issues that still make headlines today. Selvig would fill assistant coach openings with women long before it became the norm. This added to the family atmosphere Selvig cultivated. The House That Rob Built is a feel good documentary. Much of the documentary focuses on the many highlights of the Montana Lady Griz. The film glosses over some of the hardships Selvig had to overcome. At times, it diminishes the importance of what was accomplished.
The film is more of a celebration of the coach and the team, however. Co-directors Jonathan Cipiti and Megan Harrington – who is a former Lady Griz – focus on the positive changes brought by Selvig. This leads to the documentary being more about the aftermath with only occasional stories about the struggles. The many interviews in The House That Rob Built do a wonderful job of showing how the Lady Griz affected people’s lives.
Rob Selvig is an important part of women’s basketball. He was willing to look at women’s basketball in a way no one west of the Rockies was doing. It was also important for him to create a certain type of environment. The House That Rob Built is about overcoming challenges while also celebrating a team and a community. It is a touching look at how a basketball team can change lives.
The House that Rob Built comes to VOD and digital platforms February 23
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