By Darlene
Donloe
Back in the day,
the Hula Hoop was all the rage. Everyone would grab a plastic circle, place it
on their hips and begin to wiggle in order to keep it from falling. There would be numerous contests and challenges
to see who could keep it up the longest. The Hula Hoop was not only a
phenomenon, it was and still is simply irresistible. Those were the days.
Well,
apparently, those days are back with a vengeance according to Amy Goldstein’s
documentary, The Hooping Life,
recently released on DVD. Not only is it a great was to relax, the Hula Hoop
has taking on mega-branding proportions. It’s big business. Now, even celebrities like
Shaquille O’Neal are singing its praises and even getting into the act.
O’Neal, who introduces
the documentary, talks proudly about how when he was a kid he completed 55
revolutions in a row. According to
O’Neal hula-hooping is great way
to stay in shape and a great thing to share with your friends.
Even Art
Linkletter praised it worthiness. For anyone under 30, you’ll have to Google
Linkletter.
Through intimate
and personal portraits, The Hooping Life
takes its audience on a journey as it chronicles a sub-culture that rises out
of the West Coast music scene and goes global. Who knew? Apparently
a lot of people knew as the Hoop has a huge, dedicated following.
Don’t get it
twisted. This is not your momma’s hula hoop story!!!
The documentary
reveals how modern hula-hooping is visually mesmerizing with roots in dance,
spirituality and community. It’s
not only sexy, it’s a contemporary art form that is gathering steam.
This is the first film to authentically capture the genesis and rise of modern
day hula-hooping
Who knew Los
Angeles, Tinseltown, was actually considered a hooping Mecca.
The film shows
how hooping can inspire a determined teacher to provide kids with a hopeful
alternative, a trans beauty to stand up to bullying and a suicidal preacher’s
son to create a popular spiritual practice.
Not only is
hooping itself infectious, so is the documentary. It’s inspirational, it’s affecting,
it’s fun, it’s enlightening, it ROCKS! This doc makes you feel good. It takes you back. It takes you
in. It draws you in on the lives of those who find solace in the Hula Hoops
power to change lives. The real
people, like Tisha, who runs an after school Hula Hoop program for kids and
Anah, who is a much-respected Los Angeles artist who claims hooping saved her
life – bring the importance of Hooping to life. It’s not just a piece of
plastic you swirl – it’s so much more.
Even the First
Lady Michelle Obama has hooped at the White House.
This is one of
my favorite documentaries of the year!!!
Kudos to The Hooping Life
filmmakers. Original music in the
documentary is by Basement Jaxx.
Running time: 1
hour, 10 minutes.
On the DONLOE
SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likeable), O (OK) and E
(excellent), The Hooping Life gets an
E (excellent).
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