Though it's a familiar plot about kids learning discipline and teamwork through sports, The Grizzlies is brought to life through the specifics that make the characters and their sense of place -- and of displacement -- central to the story.

It's exactly the type of uplifting movie that could boost spirits during these bleak times.

Bracingly unsentimental and transcendently moving at the same time.

Director Miranda de Pencier's fact-based sports drama tells a story of hope amid rampant despair.