Upamanyu Biswas
Lifetime’s ‘Taken at a Basketball Game‘ tells the story of Wayne Edwards, a former cop who finds himself living out a nightmare scenario after his daughter, Robyn, is abducted while father and daughter are out enjoying a basketball game. With the game still in full flow, Wayne goes searching for Robyn in an arena brimming with people, only to realize he may be too late. Subsequently, the ex-cop starts investigating the mystery behind her disappearance using every resource in the playbook. However, matters get complicated when the protagonist learns of a larger conspiracy at work that might leave his daughter on the doorstep of danger with no way to be found. As such, he embarks on a quest to find and rescue her before time runs out.
Review: A Taut Thriller Narrative Underscored By A Father’s Resolve
‘Taken at a Basketball Game’ presents a gripping tale of parental responsibility and a call to action through an intense abduction thriller. The film concentrates on the fear, paranoia, and anxiety that can paralyze people when awful circumstances happen in their lives for no obvious reason. A similar plight occurs in Wayne’s daily existence, immediately creating a connection with his struggles. There is a focus on humanizing his emotional and mental vulnerabilities, showcasing the terror a father feels when things are out of their reach. It clears the space for a more honest exploration of the central character’s journey while also layering the drama with some grounded psychological feelers. The combined factors bring a greater level of authenticity to the riveting tale of survival and rescue.
Although commendable in its execution, ‘Taken at a Basketball Game’ falters at a couple of junctions when trying to create doubt within the audience’s mind. Questions arise in a couple of scenes about whether Wayne may have acted differently or used his police skills better. However, these minor nitpicks can be explained through his uncertainty and terror at the prospect of failing to save his daughter. Ultimately, it shows that he is more human than he seems on the surface. He is prone to making mistakes and is not a stoic Superman-like character swooping in to save the day from the bad guy without repercussions. There are consequences in his world and his life, making every decision pivotal. Thus, his determination to save his daughter is all the more engaging to watch as it could directly lead to life or death.
Taken at a Basketball Game Plot Synopsis
The movie begins with Wayne calling his daughter, Robyn, on her birthday to greet her. Although he is excited to speak with her, she remains impassive towards his affectionate responses and maintains a cold demeanor throughout. Wayne has to leave the call to address a problem with an unruly customer at a local store where he is working as a security guard. Robyn’s mother, Pam, who is Wayne’s ex-wife, welcomes the protagonist to their home the following day for a surprise visit. Wayne is worried about his daughter’s aloofness and wants to connect with her properly. We learn that he has been away from her life for nearly 10 years, during which Robyn grew to resent him. Something happened in his life and former job as a SWAT officer that ruined his marriage and left him with debilitating guilt.
After a positive talk, Wayne and Robyn decide to go out to watch a basketball game as father and daughter. On the way to their seats, the former learns that his daughter has no interest in the sport anymore. They are flagged down by a female stranger who praises Robyn out of the blue. The interaction with the woman slightly puts off Wayne, who cuts the conversation short. Father and daughter have yet another honest discussion at their seat, where Robyn expresses her disappointment at him for abandoning her years ago and taking a job far from her. He’s unable to explain and watches her head off to the washroom. When she does not return, he becomes concerned about her well-being. In reality, she has been abducted by the same woman who was praising her earlier, Donna.
Wayne uses his authority to review the CCTV footage around the stadium. He soon realizes that Donna and her husband, Lucas, have kidnapped his daughter. Unfortunately, he has no way of tracking them down. Even the number plate on their car is indistinguishable. He and Pam head over to the cops to file a complaint for their daughter’s rescue. However, the police cannot provide the type of help they require. Subsequently, a distraught Pam gives Wayne permission to use his old ways to find Robyn somehow. She also tells him that he should use whatever means necessary to secure his daughter’s safe passage. Seeing no other option, the protagonist collects his old weapon from his bank locker and starts investigating the sex- trafficking network in the region, sure that Donna and Lucas are somehow connected with the nefarious operation.
Taken at a Basketball Game Ending: How Does Wayne Save Robyn? What Happens to Him?
By the end of ‘Taken at a Basketball Game,’ Wayne manages to track down Donna and Lucas’ farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, the same place the couple had been keeping Robyn locked up. Unbeknownst to him, his daughter has already escaped the place after fighting back against her captor. However, she is caught in the middle of running away by Lucas, who catches her flagging down cars on the main highway. Wayne interrogates Donna and learns what happened to his daughter. He immediately travels to the Midstate Bus Terminal, where his daughter is being sold off to a man named Dutch. The former cop stops the van before it takes off. Robyn sees her father and fights back against Dutch with renewed vigor while Wayne takes on Lucas. Eventually, Lucas absconds from the scene with the young girl in his clutches.
Determined to stop him in his tracks, Wayne follows his daughter and Lucas through the abandoned building. He has to worry about one less threat because Robyn has already taken down Dutch by choking him out herself. The only thing holding back Wayne is a lousy knife injury he picked up around his left shoulder area while getting into a fighting Dante, a dangerous pimp who confronts Wayne on a couple of occasions. The protagonist stumbles through the maze of the building’s corridors and rooms until he sees Robyn and Lucas locked in a physical struggle in another room. He calms himself for a split second before raising his gun and taking the shot. It pierces through Lucas, taking him down and saving Robyn. She immediately comes to his aid as he blacks out from the stress of his injury and the fight wounds.
As Wayne loses consciousness, there is a fear that he may be going under for good. However, our fears are allayed when we see him waking up at the hospital, a little worse for wear but alive nonetheless. Against all odds, he manages to save his daughter from some despicable traffickers set to ruin her life for personal gain. He even comes out of the whole ordeal with his life and limbs intact for the most part.
How Do Wayne and Robyn Reconcile?
At the hospital, Wayne and Robyn have a sweet and tender discussion about their relationship and its future moving forward. Wayne acknowledges the fact that he was never around for a large chunk of her teenage years. Still, after everything the father and daughter have been through over the past few days, their sense of love for one another has only grown in spades. As such, Wayne informs his daughter that he may take a job closer to home and spend more time with her to rectify the mistakes he made in the past. She is delighted to hear the news. Despite acting cold and detached in the earlier scenes, being close to her dad is all Robyn ever wanted. She was hurt when he left her during childhood. Thus, his willingness to make up for his shortcomings speaks volumes about his personal growth and character.
It is also worth noting that Robyn may have some mental and emotional scars left behind from her abduction. As a result, she will require a significant amount of support to get past the trauma that must have been instilled in her by the likes of Donna and Lucas. A situation such as that is likely to have an adverse effect on her psyche if not dealt with properly. She would have felt powerless in her situation and completely at the mercy of her captors during her time. If not for Wayne’s efforts, she also would not have made it out. To that end, Wayne’s presence will greatly comfort her moving forward. Her journey of healing and recovery may be painful and prolonged, but it will be soothing to learn that her father is always a hair’s breadth away from her whenever she needs him.
What Happens to Splendid?
While saving Robyn is Wayne’s priority throughout the movie, it would have been seemingly impossible to carry out without the help provided by Splendid. The sex worker uses her connections to find some insight into what may have happened to the protagonist’s daughter. She is the one who leads him down the right path by setting up a talk with Ashley, another sex worker who went through a similar abduction ordeal as Robyn. Eventually, Wayne develops a close bond with Splendid, who looks to help him however she can to find his daughter. However, she also becomes dependent on him to keep her safe after her possessive and abusive handler, Dante, keeps following her around. At the end of the film, Splendid manages to escape his clutches and seeks a new job as a secretary at Wayne’s new investigation company.
As a sex worker, Splendid’s life has been chiefly one of desperation and control exerted by Dante. He sold her a different vision and used it to exploit her for his own means. She felt trapped in his web and unable to extricate herself until Wayne came around. He offers her the protection she so desperately craves and the strength to make better life choices. Ultimately, their relationship proves beneficial from all fronts as the protagonist succeeds in rescuing his daughter because of Splendid’s connection, and Splendid herself is able to live a life free from Dante because of Wayne stepping up as her protector. In the final scene, she informs the former cop that Dante passed away after getting involved in a street altercation a while back. Thus, she is free to pursue a life free from his abuse, and Wayne’s new office offers the perfect opportunity.
Read More: Taken at a Basketball Game: Filming Locations and Cast Details
