Uplifting Football Movies

[kybearfuzz]

I'm sure I've written about this sort of thing before, but I saw a preview on Saturday of an upcoming movie that made me roll my eyes. I despise dramatic sports movies, where they harp on the amazing healing powers of high school football, basketball, or whatever. I don't remember such things from high school. I don't remember the football players being heroic or iconic. I remember them being dicks, @$$holes, and bullies. So when I see a preview for such a movie where I'm supposed to give a damn about them, I falter, I gag, I roll my eyes and scowl. Feh...

The upcoming movie in question is called "When the Game Stands Tall," and involves a California high school whose football team had an 151 game winning streak. They are revered, they are loved, they are held in atmospheric regard. One guy talks about how his grandfather told him that his life will never get any better than this.

And then they lose a game. Apocalypse ensues.

According to the preview, one player who was on a college streak turns to the dark side and hangs out with the bad crowd. One player is immediately unloved by his father. The coach has a heart attack because of the stresses of dealing with the end of the streak...

... all because they lost a football game.

Luckily, the coach lives and rallies the group to win again. Whatever...

It's uplifting and wonderful, the amazingly, god-given healing power of high school football. I hope the movie ticket comes with a barf bag.

This is supposedly based on a true story. I can believe it, after living through high school myself. Personally, I can't imagine how anyone would believe that their high school years were the best of his life. It would lead to a long, disappointing life afterward.

I'll be passing on this one. I just can't fathom spending the time or money trying to stomach it. I'd rather rent the cheesiest horror movie I could find. At least I'm sure there would be parts I'd enjoy there.

Comments

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

You blew the right note on that one!

The worst bullies I had in High School were the football players. With only a few rare exceptions, they were immature, overly aggressive, and always obnoxious.

I never cared for any kind of sports, and movies about them leave me cold. I'd rather see a Chick flick, sci-fi, horror, or superhero movie instead!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

My team had a losing record the whole time I was in high school. In recent years, they've been state champions. I was never that interested at the time. I was more interested in if we did a good half time show. Our jocks were some of the biggest potheads:)

[mort-83.livejournal.com]

Sports were an odd mix of things. The bullies were the jocks, but oddly enough, many of the jocks (mostly the football players) in my school were actually in the school chorale, some in the chamber choir, and few in the choruses in the musicals. In fact, some of my good HS friends were football players--I got to know them better since they used to work backstage, building the sets for our plays.

It's weird, I know. I'm grateful for that. HS coulda been a lot worse than it was.

Have you ever seen the film V/H/S? I read a description of it the other day and thought of you.

[barak.livejournal.com]

If it's a sports-related film, I fall asleep.

Seriously.

I can't imagine why people get so hung up sports. After all, its just. a. game.