Sports movies are a favorite genre of movie for me. Probably for various reasons, ranging from the classic under dog story, overcoming adversity, the slow clap, and I just like sports. Sports teams need a coach, someone to bring the rag tag group together to beat the perennial champions. Someone to humble the superstar, to bring the team together for that last play. Someone to bring the community together to support their team.
Below are 5 coaches who each embody something different about a great coach. Each was faced with a different challenge, whether it was personal, or the team they were given. Disclaimer, I recognize that I haven't seen some movies, and this is all personal preference. Please share thoughts about what I missed. Mostly I am sharing what is great about these coaches.
Herb Brooks demonstrated the ability to bring a team together. (Now this is a real person, and a true story. I am basing these thoughts off what is shown in the movie not what really happened, even though Hollywood is real.) As much as I love this movie, and what Herb Brooks accomplishes, I always have this inner battle. It almost comes across that Herb Brooks does what he does for himself. There is the scene where his wife has the courage to call him out on it. Herb was bent out of shape for being cut years earlier from the Olympic team. Now that I got that off my chest, what does he to bring this team together to beat the USSR, or as my generation knows them as Russia?
Herb takes not the best college hockey players, but the right college hockey players. Brooks picks players that he had coached at Minnesota, from Boston, and other top hockey colleges. Players that have been going against each other in college for the last couple years, not including junior hockey. He is taking players that have no reason to like each other and he makes them a team. Herb doesn't care if the players like him, they want them to realize they are a team. One of my favorite lines comes from the trainer, "Well, maybe if they hate him, they won't have time to hate each other." He says it with an accent which makes it sound all the wiser. Herb's greatest moment is his locker room speech before the semi-final game against the USSR. There is nothing I can say to explain it, so here it is.
Now wipe those tears away. Herb makes everyone in that room believe they are going to win, but more importantly he points out that they have earned that opportunity because of the work he made them do. We all remember the 'again' scene after the players were more interested in the babes in the stands than the game. Side note, Mike Eruzione is a great captain. I love that speech.
Irving 'Irv' Blitzer overcomes a dirty past of cheating in the competitive sport of bobsledding. He had his world records, and medals stripped. Irv did what we would all do if we were cheaters, he went to Jamaica and bet on horse racing in a dumpy bar. I don't want to be to hard on Irv though, we see it all the time where people want to be the best and they push the line. Irv got as far away from the sport as he could (take a note A-Rod).
In walks Derice Bannock and Sanka Coffie. Both top class athletes in their respected sports. Derice a world class sprinter who gets tripped by a guy that looks like Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bell Aire. Sanka is the best push cart driver in all of Jamaica. Derice wants to get to the Olympics, and since Carlton's doppelganger Junior Bevil tripped him and Yul Brenner, he needs a new event. Bobsledding is what he chooses. They convince Irv to coach three of Jamaica's top sprinters, and a push cart driver. He decides to do it, probably because he wasn't good at picking the right horse at the track.
They get to Calgary, and Irv has to face his demons. A life he has tried to put behind him for years. The bobsled Olympic committee which has some of the people that where affected by Irv's past did not want him and his Jamaican bobsled team in the Olympics or getting any attention. Irv busts into a meeting to give this speech. Irv Blitzer Speech (Sorry youtube didn't have this)
Irv doesn't owe those boys anything, but he fights for them. Side note, Irv Blitzer is a based on the real coach named Howard Siler Jr, and as far as I can see he actually didn't cheat, but bot does it make the movie better.
Billy 'Bill' Heywood is the youngest coach to make the list. Billy is the grandson of the Minnesota Twins owner who dies. The team is left to the kid. When the team needs a manager, he decides to make himself the manager.
Billy was in middle school, and fishing with his friends, now he is trying to tell grown men how to bat, and what the starting lineup is going to be. Billy soon becomes Bill, because that is how you get the respect of any adult. Somehow this kid learns how to manage the baseball team, and keep his friends.
The reason Bill makes the list is mostly based on his knowledge learned from his grandpa and studying the game. Bill doesn't have the life experience that any of those players have, but lives by what he saw his grandpa do, and isn't afraid to stick to his guns. Accept for when his mom makes him do his homework during the season. He had a good support group that had to keep him grounded.
Jimmy Dugan coached women's baseball, while the men were all at war. He had great players, but had to deal with this...
Enough said, he went through a lot, and they had a great season.
The last coach had to overcome personal problems, but was also given a rag tag team. To start we see the dark place that Conner O'Neal is in. Sports gambling is his weakness, and it gets him mixed up with the wrong people. As part of paying back his debts, he has to coach a baseball team made up of inner city kids that live in the projects.
We have seen this with Gordon Bombay when he has to coach the Ducks. Conner doesn't want to coach these kids, so he starts out by putting close to zero effort into it. Over time he sees what the kids are going through. And shocker, he begins to like them. He gets them uniforms, buys them pizza, and gives them rides after dark. Coach O'Neal is doing his best to keep these kids out of gang life. Once his debt is repaid he wants to leave, but the relationships he develops pulls him back to finish the season.
O'Neal made the list because he helped the team that needed the most help. He gave these kids things they wouldn't have had otherwise. He let the team change him.
I know that this list is incomplete. Below is a list of Honorable mentions, and other great coaches. Please leave your comments on what you agree with and more likely disagree with.
I already know that I cannot do justice in writing about the movie Saving Mr. Banks. I am a huge fan of Mary Poppins, well anything with Julie Andrews really. I was very intrigued to learn about how the Disney Empire got the rights to the story. This movie sheds some light on Ms. P L Travers, the author of Mary Poppins.
Mary Poppins to me has always been this fun story with some catchy songs. I don't think I have ever really dug into the meaning of the relationships between the kids and the father, the father and Mary Poppins, and Mary Poppins and the kids.
Emma Thompson puts the importance of the story into perspective. As she is meeting with the writers for the movie you can see the heartache as they are portraying something that obviously means everything to her.
Walt Disney is played by the always impressive Tom Hanks. Walt has been trying to get the rights to the stories for 20 years, and has finally been able to get P L Travers to come out to California. Walt discovers who the characters in the story are, and is able to truly relate to P L Travers.
The movie did an impressive job of transitioning from when they were trying to make the movie, to when the real stories took place. Colin Farrell plays the father of this little girl, played by Annie Rose Buckley. Buckley does a great job playing this little girl who loves her father. Colin Farrell probably isn't every ones favorite actor, but I have always liked him because one of the first DVDs my family bought was American Outlaws staring him. Not a logical reasoning for liking him, but what is logical about the movies I like. I would like to dig deeper into his character in the movie, but I would rather you go see it. Just know that Mr. Banks will be alright in the end.
There is an interesting relationship that develops in the movie, that I thought added so much to the movie. P L Travers is the snobby Brit who is all prim and proper. When she arrives in California to work on the movie, she treats everyone like they are beneath her. Travers did not want to be there in the first place, and was finding every reason to not like their ideas. Paul Giamatti is the driver that picks her up at the airport and takes her around. Giamatti and Thompson played very well off of each other, and there was a relationship created that puts that extra touch to the movie.
I thought that Bradley Whitford, B J Novak, and Jason Schwartzman do a great job as the script writers, and showing the early stages of the movie creation. A nice historical touch they added, was how P L Travers wanted everything recorded on tape. They do it during the movie, however during the end credits, they play a couple minutes of the real recording from 50 years ago when they were creating the movie. You can hear P L Travers, and realize that Emma Thompson does an excellent job.
To not spoil anything from the movie, I will avoid any plot details. However I would like to share a line, and expound upon it. Walt says to Emma, "That’s what story tellers do. We restore order to imagination. We bring hope.” We all have the ability to make the past what we want. We know what happens, but we can focus on the negative or the positive. I can look back at Jr High and think of the insecurities, and and struggles to make friends. How I never really made the basketball team, and was just socially awkward, which we all were. Or I can look back and see the great friends that I have made since. I was on the volleyball team, and was able to gain confidence in other aspects because of it.
Our imagination is ours, and we can make it whatever we want. P L Travers created the story of Mary Poppins, and through much heartache, and trust she let Walt Disney make Mary Poppins into a movie that portrayed the story as P L Travers may not have originally envisioned, but later was happy to live with, because in the end Mr. Banks is alright.
I have seen a lot of movies this year. My favorites movies this year have been low budget, coming of age, and simple movies. But after every few indie movies Hollywood puts out a movie that is captivating in all aspects. A great story, great acting, great cinematography, and Tom Hanks helps. As previous posts may have given away the fact that I will pretty much watch everything that Tom Hanks is in.
Captain Phillips provides it all. I am a sucker for a true story, and I would like to think that all aspects of the movie are exactly how it happened. I would also like to think that they would not have to make up the cute stuff to make the movie sell. The story in itself is pretty amazing.
The movie is based on the book A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea. Written by Richard Phillips, the Captain. For those that lived under a rock in April 2009. I will do a brief run down of how the story begins.
Captain Phillips was in charge of the MV Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship that was heading towards Mombasa, Kenya. There was a crew of 20 people. While going through Somalian waters they were boarded by 4 Somalian pirates.
Captain Phillips had sent his crew down to the engine room, while he and a few other stayed up on the bridge. The pirates made their way to the bridge and took the group hostage. Now I really do not want to go through the rest of the ordeal to keep some suspense.
While walking away from the theater a couple thoughts crossed my mind. The first being how grateful I am to live in a country that will use its resources to save the one. Even though the country is currently shut down, and the big shots in DC are making the United States look like a bunch of greedy incapable idiots, we live in a country where we don't have to try and hijack cargo ships to make a living.
The second is how amazed I am at the bravery of our military. They go right into the face of danger to protect us. A person cannot put enough flags up, clap enough at sporting events, or have stickers on their car to show thanks to the military. They are a class of their own, and we need to show the respect that they deserve. The last thing that I learned is that I have no interest in being a cargo ship captain. I will remain on land thank you very much.
In conclusion Tom Hanks is just an actor, but I feel that he put everything into the roles he plays. Saving Private Ryan, Apollo 13, Castaway, and the Burbs. He becomes the character, and brings you the viewer into the film. He does an excellent job as Captain Phillips.
I accomplished something tonight that very few people in my generation can say they have done. I was able to watch one of movies greatest science fiction movies on the big screen, Back to the Future. A theater nearby has been doing this for about a year now, they will screen older movies each week. Something to bring in extra business during the week. Although they do a terrible job advertising it, which I honestly am not upset about because it keeps the crowds down, but I love the idea. I have been able to see Home Alone, The Sound of Music, and Rocky. Movies that I never had enjoyed on the big screen before. They do a great job of digitally remastering them to appear brand new.
Back to the Future has been one of my favorite movies and trilogies since I was a kid. I remember plenty of Saturday mornings watching them over and over. The VHS box set we have includes a bonus tap that goes behind the scenes and it is hosted by Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron.
Huey Lewis
I know how the filmed the hover board scenes in the 2nd movie, that Huey Lewis makes a cameo, and that during the opening the first movie they pan across all these clocks, there is one that has a guy hanging from a clock tower just like it happens later on. Yeah I like the movie.
I was rather impressed with the attendance, it was probably 3/4ths full. The crowd was into it as well, cheering when Michael J Fox mad his appearance in front of the huge speaker. It was a fun environment.
I don't even feel like I need to give a run down of the movie because I expect that all of you have seen the movie. But for those of you that are missing that little something in your life, I will share a quick run down of the movie.
Marty McFly
Michael J Fox plays Marty McFly, a skateboarding, guitar playing high school kid that is just cruising through life with his girl friend Jennifer. Marty is friends with Dr. Emmett Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd. Dr. Brown is a crazy scientist, who is onto something huge.
Dr. Emmett Brown
Dr. Brown has Marty meet him at the mall parking lot at 1:15 am to help him with an experiment. The first part of the experiment is successfully making Einstein, Dr. Browns dog, be first the first time traveler.
The Delorean
The time machine is a Delorean that runs on petroleum. The petroleum was stolen from some Libyans that show up at the mall parking lot to get revenge. To get away Marty jumps into the Delorean and when the car reaches 88 mph it travels to the designated space in time.
Which for Marty was November 5th, 1955, 30 years earlier. When Marty gets there he is lost. Knowing that he needs to get back to 1985 he tracks down Dr. Brown who helps him get back to 1985.
While Marty is stuck in 1955 he happens to run into his mom and dad before they meet. Ironically Marty's future mom falls for him, and Marty's future is now in jeopardy.
Marty and his future mom
While Dr. Brown is working on getting the Delorean fixed, Marty has to work on getting his mom to fall for his dad rather then himself. There are plenty of obstacles that they run into, and the results have bigger consequences then you realize.
Marty with his parents
I could get heavy (it doesn't have to do with weight) and dive into how Back to the Future shows what a decision can do to our future. Who we choose as friends, what job we have, where we live, and where we go to school all have a huge impact on where we end up. But this movie is so great that just by simply watching it you will be entertained. Back to the Future is part of one of my favorite trilogies, what is your favorite trilogy? Share in the comments.
(Here is a link to Century Movie theater in Salt Lake City to see what upcoming movies they will be screening Century 16 Salt Lake.)
Contributor Mub takes us back to 1986... Lets talk the year 1986 people, I grew up believing there were robots that were developing human brains making them more like people
Short Circuit
...that I could get away with never going to school ("Ferris Bueller"),
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
...that I could wish someone away to the land of eternal stench, but would have to face the consequence of fighting off David Bowie and his massive leotard unit,
Labyrinth
...or that I could easily fly an F-14 tomcat upside-down parallel with another jet while simultaneously flipping the bird at them.
Top Gun
Ya '86 movies were awesome. If you don't believe me, google that shiz.
Now, I am a man, I enjoy farting, throwing hatchets, urinating outside, eating raw meat, and day dreaming about how I would defuse a situation using my surroundings and ninja tactics. That being said I would like to introduce one of the most underrated manly movies ever. "COBRA", this is the best work that Sylvester Stallone has done.
He plays Marion Cobretti, a member of the "Zombie Squad" which is the most hardcore "street" police unit there is. Knowing his given name sounds a bit girly, he goes by Cobra to establish dominance and fear to his enemies. He wears oversized aviator sunglasses at all times because the sun never sets on "cool", he always has a match in his mouth in case he needs to light something or someone on fire, and always knows the best things to say to a bad guy like "Your the disease, and I'm the cure". So there is your badass main charactor.
Now the story circles around Cobra protecting a hottie who witnessed a murder committed by an ax clinging night slasher gang who will stop at nothing to kill her. Also included are car chases, a bikini photo shoot with robots (awesome), gun fights, and one of the best good guy/bad guy showdowns shot with a camera. I almost pooed myself when seeing IMDB had this movie as a 5.5 star out of 10. I give it a 9.5 but with the bikini dancing around robot scene I give it a 12.3. The seven layers of Kevin Bacon for this movie is 1-Sylvester Stalone was in "The Expendables" with Dolph Lundgrin who was in 2- "Masters Of The Universe" with Courtney Cox who was in 3- Scream 3 with Neve Campbell who was in 4- "Wild Things" with KEVIN BACON!! Also, best food and beverage to have while enjoying "Cobra", funnions and apple beer. Do you agree that Cobra is the best movie of 1986? Share you favorite movie from 1986 in the comments.
To widen the variety of movies that get discussed, I have invited Mub Bardsley to contribute to Casual Cinema. His movies will primarily be from the movie vault. I am excited for his insight and humor to be shared with his movie reviews. What is it about older movies that captivate and make people think of childhood cinema in higher regard than newer movies. It can't be the special effects, props or the cinematography, The leaps and bounds in technology astound me sometimes, with how real things look and sound. Is it just because we are so impressionable up to a certain age. Take movie quotes for an example.
Example- "HEY YOU GUYS!" or- "Your killin' me smalls" or- "We got no food, no jobs.......our pets HEADS ARE FALLIN OFF!"
With the above quotes I don't even need to say the movie and everyone knows what movie they came from.
I just searched the top 3 grossing movies in 2012 and up popped- Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, and The Avengers, all of which I have seen and enjoyed, but I could not think of one quote from any of them, can you? I don't know maybe the next generation will be quoting lines from these 3 movies 20 years down the road. I guess my point is... old movies rock.
The first oldy but goodie I want to review is the all time epic "Willow" if you have not seen this movie, roll your fist in a ball and punch yourself in the genitalia. It all starts in the Nelwin forest where Willow Ufgoods children find a baby floating in a river near their village. This baby is all that stands in the way of destruction from the evil Queen Bavmorda.
Now anyone who knows me knows my fascination with midgets, and this movie has gobs. Fat midgets, skinny midgets, dancing midgets, wizard midgets, simply put, the celestial kingdom of midgets. Do yourself a favor and go buy, not rent, this movie.
By the way its the best role Val Kilmer has ever played. Here are the seven layers of Kevin Bacon to Willow. 1-Val Kilmer was also in Top gun with Tom Cruise 2- Tom Cruise is in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon. Boom 2 layers!!
Although I have not been reviewing any movies in the past year and a half, I in fact have been watching movies on a regular basis. I will do a quick run down of some of my favorites. There may be future posts on these movies, as this will just be a quick run down on the ones I enjoyed.
Action Movies
The Dark Knight Rises-A great ending to a great trilogy
Avengers-Another entertaining comic book movie
Zero Dark Thirty-How we kill Osama Bin Laden
Jack Reacher-Tom Cruise doing his action movie thing again
End of Watch-A crazy movie about cops in LA
Lawless-Tom Hardy's best film of the year, how brothers sold their moonshine
The Bourne Legacy-No Matt Damon, but non the less enjoyable
Taken 2-Not the first one, but he still has his unique skill set, and he did find the guys and kill them
Chronicle-Just another film about high school kids gaining super powers
Safe House-Intense movie about a CIA agent gone rogue
Man on a Ledge-The title says it all
Hit and Run-A comedic movie about avoiding the past in the witness protection
Contraband-Smuggling money in a cargo ship, Mark Wahlberg dominates
Act of Valor-An awesome look into the marines and how they work
Iron Man 3-Entertaining not my favorite of the three
Star Trek Into Darkness-My first trek experience, and it was a good cast, good story
Gangster Squad-A special task force asked to take done the infamous Mickey Cohen
Broken City-Misses the mark, but twists and turns, and dirty politicians
Drama Movies
Silver Linings Playbook-Two people trying to figure out life, find a silver lining in life.
The Place Beyond the Pines-Intriguing movie about actions affecting the course of our life.
Les Miserables-Very well done movie of the musical
The Perks of Being a Wallflower-The problems of high school kids, very intense but well don't
Lincoln-The life of President Abraham Lincoln
Life of Pi-I should have seen in the theater, but a great story about how we see life
Flight-A glimpse into overcoming addiction
Argo-Incredible story about the hostages in Iran
Trouble With the Curve-The relationship of a daughter and her aging father
Mud-How two boys help a convict
People Like Us-Having to give up your fathers estate to a sister you never knew
Big Miracle-The power of news, and saving 3 whales
Comedy and the Rest
The Five Year Engagement-The wedding date keeps getting pushed back, will love last the wait
Liberal Arts-Romantic comedy
Celeste and Jessy Forever-Another complicated love story
Moonrise Kingdom-Classic Wes Anderson film about a young love
Safety Not Guaranteed-Chasing down an ad in a newspaper needing someone to time travel with
Your Sisters Sister-A complicated romantic comedy
Pitch Perfect-Good music, that makes fun of the competitive world of a Capella groups
Wanderlust-Two people that need a change and stumble upon a commune full of hippies
Parental Guidance-Everyone has different ways of parenting, but can all have the same effect
This Means War-Your typical chick flick
21 Jump Street-A pretty hilarious film about to dumb cops going undercover at a high school
Now You See Me-Yes another magic movie, but has a nice twist or two
Admission-Missed a punch, still an enjoyable film and about a teacher wanting the best for his student
The Great Gatsby-A very well done remake
42-Well done movie about the life of Jackie Robinson
The Kings of Summer- A great movie about a high school kid that is King of his summer
