Goal - The Dream Begins (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Yes, this is another sports biography that offers a stage on which to play out the drama of the possibilities of dreams of the disenfranchised to become a reality. There are many, many films like this one and will doubtless be more: something there is about the 'team spirit' in the identity crisis of whether or not the poor (financially) new guy will be able to make the physical grade that draws large audiences. It is a formula and it often works despite weak structure and production values.
In the case of GOAL! THE DREAM BEGINS the viewer can put aside the doubts as to whether the film can make it on its own: this little low profile movie is well written (Mike Jefferies's story adapted for the screen by Adrian Butchart), well directed by Danny Cannon who knows well how to integrate live sports scenes into the drama, and consistently well acted by a troop of excellent actors, beginning with the very vibrant, handsome, and charismatic Kuno Becker ('Lucia, Lucia', 'Imagining Argentina', 'Once Upon a Wedding', 'English as a Second Language'), a 28 year old Mexican actor with an assured future in the lead role of Santiago. The supporting roles are classy contributions by the gifted Alessandro Nivola ('The Sisters', 'Junebug', 'The Clearing', 'Laurel Canyon', 'Love's Labour's Lost', 'Mansfield Park' etc), the very beautiful Anna Friel, Stephen Dillane, Marcel Iures, Tony Plana, Miriam Colon to mention only a few.
The story is secondary: as a child devotee of soccer Santiago immigrates illegally into the US with his family, grows up in Los Angeles working as a gardener, a dishwasher and other menial tasks while he consumes his spare time with developing his unique talents for soccer. Despite his father's insistence that he remain with the family business of gardening, Santiago is discovered by a scout on vacation from England, a bond develops and soon Santiago is off to Newcastle to pursue his dream of being a professional soccer player. The rest is pretty obvious - the ups and downs of an asthmatic kid competing in the wild world of sports. The star of the moment is Alessandro Nivola and despite the differences in their goals and social life they become friends who help each other in tender ways. There is of course a love interest, telephone calls and encouragement form Santiago's grandmother, adjustments to life in the UK -all altering the road toward Santiago's eventually attained goal.
The film is a bit lengthy (two hours) for the content, but then we understand this is the first of a trilogy, so get used to the story and the characters as they all remain constant for the next two installments. Whatever reservations you may have about sitting through another predictable sports movie just relax them: Kuno Becker alone is worth the time invested in this very fine little film. Grady Harp, September 06

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Forever Strong (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)USA Rugby partnered well with this film's producers and distributors when it opened, and a lot of rugby clubs held screenings all over the country as fundraisers; I went to the TC Williams Rugby showing in Alexandria, Virginia. Unfortunately, this film was packaged as, and consequently was received by the American movie-going public as "the rugby movie." So unfortunately it didn't do well, and was out of theaters quickly. That's too bad, as this is not a rugby movie. It's a movie about values and ethics, honesty and integrity, honor and respect, about family and team, and ultimately about growth, redemption, and the transformative power of making a genuine effort, set in the context of rugby.
This is an excellent family film, and even better for just dads and sons to watch together. For the non-rugby viewers: it doesn't matter if you don't know a thing about rugby. For the ruggers: you'll love a well-crafted movie on teamwork, with accurate portrayals of our game.
This movie is not about rugby; it's about teaching young men the value of teamwork, camaraderie, and that everyone benefits when you become part of something bigger than yourself. This movie is about sacrifice, honor, integrity, and the power of working as a group toward a shared goal. Highland Rugby is the unstoppable juggernaut of American U-19 rugby not because they work harder, but because every single young man in that organization works for the betterment of the team, and not for himself. In this environment, winning becomes merely a by-product.
Synopsis: A talented yet vain high school rugby star ends up in juvie after a DUI. The angry and arrogant hard case is brought into the Highland rugby program and slowly learns the power of teamwork, selflessness, and becoming part of something bigger, which makes him a better man, and a winner.
Comparisons to Remember the Titans and Friday Night Lights are in order, the only difference here being that the sport is unfamiliar rugby. No matter; if you or your kids come out of it wanting to see what rugby is all about, all the better. If you are a rugger, then you will recognize the joy in teamwork you've come to love, enjoy the accurate action sequences, and will be happy to see the game treated very well, with very little modification to make it palatable to the rugby-ignorant greater public.
Alcohol and drugs are very clearly portrayed negatively throughout the film, and by the end our hero/former party-boy makes positive choices, on his own and for the right reasons. That being said, this film is not Disney-sweet or preachy, and also shows that these rugby players are not choir boys. They are very serious hard-chargers who know how to have fun, but fun that is legal and does not bring shame to themselves, their team or their families.
Refreshingly, the film does not shy away from the fact that rugby is an intense, full-contact sport and that top-level play is a rough environment. There are lots of bruises, and a bit of blood. One player gets a gnarly bloody nose, which he wipes off with grass. One scene, taking things a bit too far I think, showed a medic pulling a tooth from a gash on a player's forehead. Now, I've seen this injury myself, more than once, so it's legit, but showing it in the movie is not a good way to get kids--and more importantly their protective parents--to come out to learn and play rugby.
The rugby play is excellent, very well represented and accurate. There are a few very well done action sequences with the camera integrated into the action, with good accompanying sound, which is very much like being involved in actual play. The match play-by-play integrates well to explain what is happening. The referee reactions are also completely in keeping with the game, such as when the ref sends our boy off with a red card early in the movie, and when an opponent receives a yellow card near the end.
There are some powerful dramatic moments in this film, definitely not maudlin or syrupy, and yes, they did get this 28-years-playing lock forward's eyes to water.
As a youth rugby coach, I wish there were a way I could legally make dozens of copies of this film and hand one out to every single one of my players. No, this movie will not teach them how to play rugby, but if it teaches them about honesty and integrity, and the power of effort and teamwork, then most of my job as coach is already done.
Here's my suggestion to readers/buyers: buy a copy, and when you're done with it, give it to a friend, and ask them to pass it on. I've already done this; let's get this movie moving through the community. Let's get kids excited about rugby, and whether they play or not, let's get kids to realize the power of ethical behavior, and how it can have immediate and real benefits for them and those around them.
Bottom line: This is a straightforward bad-boy teen redemption tale, with a predictable plot line. You know where it's going to end up, and basically how it's going to get there. But the characters and story are powerful, and they deliver a very well crafted message of respect, integrity and teamwork, without beating you over the head with the overused Hollywood Message Mallet. All of this takes place in the context of a real-life high school rugby success story.

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A troubled young rugby player is given the choice between jail or playing for a rival team coached by a man known for building not only championship teams, but championship boys. Based on a true story, Forever Strong offers stand up and cheer sports drama combined with the consequences of a strong ethical code to achieve victory on and off the field

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Where the Heart Is (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Based upon the book of the same name by Billie Letts, this film was a more than pleasant surprise. It is simply a compelling absorbing, and unusual film. Well directed by television veteran Matt Williams, the movie exudes a certain folksy charm that grabs the viewer from the get go and keeps that viewer enthralled until the final scene.
The film centers around Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman), a very pregnant seventeen year old, who, with her boyfriend, lowlife Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno), pulls up to a Walmart's in Oklahoma where he abandons her. So, with virtually no money, literally barefoot and pregnant, and nowhere to go, she sets up camp in Walmart by night and explores the town by day, making friends with a number of memorable characters.
She unexpectedly has her baby at Walmart's, making her into a minor local celebrity. While at the hospital convalescing, she meets a sassy, brassy nurse, Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd), who befriends her. She is showered with gifts and her mother, Mama Lil (Sally Field), a floozie who discovers her daughter's whereabouts courtesy of the media hoopla, pays her a visit. Having abandoned her once before, she is there long enough for Novalee to be abandoned, yet again.
Along comes Thelma 'Sister' Husband (Stockard Channing), an eccentric but kindhearted recovering alcoholic who scoops Novalee and her baby up and takes her to her home. This would be the beginning of a whole new life for Novalee, one that would be enriched by the people whom she meets and the experiences, both good and bad, to which she is subjected. It becomes the story of her personal and emotional odyssey, as well as the story and growth of those with whom she most closely interacts. It is a story about life, relationships, responsibilities, love, and the ties that bind.
It is also the story of Willy Jack Pickens and the direction his life takes subsequent to his abandonment of Novalee. After some bad breaks, he gets talent agent, Ruth Meyers (Joan Cusack), to sign him on in hope of furthering a musical career. Unlike Novalee, however, he does not take well to the vicissitudes of life and begins a free fall in a downward spiral. His waterloo culminates in a dramatic meeting with Novalee after many years, a meeting that sets her free from her past, free to love the one person who loves her for herself.
Natalie Portman delivers her best performance to date. In the role of Novalee, she mixes innocence with wonder at what the world has to offer her. She adds a certain sweetness, poignancy, and determination to the role that translates into a wonderful vulnerability laced with steel. It is this quality that gives Novalee the will to go on when the odds are so against her, and that is just what Natalie Portman conveys to the viewer.
Stockard Channing is great as the eccentric and kind Thelma 'Sister' Husband, a woman who never had children of her own but is truly a mother at heart. Nurturing her garden, as well as Novalee and her baby, flowers and plants are not the only things that thrive under her care. A veritable Mother Earth, she is the kind of person who brings out the best in others, and Novalee and her baby are no exception. Stockard Channing, a great, though underrated actress, brings this home to the viewer in spades.
Ashley Judd is terrific as the wide eyed, "looking for love in all the wrong places" Lexie. She comes across as sassy and brassy but is really only looking for someone to appreciate her for who she is and not for the sex she has to offer. Judd delivers the nuances that this role demands. James Frain is sensational as the shy, sensitive, and kind Forney Hull, the town librarian's brother who befriends Novalee. He plays the role with such vulnerability and imbues him with such goodness that the viewer cannot help but care deeply for him. It is also almost hard to believe that James Frain is British, as he has an American accent so down pat.
Dylan Bruno is perfect as Willie Jack Pickens, the country good old boy who ruins his own life and almost ruins Novalee's. Joan Cusack shows her deft comedic flair in the small, but memorable role of Ruth Meyers, and Sally Field leaves her mark in her cameo role as Novalee's mother. All in all, stellar performances are given by the entire cast. This is a well directed film that should not be missed.

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Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman shine in this offbeat, delicious slice of life about a down-on-her-luck Southern teen. After gaining 15 minutes of fame for giving birth to "The Wal-Mart Baby", Novalee Nation (Portman) begins to put her life together with the help of the kind, quirky strangers who become her surrogate family.It's an inspiring celebration of love, friendship and self-worth that delivers "quality, emotionally satisfying entertainment" (ReelViews).

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