Day 7: Favorite Movies
How freakin generic is this topic? I am thinking, as I look at my 30-Day list, that perhaps I am going to find other lists to pick and choose from so that I can avoid these mundane topics! Would that qualify as cheating?
So, without further ado...here is my list (in no particular order).
- V for Vendetta
- The Men Who Stare at Goats
- Field of Dreams
- Miracle
- The Thin Red Line
- For Love of the Game
- Definitely, Maybe
- Fight Club
- ANYthing from Pixar
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
These are the first ten that jumped to mind; there are surely many others that easily could make this list, but I am one of those people who changes my mind constantly. I am fairly certain that some of these would change, but at least 4 of them would always make this list: Miracle, Field of Dreams, all the Pixar stuff and The Thin Red Line. I watch "FoD" every year during the 2nd week of February, around the time that pitchers report to Spring Training. I watch Miracle on the anniversary of that game, February 22nd. Every year. I'm a dork!
The Thin Red Line is set during the WWII battle between the Americans and Japanese for control of the island of Guadalcanal; what it is not, however, is a typical shoot-em-up war movie. This movie is about the human condition, set against the backdrop of a war. It is quite existential in it's dealings with what it means to be human. Each character seems to represent a different emotion or aspect of humanity (love, hope, ambition, sacrifice, etc) and the battlefield setting allows the film makers to really drive home the stark contrasts between these feelings and motivations. The sound engineering is superb, and the soundtrack features songs from the Melanesian people of the South Pacific islands; these chorals and chants are strangely beautiful and haunting. Overall, a fantastic film--a must see in my humble opinion.
Field of Dreams has always been a favorite of mine, since I was a kid. I love baseball! Don't judge me! I love this story of penance and redemption. Timeless. "Hey dad--wanna have a catch?" Best. Line. Ever. Funny how a piece of twine, cork and leather can heal old wounds and right past wrongs. Classic.
Miracle? Well, I grew up playing hockey. The story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team is burned into they psyche of any kid who plays this game in this country. For those of you who don't know or remember, here is a brief synopsis: Herb Brooks (legendary American hockey coach) takes a team of misfits and college kids up against the Soviet Union, a unit that is generally considered to be the best hockey team of all time, and--against all odds--beats them to reach the gold-medal game in Lake Placid, NY. There is no reason that those kids should have ever beaten that team. They played the Soviets only two weeks prior to the Games, and were manhandled 10-3. Sports Illustrated and many other news and media outlets have named this moment, this game, as the biggest upset in sporting history. And it really is. Even if you aren't familiar with hockey or this game, you have probably heard Al Michaels' famous line, while counting down the remaining seconds during the television broadcast: "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" Epic.
The interesting thing to note about that game is that it was only a hockey game, but at that time it meant so much more to so many people. There is a scene in the movie where excerpts from President Jimmy Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" speech are played on the radio as Brooks drives home on Christmas Eve. At the time, the country was truly experiencing a "crisis of confidence." Lines at gas stations from fuel rationing. The Soviet army had just invaded Afghanistan, and Carter was considering a boycott of the summer games in Moscow (eventually it was decided, and they were boycotted). Iranian students had just stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took Americans hostage. The country had lost faith in the presidency, having lived through the Watergate scandal only 4 years prior. Vietnam was still a fresh memory, not some black and white photos with a brief explanation in some textbook somewhere. Optimism had been replaced by uncertainty and despair for many. This team, this coach, this game--gave something back: hope.
This film though, is really about Herb Brooks. This man made a team out of making his players hate him, so they didn't have time to hate each other. He pushed them harder than they ever could have thought they could be pushed. He forged them in the fires of adversity, and he never sugar coated anything. More importantly though, he loved them. He gave them something that should never be forgotten: he taught them to believe in themselves. My favorite scene from the movie, a discussion between Brooks and his wife the night before the game:
Patty Brooks: Herb, there's no disgrace in losing to this team. (The Soviets)
Herb Brooks: Yeah, I know.
Patty Brooks: The important thing is, you got this far.
Herb Brooks: The important thing?
[pause]
Herb Brooks: The important thing is that those twenty boys know in twenty years, they didn't leave anything on the table. They played their hearts out. That's the important thing.
LOVE it.
Field of Dreams has always been a favorite of mine, since I was a kid. I love baseball! Don't judge me! I love this story of penance and redemption. Timeless. "Hey dad--wanna have a catch?" Best. Line. Ever. Funny how a piece of twine, cork and leather can heal old wounds and right past wrongs. Classic.
Miracle? Well, I grew up playing hockey. The story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team is burned into they psyche of any kid who plays this game in this country. For those of you who don't know or remember, here is a brief synopsis: Herb Brooks (legendary American hockey coach) takes a team of misfits and college kids up against the Soviet Union, a unit that is generally considered to be the best hockey team of all time, and--against all odds--beats them to reach the gold-medal game in Lake Placid, NY. There is no reason that those kids should have ever beaten that team. They played the Soviets only two weeks prior to the Games, and were manhandled 10-3. Sports Illustrated and many other news and media outlets have named this moment, this game, as the biggest upset in sporting history. And it really is. Even if you aren't familiar with hockey or this game, you have probably heard Al Michaels' famous line, while counting down the remaining seconds during the television broadcast: "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" Epic.
The interesting thing to note about that game is that it was only a hockey game, but at that time it meant so much more to so many people. There is a scene in the movie where excerpts from President Jimmy Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" speech are played on the radio as Brooks drives home on Christmas Eve. At the time, the country was truly experiencing a "crisis of confidence." Lines at gas stations from fuel rationing. The Soviet army had just invaded Afghanistan, and Carter was considering a boycott of the summer games in Moscow (eventually it was decided, and they were boycotted). Iranian students had just stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took Americans hostage. The country had lost faith in the presidency, having lived through the Watergate scandal only 4 years prior. Vietnam was still a fresh memory, not some black and white photos with a brief explanation in some textbook somewhere. Optimism had been replaced by uncertainty and despair for many. This team, this coach, this game--gave something back: hope.
This film though, is really about Herb Brooks. This man made a team out of making his players hate him, so they didn't have time to hate each other. He pushed them harder than they ever could have thought they could be pushed. He forged them in the fires of adversity, and he never sugar coated anything. More importantly though, he loved them. He gave them something that should never be forgotten: he taught them to believe in themselves. My favorite scene from the movie, a discussion between Brooks and his wife the night before the game:
Patty Brooks: Herb, there's no disgrace in losing to this team. (The Soviets)
Herb Brooks: Yeah, I know.
Patty Brooks: The important thing is, you got this far.
Herb Brooks: The important thing?
[pause]
Herb Brooks: The important thing is that those twenty boys know in twenty years, they didn't leave anything on the table. They played their hearts out. That's the important thing.
LOVE it.
And what can I really say about Pixar? Pixar = WIN.
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