FoR a RaiNY DaY eLeMeNtaRY sChooL CLassiCs
bRIAn’S SOnG (1971)
directed by Buzz Kulik
HOOP DREAmS (1994)
directed by Steve James
buLL DuRHAm (1988)
directed by ron Shelton
THE SAnDLOT (1993)
directed by David Evans
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (1993)
directed by Daniel Stern
The most tear jerking film of the bunch; Brian’s Song (based on a true story) exemplifies friendship between two teammates, Brian Piccilo (James Caan) and Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams). Both are star running backs for the Chicago Bears of the NFL, a place where egos are large and tempers run high. The two men take the competition in stride, and when one is unable to play due to a knee injury, the other takes center stage until he is stricken with cancer. The injuries, stardom and disease bring Piccilo and Sayers together in a film that portrays what being teammates is all about. Current NFL players Adam “Pac Man” Jones and Terrell Owens would most certainly benefit from a screening of this great motion picture.
Typically conceived as dull and boring, documentaries are now making a name for themselves in the American media, such as An Inconvenient Truth and Super Size Me, to name a few. However, nothing has yet to top Hoop Dreams. The film crew follows two Chicago boys, William Gates and Arthur Agee in their quest to become basketball superstars. With many ups, downs, bumps, twists and roadblocks along the way you begin to root for each guy as if he was your brother. Never before have I been so enamored while watching a documentary, or any other film for that matter. What was originally intended to be 30 minutes of programming piece, turned into five years of filming and 177 magical minutes.
Minor league veteran Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) is demoted to the Class A Durham Bulls to help groom rookie pitching sensation “Nuke” Laloosh (Tim Robbins) into the next Cy Young winner. Laloosh fails to comply with Davis’ advice, and struggles during the beginning portion of the season. Their tension is not limited to the ball field as they both get involved with team announcer Anne Savoy (Susan Sarandon), forming a comical love triangle. Eventually siding with Laloosh, Savoy teams up with Davis in transforming Laloosh into the pitcher everyone expects him to be.
Move over Wrigley Field, stand back Fenway Park; the Sandlot is America’s favorite ball yard. Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry), Benny the Jet (Mike Vitar) and the rest of the neighborhood boys star in a summer filled with baseball and other related shenanigans; a summer that only appears in my dreams.
12 year old, Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas) breaks his arm in such a funky way that it allows him to throw a baseball upwards of 100 mph. He is then noticed by the Chicago Cubs, becoming the ace of their staff, leading them to a stunning pennant victory. Hard to think of which is more fiction. I’ll take the latter. Needless to say, after watching this film, thoughts of breaking my own arm to help the Boston Red Sox win the World Series crept into my head.
SPACE JAm (1996)
directed by Joe Pytka
Hostages on Moron Mountain, the Looney Tunes challenge their captors (Nerdlucks) to a game of basketball to earn their freedom. With Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny on the same set, could an eight year old in the 90s ask for much more? No.
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