Sporting Supporters

October 13, 2015 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | FILM, LIFE, Ulalume | 0 Comments |

'Nothing unwholesome about baseball...'

Spring in Australia merges with sporting finals in a series of codes, but if your team has missed out, you can always fall back on uplifting or downbeat sporting films to fill (or at least, line) that emotional void.

1. The Underdogs Triumph

Rocky

A most unlikely hit, this film meanders around the back streets of Philly for what seems like years, and then down-an-almost-outer Rocky Balboa gets pummelled for 15 rounds but stays on his feet.  Total schlock, but try to resist.

rocky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year of the Dogs

Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sensational documentary about the struggling Bulldogs in the VFL, turfing their head coach and replacing him with no-nonsense premiership player Terry Wallace.  The triumph here is subjective, in what is a great behind-the-scenes look at a struggling team expending all the blood, sweat and tears that go as much into losing as well as winning.  The Varnished Culture‘s stand-out favourites are the mother and daughter duo that follow Footscray (now the Western Bulldogs) through thick and thin.

"If anyone says that was an honourable loss, I'll spew up."

“If anyone says that was an honourable loss, I’ll spew up.”

The Natural

Robert Redford realises the dream of every old bloke who would have achieved greatness but for the distraction of chance or vice.

natural

 

 

 

 

 

1984 Norwood Premiership

1984N

 

2. How You Play the Game

 

Chariots of Fire

chariots

 

No competitive running on Sundays.

 

 

 

 

Heaven Can Wait

Warren Beatty is going to win the Super Bowl, even if he has to die twice to do it.

hEAVEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hustler

Hustle

 

 

 

 

 

Character beats talent every time.

 

3. The Industry

 

Jerry Maguire

'Show me the money'

‘Show me the money’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A League of Their Own

In wartime, opportunity knocks at a woman’s door (but then leaves when the fighting stops).

league of

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bull Durham

I don’t know what they have against Susan Sontag but the Durham Bulls symbolise all second-tier sports teams, where the youths dream of ascending to ‘The Show’ and the older hands realise that all glory is fleeting.

 

The Club

"

“I remember Tubby Roberts took me apart in the ’39 Grand Final. When I got home Dulcie says to me ‘I think you met your match today’ so I thumped her one. She apologised later but by then the damage was done.”

 

4. Lessons for Life

 

Those Glory, Glory Days

L’s favourite, a weird account of school-girlish obsession with Tottenham Hotspur.  P would rather be at Twickers…

 

This Sporting Life

Grit, grunt and cups of bad tea.

 

1973 Glenelg Premiership

Sheer guts were all they had left

Sheer guts were all they had left

5. Big Fat Fraud

Field of Dreams

No comment, other than: “Build it and I won’t be there.”

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