Except for a few movies already reviewed, there isn’t much out there in the theaters right now that’s appropriate for a Christian audience, so let’s look at a worthy oldie that you can get on DVD. Hoosiers is called by some “the best sports movie ever made.” We’ve recently gone through March Madness, so it might be a good time to consider why this picture is so popular and moving.
Here’s the gist of Hoosiers, if you haven’t seen it or don’t remember it too well. Norman Dale, age 50 or so, arrives in the small Indiana town of Hickory in the fall of 1951, having just accepted the job as the local high school’s new basketball coach. The previous coach has recently died, and the school’s principal is Norman’s old friend Cletis. Here’s the wrinkle, though: Norman hasn’t been in basketball for over ten years because he was dismissed from the college where he coached for hitting one of his players. This is Norman’s final chance to resurrect his career and redeem himself. Is he welcomed with open arms? Absolutely not. There’s considerable opposition to his authoritarian methods at first, especially from the fathers of some of the players, who want things done their way. It isn’t long before the townspeople are moved to take a vote on whether or not to dismiss him. The fact that Norman has enlisted the help of the town drunk as an assistant coach adds insult to injury. At a key moment, however, Jimmy Chitwood, the star player who has so far refused to participate, dramatically announces at the town meeting that he will play after all — if Norman continues as coach. Done deal. The team comes together and, through a great deal of hard work, transforms from terrible to great. I won’t reveal the ending, but suffice it to say that the Hickory boys do make it to the state championship.
Strengths of the picture:
Acting: Gene Hackman does a terrifically edgy job as Norman Dale, and Barbara Hershey shines in the role of the school’s vice-principal. Dennis Hopper is a standout as the town drunk whose son plays on the team and is ashamed of him. The local Hoosiers who play the townspeople and the team members come off as natural and believable.
Theme: The value of perseverance and hard work in the face of adversity comes through strongly. The picture reminds us that things don’t have to start off well to end well and suggests that we should be wary of success that comes too easily.
Values: Hoosiers is a strong endorsement of traditional values: hard work, honesty, respect for leadership, obedience, and faith. One of the nicest touches in the movie is the practice of one of the team members before each game: He won’t go on the court until he’s finished praying. At one point, Norman Dale becomes impatient and says, “God wants you on the court now!” This of course brings up the question as to whether praying before an athletic contest is appropriate or frivolous. The jury is out on that one.
Weakness:
There’s only one, really, and that’s the formulaic nature of the plot. As one reviewer has said, the film is very “calculated,” so it’s easy to predict what is going to happen. Hoosiers is said to be “loosely based on a true story.” The real model for the town of Hickory is Milan, whose team went to the Indiana state championship games in 1954. In the real situation, interestingly, there was no town drunk used as an assistant coach, and there was no town meeting to dismiss the coach.
Bottom line: Despite the formula, Hoosiers remains a galvanizing and moving film which, if anything, seems better now than when it was first released in 1986. Let’s just put it this way: it’s very hard not to sympathize with the underdog. It’s rated PG, probably for mild use of language. Family members over eight will probably enjoy and relate to it.
My Rating: 3 ¼ stars
If you’re looking for something a bit more recent, get hold of Rabbit-Proof Fence, a 2002 Australian movie that recounts a true story. It’s set in 1931 Australia, at a time when the government has implemented a policy of capturing “half-caste” children (those with one Anglo and one Aborigine parent) and sending them to re-education camps, run mostly by church people, where they will learn to behave like white people. Molly, Daisy, and Gracie, three young Aborigine girls, are captured and taken to an orphanage 1200 miles from their home in northwestern Australia. These girls are not like the others in the camp, however, for they escape at the first opportunity. The bulk of the film recounts their 1200-mile walk back to their home area, which they accomplish by staying near the rabbit-proof fence that separates the Australian farmland from the bush. Molly, Daisy, and Gracie show their cleverness and resourcefulness in consistently eluding their pursuers.
The underlying goal of this government plan is sinister: to “breed out” the half-caste Aborigines by making them like the Anglo majority so that they can assimilate. This, of course, is contrary to God’s plan, for the Lord loves all people of all races and ethnic groups. Christ, in fact, charges his disciples with the need to “go and teach all nations.” He does not say that they are to go and amalgamate all nations into one. The governmental and church people are not shown as evil, though; they simply believe that they are helping the Aborigines — in the words of the main government character, Mr. Neville, the government’s efforts are “helpful” and in the natives’ best interest.
Bottom line: As one reviewer has said, this is a political movie, not a personal one, a fact which puts its message into the questionable category. At the beginning of the picture, it is made clear with whom we are to sympathize. Nonetheless, Rabbit-Proof Fence is powerful and thought-provoking. As is the case with End of the Spear, the end of the film shows real-life footage of the grown-up ladies who made the 1200-mile walk. The movie is rated PG, probably for mild language, and is likely to appeal to anyone over ten or so.
My Rating: 3 1/4 stars
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