You've Gotta Have Heart

Forget talking about Trump and Hillary.  I’m going to tackle the more serious issue of, “how to recognize a Fabulous Movie”; using The Replacements as an example of a “Fabulous Movie”.

Sure, anybody can make a critically acclaimed movie with great script writing, great acting, great directing, and generally a lot of money and skill players.  But how does one make a Fabulous Movie with bad acting, a bad script, and stupid dialogue?  Well, all you really need is an underdog hero, a pretty girl, some humor, and some heart.  You gotta have heart.

I’m betting that when Gene Hackman looks back on his stellar career, he cringes thinking about this movie.  But I gotta tell ya, it is at the top of my “when-channel –surfing- around- I can’t -stop- watching it” list.  As I was cringing watching Gene Hackman deliver his “gotta have heart” line, I decided to ask myself why I love this movie so much.  Here’s what I’ve come up with:  when you have an underdog hero, a romantic interest, a few laughs, and – OK – a lot of heart; it is a winning recipe for saps like me!

This is obviously present in other story lines as well.  How many times has the Three Musketeers been remade?  And yet – I’ll watch and enjoy any rendition.  Because… it has an underdog hero, a pretty girl, some humor, and a lot of heart!!  I’ll take The Replacements, Three Musketeers, Mystery Alaska, A Knights Tale, or Remo Williams any old day ahead of the Godfather, Scarface, Titanic, American Beauty or A Beautiful Mind - all Best Picture Oscar winners!  (One may argue that Titanic meets my criteria.  But I get a headache from the amount of times I role my eyes trying to watch that movie – it is disqualified for numerous reasons, such as the lead male is prettier than the lead female, the sap meter tops a giant red wood, and he dies anyway.)

So that’s my simplified approach to recognizing a Fabulous Movie.  An underdog hero, a pretty girl, some humor, and heart.  For saps like me, anyway.  

I will close in the same classic way The Replacements closed.  With a classic song.

Oh no, not I
I will survive
As long as I know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
And I'll survive
I will survive (hey hey)

Have you Ever Noticed That?

My unread blog has been neglected - being unwritten on and all.  And I'm feeling a little irritated today, so let's play Seinfeld.

 

Let’s talk…. Politics.

Have you ever noticed that when someone likes one candidate more than another, they defend, forgive, and generally rationalize their preferred candidate?  And yet they can’t apply the same logic to the candidate they decided they dislike?

I don’t like that.

OK that’s enough on politics.  Let's talk, religion.

Way too often – the more devoted someone is to their religion; the more intolerant they are of other religions?  Have you ever noticed that?

I really don’t like that.

OK, that’s enough politics.  Now let’s get serious.  Fantasy Football draft.

While participating in your draft, have you ever noticed that as soon as you hone in on a particular player, the person drafting just in front of you always takes that one player you are focused on? 

I hate that.

And I miss my sister.