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)