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)
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)