Marshall and the Movies

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

In a surge of patriotic pride for the U S of A, today’s factoid celebrates the unlikely American victory in extra time in this morning’s World Cup game!  WE ARE ADVANCING TO THE NEXT ROUND!

I’m not a huge soccer fan, but I certainly am a fan of my country!  I love these big sporting events like the Olympics – they provide real, human drama and competition that really brings you to the edge of your seat.  As much as I love movies, I have to recognize that nothing brings the world together better than a big sporting event.  Even “Avatar,” which made nearly $3 billion worldwide didn’t foster a bond between nations.

Of course, Hollywood tries to bring that same jolt of energy that fierce competition brings to the silver screen.  In my lifetime, the big surge began with the success of “Remember the Titans.”  Ever since then, the genre has been pretty hit or miss.  If you happen to catch a sports movie with a big crowd, there’s always a chance that the theater will get really into the action and cheer.

I can only recall that happening once in my moviegoing career.  It was February 6, 2004 – the opening night of Disney’s “Miracle,” a movie celebrating the United States’ unlikely victory in hockey over the USSR in the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics amidst tensions between the two nations.  The United States went on to win the gold medal, but no game provided more drama or excitement than the semi-final against Russia.

The entire movie builds up to the big game, and it absolutely delivers.  My entire theater was so into the movie, cheering at the U.S.’ shining moments and jeering when the Russians did something right.  The crowd erupted into applause at the Americans’ goals, and by the end of the movie, everyone was chanting, “USA!  USA!  USA!  USA!”  It’s pretty rare to get that kind of enthusiasm while at a movie, and it’s an experience I won’t soon forget.

So who knows, maybe in a few decades we will be watching a movie about the unlikely success of the United States at the 2010 World Cup.  We’ve got to keep cheering, and they’ve got to keep playing at the top of their game.

LET’S GO AMERICA!