White Men can't Jump
-
Paul P. Powell — 7 months ago(August 30, 2025 12:19 PM)
I recently sampled "
This Sporting Life
". The first big leading role for notorious bad boy Richard Harris.
All about rugby in Northern England.
It's a difficult movie to digest but it is very well done. Will never be a big favorite of mine, no – but it will stick with me because its simply so competently executed.
Paul P. Powell, Pool Player -
Paul P. Powell — 7 months ago(August 30, 2025 05:22 PM)
p.s.
I'm not even a sports fan of any kind whatsoever.
That being admitted, is one of the reasons "
Downhill Racer
" is my favorite sports movie.
There's many things I like about it but the 'realist' slant strongly appeals to me too.
It exposes the shallowness of athletes, and the ambition/greed/vanity which powers most of them. The lack of humanity which truly underpins their competitive spirit.
The USA is (or rather was) a nation bloated with obsession for pro sports, and there may have been a time long ago in our distant past when it was simple and harmless. But in the modern world its a bellweather which betrays the most ignorant and boorish of our citizens.
Plenty of fun sports movies but on a serious level, this is where I stand. All the nonsense about 'team spirit' is hokum.
Paul P. Powell, Pool Player

