Sports on the Silver Screen

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Pamela Thompson
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1 Sports on the Silver Screen Brian Boyd There have been some classic sports films over the years, and there have been some awful ones too. Good or bad, there have certainly been a lot of them. The most popular sport with film makers has been boxing; after that comes horse racing, followed by football. With their never-say-die underdogs, battling bravely to the end and last-minute victories snatched from the jaws of defeat, Sports films are seldom about the joys of athletic competition alone. In Hollywood, sports often act as a backdrop to some human drama, such as the hero s search for redemption or attempt to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles through determination and perseverance. British cinema has produced some of the finest sports films, often with rather unlikely heroes. In Gregory s Girl, the shy and awkward hero, Gregory, is the worst player on an already awful football team. The story follows his embarrassing attempts to win the heart of the team s only good player, Dorothy. Gregory s Girl was made at a time when women playing football was virtually unheard of. Another unlikely hero is at the centre of Black Ball, a comedy about the gentle sport of lawn bowls. Based on a true story, the film is about a talented young

2 man whose lower class background means rejection by small-minded members of a bowling club. Social issues are also a factor in Bend It Like Beckham ; eighteen year old Jess is torn between following her dream and pleasing her conservative family, who feel that football is an unsuitable sport for a respectable Indian girl. Not all sports films are dramas; occasionally, they cross into other genres. Wimbledon is a romantic comedy about a low-ranking tennis pro as he makes one last attempt to win the sport s most prized championship, and Touching the Void is a powerful documentary, telling the true story of some foolhardy climbers who almost lost their lives. In Escape to Victory football meets World War II. Agreeing to play an exhibition match against local German troops, a group of prisoners of war find themselves involved in a Nazi propaganda tournament. Escape to Victory is notable because it starred real life sports stars some of the world s best footballers, including Pele, Bobby Moore and Osvaldo Ardilles. Legends Another kind of sports film is the biopic (short for biographical picture). These tell the stories of real sporting heroes. They often include the highs and lows of their personal lives away from competition. Best is the biopic of Manchester United legend George Best. A fast rise to fame was more than Best could handle, and the film shows how he threw away his success thanks to alcohol, gambling and womanising.

3 In the inspiring 1984 biopic, Champions, jockey, Bob Champion, is diagnosed with cancer. He beats the disease and goes on to win the Grand National horse race. Hollywood s First Prize Sports films have won best picture at the Academy Awards three times to date. The first was Rocky in This moving tale of an obscure boxer, given a shot at the world title, is one of the classic underdog films of all time. In 1981, Chariots of Fire collected the best picture Oscar. Set in the 1920s, it tells the story of two athletes competing in the Paris Olympics. Most recently, Clint Eastwood s Million Dollar Baby came out on top. Much more than just another boxing film, this overwhelming drama is about facing difficult decisions. In Thai cinema, two sports films have scored at the box office in recent years. Satree Lek (which means Iron Ladies ) is the true story of a katoey (transsexual) volleyball team who won the 1996 national championship. Despite their success, members of the real Satree Lek were forbidden to play for the national team, because sports officials were worried they would be bad for Thailand s reputation.

4 Beautiful Boxer is also a true story. Nong Toom is a young kickboxer who rises to the top of his sport so that he can afford a sex change operation for himself. The film combines exciting kickboxing sequences and scenes from the athlete s personal life. Films about sports are usually predictable. The hero (or team of heroes) always ends up winning, or closer to winning than anyone would have expected. But then, it isn t the end result that is important, it s the journey. These films are about people, relationships, spirit and the values that make sports so appealing.

5 Frequency Adverbs Can you complete these sentences about sports films? Use the text to help you. a) Sports films are seldom b) In Hollywood, sports often c) Sports films occasionally d) Biographical pictures often e) Films about sports are usually f) The hero (or team of heroes) always Anagram Puzzler An anagram is a mixed up word. Can you unscramble the anagrams matching these definitions? The answers can all be found in the text. a) olydrahfo (adjective - unwisely bold or adventurous) b) reneg (noun - a category or style of film) c) siadegno (verb - to identify a disease) d) scruboe (adjective - not very well known) e) dwaarkd (adjective lacking in grace and skill) f) gordenud (noun competitor who is expected to lose) g) lebiderptca (adjective possible to guess the end result) h) kordbpac (noun the setting or background for a story)

6 Answers Frequency Adverbs a) about the joys of athletic competition alone. b) act as a backdrop to some human drama. c) cross into other genres. d) include the highs and lows of sports star s personal lives. e) predictable. f) ends up winning. Anagram Puzzler a) foolhardy b) genre c) diagnose d) obscure e) awkward f) underdog g) predictable h) backdrop

A. Quickly skim the two articles. Circle the answers.

PA RT I Predict A. Quickly skim the two articles. Circle the answers. Which article... 1. gives someone's opinion? Reading 1 Reading 2 Readings 1 & 2 2. describes a sport? Reading 1 Reading 2 Readings