There are so many possibilities for the greatest sports movie of all time. There are touching stories of teams overcoming racism, or giving a retard a chance (wait, is retard politically correct? No? Oh, sorry, mentally challenged). There are stories about teams that fight all season, only to come up just short. There are stories about teams that come together at the right moment to realize their potential and win the elusive state championships!
Unfortunately, the storylines listed above weren't enough to make the movies attached to them the greatest sports movie of all time. The greatest sports movie has a blockbuster cast, a heartfelt touching storyline with numerous positive messages, conflicted characters and relationships, and a climactic ending that leaves you with a smile on your face.
The movie I'm talking about, of course, is Little Giants!
First, there's the all-star cast! Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk the Kids), as the football star coach's little dorky brother, is phenominal. Ed O'Neill (Married with Children, among other things), as the football star coach. Devon Sawa (went on to do Casper, and a million teeny-bopper photo shoots), as the hunky star QB of the nerdy team. And, of course, the (now) beautiful Shawna Waldron (yeah...she hasn't done anything of note), as the tomboy linebacker. With guest spots by John Madden, Bruce Smith, Emmitt Smith, Steve Emtman, and Tim Brown, this cast was chalk full of acting talent. Tom Cruise? Bah! Johnny Depp? Puh-leeze! Give me Rick Moranis and Devon Sawa! Phenominal!
With a cast this great, only a spectacular script, that fully utalized their acting talents, would suit them. The script of Little Giants is glorious. It's rife with personal struggle and poignant relationships. Becky "The Icebox" O'Shea is a tomboy who's grown up loving football. However, when the cute QB boy (Sawa) enters the picture, she goes through a personal struggle between wanting to be the cute girl that could attract the QB, or to be true to herself. And Waldron plays it brilliantly. You can feel the internal struggle the character faces as it radiates off the screen. Her relationship with her dad (Moranis) is also an interesting one. She loves him, but as she goes through this internal struggle, she starts projecting her angst on her dad, blaming him for how she turned out. She doesn't mean it, and Moranis plays the part of the caring father perfectly. You almost shed a tear when you see how his daughter's struggle is tearing him up inside.
In the end, the lovable nerds who were cut from the main football team become a part of your life; a part of your family, really. You want them to win, and actively cheer at the screen for them. Even though you know it's just a movie, and that the ending is already scripted, you will find it difficult to detach yourself from the scene. You become a fan of the Giants as they take on the heavily favored Cowboys, and you actively want them to win. This is a credit to both the script and the actors who make it come to life.
Little Giants also has a wonderful message to teach; not just to children, but to everyone who watches it. Let kids be kids, and let them play. Even if they aren't the best football players around, if your town only has one team, it's not right to exclude the nerdy or loser kids from your team just because you want to win another pee wee championship. Besides, you never know when one of those nerds will surprise you and become a superstar!
It is rare that a sports movie combines both a beautifully moving script and an all-star cast of acting powerhouses. Luckily, in Little Giants, we are fortunate enough to see just that. It is, without a doubt, the greatest sports movie of all time.
3 comments:
well, i was going to say brian's song, or the replacements
Nah, the only one that comes close is The Big Green... but I can't like any movie with Steve Gutenberg in it.
Once I read the title of this blog, I immediately pictured Little Giants. Good call.
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