przed | Footie and Film

In spite of the fact that the Sweetie and I are huge film buffs, or perhaps because of it, Ros has shown absolutely no interest in movies for years now. She's always saying "Film just isn't my thing, mom," and trying to get out of going to daycare any time they have an outing to a movie theatre planned.

I am determined to change this. And since she's turning into a serious sports player and fan, I have decided to do it with... sports movies!

First up tonight was Bend It Like Beckham. Girls playing footie! How perfect is that.

The ground rules we've set are that Ros has to stay in the room whilst the film is playing, but she doesn't have to pay attention if she doesn't find it interesting. She was all happy because she thoroughly intended to ignore the film and work on her latest Lego set. Except she didn't! She got totally sucked into the film and watched it all, clapping when our heroines' team won, and getting tense when it looked like things weren't going to work out.

At the end, Ros wouldn't admit it was worth a thumbs up, but apart from a bit just before the end where things looked tense and she cried a bit, she totally seemed to enjoy it.

Next up: a local theatre is doing a screening of The Bad News Bears. That's a slice of my childhood, and hey, if foul-mouthed kid baseball players get Ros watching a movie, I'm all for 'em.

Seeing as she's such a hockey fan, at some point I'm going to have to subject myself to The Mighty Ducks.

So, does anyone else have suggestions for eight-year-old-friendly sports movies?

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LOL "The Mighty Ducks" is what turned two of my girls into hockey fans, and their love for the game has grown through the years.

I'll take that as an endorsement. *g*

Edited 2014-10-04 02:34 (UTC)

I don't know how Canadians feel about Miracle, but that's a really good movie, plus hockey. Although it might be over her head for her age, no worries about language and such - I've showed it to my classes. Mystery, Alaska is also hockey and completely awesome, but it's rated R.

I don't remember how much cussing is in A League of Their Own but women's baseball! And of course, for baseball - Field of Dreams

Basketball - Space Jam or Hoosiers depending on her level of attention and maturity.

And back to soccer- my daughter enjoyed Gracie or She's the Man which has the added benefit of sneaky Shakespeare.

Well, at least in Miracle the Americans beat the Russians, not the Canadians. *g* (Ros was soooo indignant during the Winter Olympics when her favourite Maple Leaf, Phil Kessel, was playing on the U.S. team, not the Canadian team. "But he's American, Sweetie." "That's! Not! Fair!" ::stomps feet and clenches fists::)

A League of Their Own is an awesome idea. I think Field of Dreams will wig her out, though. Even slightly sad stuff does her head in.

Oooh, She's the Man is also a fab idea! And I've got a copy of that! (Channing Tatum may be relevant to my interests. *g*)

Edited 2014-10-04 02:56 (UTC)

I immediately thought of League of their Own. Maybe too sad, but Brian's Song was a fave of mine when I was in high school and college.

League of Their Own is a good one, but I think Brian's Song would about do Ros' head in. Sad is the one thing she can't handle. Which probably goes part way to explaining why she's not a fan of movies. The slightest amount of drama in a movie and she's a mess.

Edited 2014-10-05 03:18 (UTC)

Congratulations on a successful start to your eeevil plan. :D

Sorry I can't be of help but I'm not really a sports film fan and the few I do like have already been mentioned here.

My plan is not an eeeevil plan. It is a plan for good. *g*

I'm just waiting for the teen years when I can pull out films like Bull Durham and The Damned United.

Edited 2014-10-04 03:11 (UTC)

Chariots of Fire? Maybe historical drama is better suited to an older age group?

Edited 2014-10-04 08:08 (UTC)

Chariots of Fire has definite possibilities...

Edited 2014-10-05 03:47 (UTC)

Great to hear how committed Ros is to her soccer!

Bend it's a fun film - I love Jess's father and the Jonathan Rhys Meyer character playing cricket at the end :) My fave sports film might be The Loneliness of the Long-distance Runner with Tom Courtenay but I'm not sure that would count as 8-yr-old friendly...

I'm going to try for my cricket icon, but if the current LJ icon problem's still ongoing it will default to... um default.

She definitely loves her soccer. :D

Bend It is the one film in which Jonathan Rhys Meyer managed to portray a reasonably warm human being. And yes, him playing cricket with Jess's father at the end is adorable.

I have to admit I've never seen Long-distance Runner, only read the book. I'll have to correct that some day, though I suspect it wouldn't quite be to Ros' taste.

Every time I post a comment, I hope this will be the time it holds on to my icon selection.
ETA: No joy this time. Stoopid LJ.

Edited 2014-10-05 03:51 (UTC)

I got hold of 'The Mighty Ducks' for the first time after the 2014 Winter Olympics and enjoyed it way too much *g*

The relay-team film 'Fast Girls' is a 12 rated, I think, but I don't recall it having anything all that innappropriate if watched with parents - you could screen it first? - very much in the 'Bend it like Beckham' vein.

I'll take that as an endorsement of The Mighty Ducks, then. *g*

Hadn't heard of Fast Girls before, but it looks like it might interest Ros. Another girls sports movie can only be a good thing. (So that's what Noel Clarke's been doing with himself!)

Edited 2014-10-05 03:57 (UTC)

Noel Clarke, plus Arthur out of 'Merlin' AND Rupert Graves *g* Everything is better with Rupert Graves.

Everything is better with Rupert Graves.

Yep, it certainly is. *g*

Excellent use of Bend It Like Beckham. I LOVE that film! And although Keira Knightly kind of annoys the heck out of me these days, she was fairly bearable in that, and I love the way the film immerses me in a culture that's totally exotic to me :)

What, no 'When Saturday Comes'? A chance to combine the Bean with the Football... *g* (maybe not, given that it's a 15 rating...in reserve for later?)

I adore Bend It, and Keira is lovely in it, though I love Parminder Nagra even more. (I have to admit that I still like Keira. She's pretty fab in A Dangerous Method, though it's a performance you either love or hate.)

Ah, When Saturday Comes...footie + Bean ought to equal awesome, and yet it's such a stupid film and Bean's character is such a jerk. ("I've got an important game/tryout coming up. I know what I'll do. Go out and get completely pissed so I'm too hungover to play!" Twat.) But it does have the consolation of providing the view of a naked Bean in a hot tub full of other naked blokes. *g* But yeah, probably not one to show Ros any time soon.

Edited 2014-10-06 13:01 (UTC)

I watched Bend it like Beckham when I was 15/16, which I think is one of the best ages to watch it at! It's a really fun movie and pretty good from what I remember. For some reason the local filmquiz gives a DVD of it to the team that comes last as a consolation prize. One day I want to win that ;)

Ros seemed to enjoy it. And she asked to watch it again after school yesterday, so that's a bonus!

That's a pretty good consolation prize, IMO. *g*

Footie and Film

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