Ron and I both have the same knowledge when it comes to sports movies and books so we decided to just split up the issues in sports fiction as a whole, rather than by each medium.
One big problem with sports ficiton is that the lines are blurred as to what the criteria are for making a literary work "sports fiction". Some authors from the book say that sports must "play an integral part." But even that definiton is unclear, as the term "integral' is up for debate. Another author said that a sports novel "is simpy one in which sport plays a dominant role." What do you think? What makes a novel a true sports novel, or a film a true sports movie? Does the theme and idea have to be based solely around the sport itself, or can sports just be a backdrop in order to be called sports fiction? Also, does the sport involved matter? For instance, many of us have seen Any Given Sunday and consider that to be a decent sports movie. But what about Bring It On, or Searching for Bobby Fischer? Those movies deal with cheer leading and chess, respectively. Do we consider those to be sports movies? Another debate I found interesting from the reading was about which medium is better suited to tell a sports story; books or film. One author said that "literary works involvoing sports are vastly more complex than their cinematic counterparts." Many books have been turned into movies or shows, and vice versa. Friday Night Lights, the Legend of Bagger Vance, Seabiscuit, etc...are all examples. I happen to be more a fan of sports movies than books, but that could just be because I dont really like reading. I am a visual person and feel that the action and drama is better captured on the screen, expecially with todays techonlogy, than in a book. If any of you guys have read sports novels, which do you prefer, books or movies? Do you think the two mediums change the story?
Another issue I think worth talking about is gender and sports fiction. We have discussed this topic in previous classes when talking about TV and radio. But the trend seems to carry over to sports literature. Women are not there. For the most part. Women are usually just cheerleaders and temptations for the macho male athlete. One author says that "women are ultimately portrayed as subservient to men." Of course there are some exceptions, like Million Dollar Baby and A League of Their Own, but they are usually the exception, not the rule. So that raises the obvious question...why? Even in modern times when women are equal to men in so many regards, why are women still the minority in sports fiction? I happen to think that it deals with the idea that sports in general are more of a masculine activity. The sports that men play are often more entertaining and contain more action that female sports, so naturally they are better suited for the big screen.
This is a YouTube "movie" containing clips from sports films about heroes. The song is a little fruity but its fairly entertaining. Are these figures really heroes?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uYfET45Q7I8
This is a clip from my favorite movie "He Got Game." It shows the lifestyle of a star high school athlete, dealing with all of his temptations and the decisions he must make. Some material is not suitable for children under the age of 18, but were all 18 so enjoy.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uw3PkZBzvnM
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7 comments:
There is one thing I look for in a sports movie. It needs to pull on the heart strings. Remember the Titans, Miracle, and my favorite: Field of Dreams. Those three movies pull at the heart strings. They make me remember why I love sports. The James Earl Jones speech on FoD is the clip I picked to show from that movie. While it's not the best segment of the movie, (Kevin Costner playing catch with his dad... if you have a soul, you shed a tear when you saw that, admit it), it is one of the best parts of a movie that does so much to capture the essence of baseball.
I've never been able to read a fiction sports book that can do that.
I agree with Seth wholeheartedly on this. It is very difficult, if not impossible to compare a fictional sports book with a well done sports movie. The book will never create the drama necessary to captivate you in the way a sports movie can. For example, my favorite sports movie and top 5 favorite movies of all time is Rudy. For those of you who have not seen Rudy, you must because you're truly missing out. The movie is not totally about football as it has an underlying message of you can accomplish anything that you want to if you try and want it bad enough. There are several scenes in this movie that I watch and can't help but get choked up. If you are watching this movie, you begin to feel bad for Rudy but rally behind him the entire time as each time he does not succeed but never gives up. Eventually, Rudy gets to the place he envisioned all along, only to experience something he couldn't have ever dreamt of. When Rudy gets carried off the field, I get tears in my eyes as he has accomplished the one thing he has lived for in his entire life. I have never felt any emotion to this extent from reading any sort of book.
A move in general can just create a heightened sense of emotion from the music it utlizes to the drama it can create from varying camera angles. I dont mind reading fictional sports books but they can never captivate me like a sports movie can. Even a movie like Love & Basketball shows the essence of what sports is and can not be replicated simply through writing.
I have to say, I'm usually one of those people who prefers the book version, over the movie version.
But sports films, to me, are completely different. It wouldn't be the same if you were reading that locker room inspiration speech. You need the visual of the coach getting emotional, the players looking determined, etc. to make the whole thing work. Like Seth said, it needs to pull on the heart strings... every sports movie from Rudy to Little Giants has that moment of inspiration, where the underdog pulls through, or the all American hero saves the day... come on... sports movies make America great!
I think the reason why women are the minority in these films is because were not used to seeing females in the role of “sports hero”. I mean, yes, there are fantastic sports movies that have female leads, but the fact is that when it comes down to it, most sports movies feature the male hero, just like most literature, film, etc. follow the same mold
I love movies and books about equally and I think both have unique features when telling a sports story. We are used to watching sports on the field, or on the television- so film is a natural transition. We feel like we are actually seeing the sport/game take place as it would in "real life." Also in movies, there's the emotive music and visual scenes that capture us.
However, I think books are better at creating an emotional connection between reader and character than movies are. I think this is because reading is more of an investment- it takes longer to read a book than watch a movie (usually), so you have more time to develop a relationship with the characters. Also, reading is a much more active process, so by visualizing and imagining the words you're reading-you're brain is developing a deeper connection. There are tons of sports movies that I've found warm and fuzzy, maybe they even made me cry- but it's the characters from books I read during my childhood that I hold onto.
In terms of the representation of women in sports fiction- I think there is a relatively simple answer for the disparity in representation. Until fairly recently, there were very few professional womens sports and it wasn't so long ago that there were none. So when authors are writing sports stories based on heroes and legends, obviously the characters are going to be based on men. Also, it was only a couple generations ago that title 9 was passed and girls were even offered the same opportunity to play sports as boys... so what books/movies could be based on female athletes if there were none? This trend is changing though, especially in young adult books/movies- for example, the hugely popular "Bend it Like Beckham." Lots of women and girls play sports now and the demand for fictional characters they can relate to will go up.
On a last small side note, I think activities like cheerleading and chess can be considered sports movies. The involve rules, skills and competition. In elementary school I used to read a series of books called the "Thoroughbreds," about horse racing- Kentuchy Derby, Triple Crown etc. I think the themes in those were very similar to other sports stories I've read/watched.
I think that both films and books categorized as sports fiction are based on the main storyline of the protagonist. It isn’t necessary that each scene entails something sports related, but it is expected that a majority of the piece will be athletically entertaining, as well as intellectually stimulating or comedic to a degree. I definitely believe the sport involved plays a large roll in attracting an audience, therefore it is quite important to the selling point. Just because the movie or book is not rooted in a sport that everyone considers entertaining, does not mean it does not have equal pull for a different audience. As someone who appreciates a decent B movie, Bring It On is entertaining…I wouldn’t necessarily say my immediate reaction is to call it a “sports” movie. But I do know plenty of people who would have that initial response, whereas others would laugh at the thought. It isn’t a respected sports movie, the way a movie such as Hoosiers could be considered…but it does hold all the criteria to be noted as one. I think this also equates to the gender issue that was brought up. How many female sports movies have made their way to the big screen and drawn a crowd? Very few. And I believe Mike pointed out the two that come to mind, A League of Their Own and Million Dollar Baby. These are stories based in actual events, which also makes a difference. The historical value of these movies is part of the reason many people enjoy them. Therefore, it is almost thought of less as a female sports movie and more as a documentation of actual events.
Literature of any kind is often more effective at painting a scene and creating emotions in a reader. A movie shows a scene with dialogue that comes shooting out at the viewer at a much quicker pace than when you read it. Sports, with its fast action and crowd energy, is very suited to the big screen. The novel "Cinderella Man" about former boxing champion James Bradduck was made into a movie that was very successful. I think a reader becomes more intimately involved in the story when he reads it than when he watches it in 2 hours on a movie screen. A reader lives the story more than a viewer. Reading allows the words to resonate within the mind. A movie viewer, however, must take in information at the pace of the movie. Dialogue, scenes, music are all thrown at the viewer at an edited pace, while well crafted literature can be enjoyed at the reader's pace. There are some fabulously written scenes that take pages to write but if you were to show the scene on a movie screen it would be over in 5 seconds. It wouldn't make the same impression that the words on a page make. I think this generation in particular doesn't appreciate literature because technology has become so relevant and accessible. There are many excellent sports movies, however there are just as many if not more, well written sports novels. The two mediums are so different that you really can't compare them.
I certainly don't think having sports just as a backdrop qualifies a novel to be a sports novel. The essence of the story should be related to the sport portrayed. (As in the movie, Remember the Titans or Miracle, the theme of overcoming obstacles, never giving up, standing up for your beliefs, ... life lessons that also pertain in the arena.) So many of a sport's lessons pertain to life. I think that’s why sports novels and especially sports movies are so popular. They are entertaining yet carry a powerful underlying message that the viewer can relate to whether or not he/she is a sports fan.
Agreeing with what Manning said about books and movies, generally I tend to like the book more. Mainly, I think because books can go on for pages and pages while movies tend to stick to a short time frame. A movie must tell the story with a little fluff as possible while a book can go on for a few pages as to why the main character decided to do what he or she did. However, when it comes to sports books or movies I feel that I am torn. I think one of the main reasons why I would say that I like sports movies better is for the visual aspect. I can read about someone getting hit so hard that it knocked them down for a while but to see the hit makes it more real. Seeing is believing.
As far as women sports movies go, it is true that there are not that many out there. As Nikki said Bring it On is a B list movie that is seen as more humor than a sports film. Also the movie Stick It, which mocks gymnasts, is viewed more of a comedy than a sports film. There are good stories out there about women in sports, true stories that are just not told. How about a movie about Kerri Strug and the woman’s Olympic team or one about Jenny Thompson who is one of the most decorated US Olympians. She competed in four summer games from 1992 to 2004, which I think is extremely impressive. So there are stories out there but they are just not being done. The movies that sell are ones about sports that sell. It is hard to break that barrier when women’s sports still have not succeeded yet.
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