Viewed in
2010
Formats
HD TV
Premise
Matthew Modine stars as a American high schooler training to beat the state wrestling champion, when a drifter starts living in his house. Based on a novel.
Liked
The serious take on American teens in 1980's.
Hated
The music.
Thoughts
Well, that was interesting.
I really liked how the film created multidimensional characters through writing and acting. Modine channeled an awkward but surprisingly insightful teenager, trying to find his place in the world. It felt like a realistic portrayal of American teens in coming of age. Instead of cardboard cutouts of bullies and parents who don't understand, Modine's character was surrounded by caring adults and classmates who talk and reason with him about things he doesn't understand.
As for the rest of the cast, they were solid, including Linda Fiorentino in her big break as the female lead. I was amused that Modine's arch-rival looked like Psycho T Hansbrough.
Like most sports flicks, there were some cool movie speeches about life, and they came organically from the characters. Also, I appreciated that how easy the film makers got me to understand how the matches were played and scored.
There were definitely some amusing 1980's aspects about it, such as clothes, Madonna's cameo, and the music choice. Actually, the music was the worst part about the film, because for some reason the film makers thought it would be a good idea to play Madonna's "Crazy for You" and Journey's "Only the Young" enough times to drive me close to insanity.
Expecting a cliched sports/coming-of-age flick, I was pleasantly surprised by the complex, interesting characters who made me care for them.
What I would change
The music, of course!
