"Little Giants" Movie, part 2, Competition

Hollywood's view of life -

The town little league football team is coached by Kevin, a former sensation playing in college.  Players have been playing football all their young lives and had to qualify for the team through tryouts.  They are superbly conditioned and coached and practiced.  They're the Cowboys, named after the Dallas professional team.

Another group of boys, and one girl - Becky, form up a team.  None of them, except Becky, has any skill or interest in football.  No conditioning.  No history of loving the game.  No working on skills.  They recruit a coach, Danny, who is a sweet guy but not an athlete.  Never played the game himself.  In the movie they're called the "Little Giants."

A challenge is issued - in two weeks the Cowboys will play the Little Giants for the right to represent the town in the recreation football league.  Who is going to win?  Duh!

Well, wait a minute.  The Cowboys aren't nice.  They're serious.  They're confident to the point of arrogant.  And worse, they've dissed Becky.  Wouldn't let her even try out for the team.  Even though she is good and really wants to play.  Boo!  Hiss. 

In contrast the Little Giants are nice.  Cute kids.  Coach is a sweet guy.  What they lack in practice, training, and skill they make up in niceness.  John Madden (yes, the John Madden of Oakland Raiders and television commentary fame) does a cameo in the show and gives the Little Giants a pep talk. 

And Becky is an extremely sympathetic character.  You have to love her and sympathize with her frustration as she is denied the opportunity to play the game she loves.  You agonize with her when she struggles with the popular notion that real girls are cheerleaders, not football players. 

So that's the setting - practice, training, and skill versus nice and sweet and lovable. 

Who will win? 

Before you answer remember this is a movie. 

Yep.  The Little Giants win.  They trail at the half by twenty-one points.  In the halftime break they are inspired by coach Danny's pep talk.  Out on the field they go and dominate the second half. 

Hollywood's view of life - nice trumps everything else. 

In the real world, nice is nice but success comes from taking raw talent and honing it through hard work.  Practice practice practice.  Work work work. 

The last post was about the movie, "The Little Giants."  And you've noticed this post is, too.  And probably the next.