Bruce Springsteen said it best, “Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture a little of the glory of, well time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister but boring stories of glory days.” This is so true when it comes to getting older and realizing that your best days are probably behind you. We mistakenly try to live vicariously through our children instead of just letting our children live. We remember a time when we were kids rooting and cheering men playing a game on television. Now, we are men cheering and jeering “kids” playing the same game. Oh, how times have changed. Yet, when it comes to the “glory days” I feel that I am better off now. I have, like many of you, realized that I am better equipped to deal with the rigors of life. However, I still look back fondly of the days when I could actually throw a baseball and not have the need to pop four Aleve after “stretching” out my arm. Gone are those days when I could play anything for 8 or 9 hours straight. Gone are the days of chasing pretty girls or in my case, any girl that would have me. I now refer to these days as the best days of my life, but my memory still holds on to the “glory days.”
Today’s Roar features movies of those whose fire has been extinguished by time.
5) The Best of Times-Kurt Russell returns to his “glory days” as a high school quarterback to avenge the heartbreaking loss of a cross town rival. Robin Williams manipulates him into one last shot at glory. It is still hard to watch because Williams playing a wide receiver is not plausible, but he is from ORK…
4) Rocky Balboa-The more times I watch this movie the better it becomes. Rocky has been put out to pasture and his sidekick Pauly is right beside him. Rocky has to go out on his on terms. I love the tone of this movie because ageism does exist and when have you finally earned the right to do the things you love?
3) American Beauty-This movie epitomizes mid-life crisis. Kevin Spacey is driven to look, feel, and act young. He needs to recreate a time in his life when things were simple and everything felt new. And just when you finally have your epiphany….blam!
2) The Hustler-Eddie Felson is the hot new pool player trying to learn and knock off Minnesota Fats. This is a classic not to be outdone by the remake The Color of Money. Never confuse talent for experience. Gleason and Newman star and it is reminder of what great actor Jackie Gleason truly was.
1) Kingpin-Roy Munson, con-man, alcoholic, and bowler. His days of bowling are long gone and it doesn’t help that he has but one hand…creepy! I am above the law!
6 comments:
Stand by me is all about the Glory Days. Maybe not about trying to relive them but about trying not to let them fade away.
It's a good one and hard to believe that Stephen King, Jerry O-Donnell, Corey Feldman, an Enson Crusher from the Starship Enterprise didn't bring it down.
Chris H
I love Kingpin. It's a Thanksgiving tradition to watch this movie after the games
Stand By Me is just a great film and a Giordano favorite.
As for Kingpin...It is nice to have a "giant Shit Cloud" on Thanksgiving. You do not know how cool that is.
The Best of Times? My brother and I still quote the scene when they were trying to watch the game without their wives knowing. Kurt Russel had to let out a "good hands" after seeing an incredible catch and tried to cover it by saying "cold hands" to his wife.
For me, nothing brings up more goosebumps or moistens my eyes like my all time unequivocal favorite, Field of Dreams.
Nothing brings back the good old days like baseball. Baseball is a game built for fathers and sons and this movie taps into that ten fold. "Did you ever hold a glove to your face and smell it?"
How many of you remember holding your glove and your father's glove like a dog holds a leash by the front door waiting for your dad to finally come out and have a catch with you?
Who wouldn't give anything to be that little anxious boy one more time? Ray Kinsella risks everything and his risks pay off for him and us. Those gambles give us a scene at the end of the movie that brings a tear to my eye every single time. For me, that is epitome of a film that captures the magic of the glory days.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention King Pin. Big Ern stole that freaking movie just like Carl Spackler stole Caddyshack.
"Ah, that's not a case at all, lets not even talk about that, the woman is a stone faced liar, I pulled out REALLY early on that one."
I'd give anything to have a catch with my dad one more time. I'd even eat a hot dog with James Earl Jones at Fenway.
It's baseball, Ray...
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