danjr_98

With the possible exception of the top review by EUyeshima, I had difficulty determining if these reviews were about the same film I saw before taking the walking tour of Hearst Castle. The film I saw was narrated by the actor Donald Sutherland and Lydia Hearst (great granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst). It had high production values. It was well written, tying together background stories about Hearst's father and his mother and his childhood with the thread of flying a newspaper and Hollywood actors to Hearst on the plane to San Simeon. The cast and acting, especially Hearst and his mother as portrayed on their European tour when he was a child, I thought were exceptional. This film set up our subsequent walking tour of the castle and its ground beautifully. It put a dreamlike spin on Hearst and what he called La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill), which was appropriate for the visionary, larger-than-life Hearst, a kind of modern-day King Solomon, and the truly spectacular architecture and grounds of this estate. From this location (and I imagine others), he managed the 90-some businesses of his empire. But this property was also a lavish work of art in progress, a fairytale city populated by elite invitees of Hollywood (Garbo, Gable) politics (Churchill, Coolidge), popular culture (Lindbergh) and sports, a place where the gregarious Hearst could entertain and mingle (and influence). Touring Hearst Castle was one of the best days of our vacation, and seeing the film beforehand was a big part of that. Judging by the legions of visitors we saw, many of them international, it is a popular and fun attraction. Yes, Hearst was a man of excess, and may have misused his power. But leave that critical study to another time and enjoy the ride this film takes you on. (In his favor, Hearst's main collaborator, administrator, designer, and architect for Hearst Castle was the first woman granted an architect's license in the state of California, Julia Morgan, so his inclusion of women as leaders in his employ was arguably ahead of the times). If you can't take the tour, see this film. It is currently (October 2019) featured at IMAX Victoria, Canada, so it must have something going for it.

I've seen a number of films that have this same theme: young men with issues being led by a coach or coaches who train them in a sport, but contribute to essentials of their manhood. Hurricane Season (2009) with Forest Whitaker, McFarland (2014) with Kevin Costner, Life of a King (2013) with Cuba Gooding, Jr., and a number of others. The theme--though oft-visited--does not grow old with me, because the dynamic goes on daily--men and women who continue to invest in youngsters because these teachers view their role as a higher calling.

This movie just seemed real to me. Coach Davis (Trevor St John) admits to the chaplain (Richard T. Jones) that he is tired of coaching troubled kids. But he is sustained and continues.

Underlying the film is faith. I appreciate this, because I think any investment in kids is dependent on this, rather than immediate results.

It's funny how differently various people feel about a film. I thought this was a great film. Some felt it was corny and predictable. I suppose there is some truth to that, but the story and especially the characters were believable to me. And the principles like one needing God to help one through devastating loss rang true to me. I'm a Matthew Modine fan now, as imo he carried the film. This film made only $20,000, and I'm sure the budget was two or three times that at least. I found it after pages of B movies because I just joined Amazon Prime and some movies are "free" with that service. I'm adding my review to twenty-some others, at the end, and for the most part this is a forgotten movie with plenty of negative reviews, but I'm glad it was made, and I respect each actor and craftsperson who had anything to do with it.