the fresh films reviews

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Slap Shot (1977)

Director:
George Roy Hill
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Sports/Drama
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Slagskudd
RUNNING TIME
122 minutes
Producer:
Robert J. Wunsch
Stephen Friedman
Screenwriter:
Nancy Dowd


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Reggie Dunlop Paul Newman
Joe McGrath Strother Martin ½
Ned Braden Michael Ontkean
Francine Dunlop Jennifer Warren
Lily Braden Lindsay Crouse
Suzanne Hanrahan Melinda Dillon
Dickie Dunn M. Emmet Walsh
Shirley Swoosie Kurtz

 

Review

Paul Newman is vibrantly charming as an aged jock stuck in minor league ice-hockey. Director George Roy Hill can't quite keep up with the pace he sets forth, and the comedy is mostly primitive and unsophisticated, but the film has warmth and empathy and cares about its characters - even though many of them are underwritten and stereotypical. The portrait of the sport itself is (as often with films like these) a bit unfair, however. It is largely limited to presenting a phenomena and a notion of the sport seen from the outside rather than actually presenting the many aspects of ice hockey. The issues discussed seem somewhat shallow, but the film's wrap-up is very pleasant. The Newman character is an altogether interesting study, and Newman himself manages to bring many layers to a potentially flat role.

Copyright © 9.1.2005 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang [HAVE YOUR SAY]