What’s Aged the Worst?
Herb Brooks dying before release; the burden on later U.S. Olympic hockey teams; the wife role; a 2004 column ending; no profanity
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:43Read transcript
- Herb Brooks died in a car accident before the movie came out and never saw it, which the credits note.
- The win ruined later USA Olympic hockey teams because everyone wanted it to happen again; if the game were played 10 times, Russia wins nine.
- The 1980 players were pleased with the film but pointed out Herb did not go to holiday parties; they respected him but did not like him.
- The wife is the wet-blanket sports-movie trope and one of the worst examples; there is a case she should not be in the movie at all.
- Ebert wrote that Patricia Clarkson has the thankless role of a spouse who only complains that his job takes time from his family, proposing future workaholics be bachelors; the host agrees.
- It wastes Patricia Clarkson; a real argument or a wife who is mad all the time would have been better.
- Modern sports movies moved past the trope (Robin Wright in Moneyball), while Adrian is essential in Rocky 3 and Rocky 4 is the opposite.
- A 2004 ESPN the Magazine column ended by saying no movie could top the real thing; the magazine, because of Disney, had "by the way, I'm seeing it on Friday" added, an ironically funnier ending.
- ADR profanity should be added for a special edition because these hockey players surely swore; the clean version was so four-year-olds could watch.