The Game Plan's Recent Activity

list The Game Plan's Recent Activity - Spout http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Game Plan on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg The Game Plan's Recent Activity - Spout http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 Film:The Game Plan http://www.spout.com/films/The_Game_Plan/301479/default.aspx

Title: The Game Plan
Year: 2007
Director: Andy Fickman
Plot: Gridiron Gang star The Rock picks up the pigskin once again for this sports-themed family comedy concerning a football superstar who abandons the gridiron to answer the call of fatherhood after learning that he has a daughter he never knew. Kyra Sedgwick stars as the professional athlete's ruthless agent who would rather see her client scoring touchdowns than cementing familial bonds, and Nichole Millard teams with Kathryn Price to pen the screenplay. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 12
Number of Lists: 2
Number of blog posts: 3
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:30:53 GMTThe Game Plan2007Andy Fickman<a href=/films/261562/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Gridiron Gang</a> star <a href="/players/P___292998/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>The Rock</a> picks up the pigskin once again for this sports-themed family comedy concerning a football superstar who abandons the gridiron to answer the call of fatherhood after learning that he has a daughter he never knew. <a href="/players/P____64284/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kyra Sedgwick</a> stars as the professional athlete's ruthless agent who would rather see her client scoring touchdowns than cementing familial bonds, and Nichole Millard teams with Kathryn Price to pen the screenplay. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide12Tag Target (>10)232http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s301479.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Game_Plan/301479/default.aspxFilm Spout Post: The Game Plan (2007) http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/6/6/30744.aspx

Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/6/2008 4:06:53 PM
Body: Maybe it´s a symptom of my critical senses softening in old age, but somewhere underneath the clichés and ABC Sports cameos, there´s a story about a father and daughter in "The Game Plan" which is genuine and honest. See, even though we know where the story is going from the very beginning-a record season, an injury, the inevitable return from said injury to lead team to victory-that knowledge lets us focus on what really matters: family. And that´s a theme every Disney live action and animated movie in history has excelled at-bringing people together despite the obstacles. Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is quarterback of the fictional Boston Rebels football team. He´s led his team to all possible glory except the championship. He´s famous, rich and hosts the swankiest parties-swankiest in Disney PG fashion, of course-until a little girl shows up on his doorstep. Peyton (Madison Pettis) claims to be his daughter from a failed marriage. At first against the idea of a child living in his bachelor pad, "The King" learns to love her more than he loves himself . . . just in time for the complications to erupt. "The Game Plan" is a deceptively simple movie. Watching Kingman and Peyton interact, you feel like you´ve seen all of their struggles before. We´ve heard precocious kids talking and scheming like they´re 30-year-olds. The cliché of "the big game" has been used to death in every conceivable medium. And the eventual resolution is nothing short of obvious. But something else happens while the film rolls: we find our attention and affection being sucked into the story. So when the plot hits all the requisite dramatic points, we don´t roll our eyes in disbelief; the theater gets dusty, instead, as a favorite critic tends to say. It´s maddening, in a lot of ways, to be sucked into the film hook, line and sinker so easily despite knowing we´re being manipulated. The fact remains, though, that despite the clichés and kinda-sorta-laughable PG villain of the piece (Kyra Sedgwick doing all she can to be a slimy sports agent Disney style), we leave the theater feeling rejuvenated, fresh and hopeful. If the epitome of childishness can learn to love someone else as much as he loves himself, it gives hope to the rest of the world. At least it did for me. Again, I freely acknowledge the faults of the film--and there are many. Most of them start with "The Game Plan" being made by Disney and carrying a PG rating. How can a real athlete obsessed with himself be portrayed if there are no four letter words or blatant sexual escapades on screen? (Grated, those are stereotypes, but run with me on that, would you?) Disney is perhaps the perfect studio to make any sports movies as long as they keep ESPN under their corporate umbrella. For the pure sports fans out there, there´s cameo after cameo by anchors and announcers: Stuart Scott, Marc Albert, Boomer Esiason, Jim Gray, Steve Levy and probably more in a press conference scene. They lend authenticity to the production, though it almost becomes a game, too. Spot the anchor! Then there´s the script, which we´ve already identified as cliché-filled and terribly obvious. More than those two things, it makes the characters act in ways they have no business acting in. Peyton, for instance, an 8-year-old child, verbally faces off with her father, the towering Rock. She says he´s childish and can´t love anyone but himself; he yells back a retort, completely forgetting the fact no adult should be engaged in a verbal pissing contest with a child like this. Peyton, as adorable as she is, also tends to act 18 instead of 8. She changes ballet school plans, lies to Kingman, knows all about paternity tests and lies with the best gambler, yet "forgets" in the crucial dramatic scene she´s allergic to nuts. Seriously? If the script is going to make a character smart, keep her smart. But don´t arbitrarily change her IQ to fit the plot. I walked out of "The Game Plan" thinking the film was just one thing: cute. It has a heart, it´s lovingly produced and is perfect entertainment for the entire family. All of the jokes come from Peyton and Joe learning to live together. A clip played in the trailers involving Joe´s allergy to cinnamon is amusing even though it´s nearly beaten to death. The QB´s turn as an enchanted tree in a ballet production-and the subsequent team cry fest over it-could only have been done in a Disney movie without the audience rolling their collective eyes. This is really a film with dueling themes: the first about family we´ve covered and another about money. Specifically, it´s not money which brings happiness, it´s love. Another clichéd story element to be sure and one which could conceivably have been left out of the film altogether, considering how menacing Sedgwick´s Stella Peck turns out to be. She´s a typical Disney mustache twirling villain without an honest mustache twirling scheme. She just wants money for Joe and, through commission, for herself. Everything Stella does relates to endorsements which, honestly, turns into a joke halfway through the film. It´s fine if the man has a different girl in every city, but can´t have a child he never knew about? Maybe it´s a sly tweak of popular culture; I´d venture to say it´s more of a coincidence the film nearly subliminally mentions that fact. The Rock sheds his tough guy image by letting himself be emotional over a plot point late in the film. He´s sensitive with his daughter, yet still has the chops to make his team respect him. Just imagine what would happen if any of the guys saw him singing Elvis tunes to her in an attempt to say "I´m sorry." Sometimes his acting is too far over the top and clueless for Joe´s own good-seriously, Joe, what kind of mother drops her daughter off with a father she doesn´t know and GOES TO AFRICA? But his cluelessness isn´t born out of malice; he genuinely doesn´t think anything fishy is going on. In any event, I´m going to surprise myself and everyone else by giving "The Game Plan" a 6 out of 10. I´ve mentioned all the places it stumbles, yet I still find myself liking it. No pretensions, no agenda, no egos, just an enjoyable time in the theater for all age groups. You can´t expect anything else from the movie aside from how I´ve already described it: cute.
]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:06:53 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog6/6/2008 4:06:53 PMMaybe it´s a symptom of my critical senses softening in old age, but somewhere underneath the clichés and ABC Sports cameos, there´s a story about a father and daughter in "The Game Plan" which is genuine and honest. See, even though we know where the story is going from the very beginning-a record season, an injury, the inevitable return from said injury to lead team to victory-that knowledge lets us focus on what really matters: family. And that´s a theme every Disney live action and animated movie in history has excelled at-bringing people together despite the obstacles. Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is quarterback of the fictional Boston Rebels football team. He´s led his team to all possible glory except the championship. He´s famous, rich and hosts the swankiest parties-swankiest in Disney PG fashion, of course-until a little girl shows up on his doorstep. Peyton (Madison Pettis) claims to be his daughter from a failed marriage. At first against the idea of a child living in his bachelor pad, "The King" learns to love her more than he loves himself . . . just in time for the complications to erupt. "The Game Plan" is a deceptively simple movie. Watching Kingman and Peyton interact, you feel like you´ve seen all of their struggles before. We´ve heard precocious kids talking and scheming like they´re 30-year-olds. The cliché of "the big game" has been used to death in every conceivable medium. And the eventual resolution is nothing short of obvious. But something else happens while the film rolls: we find our attention and affection being sucked into the story. So when the plot hits all the requisite dramatic points, we don´t roll our eyes in disbelief; the theater gets dusty, instead, as a favorite critic tends to say. It´s maddening, in a lot of ways, to be sucked into the film hook, line and sinker so easily despite knowing we´re being manipulated. The fact remains, though, that despite the clichés and kinda-sorta-laughable PG villain of the piece (Kyra Sedgwick doing all she can to be a slimy sports agent Disney style), we leave the theater feeling rejuvenated, fresh and hopeful. If the epitome of childishness can learn to love someone else as much as he loves himself, it gives hope to the rest of the world. At least it did for me. Again, I freely acknowledge the faults of the film--and there are many. Most of them start with "The Game Plan" being made by Disney and carrying a PG rating. How can a real athlete obsessed with himself be portrayed if there are no four letter words or blatant sexual escapades on screen? (Grated, those are stereotypes, but run with me on that, would you?) Disney is perhaps the perfect studio to make any sports movies as long as they keep ESPN under their corporate umbrella. For the pure sports fans out there, there´s cameo after cameo by anchors and announcers: Stuart Scott, Marc Albert, Boomer Esiason, Jim Gray, Steve Levy and probably more in a press conference scene. They lend authenticity to the production, though it almost becomes a game, too. Spot the anchor! Then there´s the script, which we´ve already identified as cliché-filled and terribly obvious. More than those two things, it makes the characters act in ways they have no business acting in. Peyton, for instance, an 8-year-old child, verbally faces off with her father, the towering Rock. She says he´s childish and can´t love anyone but himself; he yells back a retort, completely forgetting the fact no adult should be engaged in a verbal pissing contest with a child like this. Peyton, as adorable as she is, also tends to act 18 instead of 8. She changes ballet school plans, lies to Kingman, knows all about paternity tests and lies with the best gambler, yet "forgets" in the crucial dramatic scene she´s allergic to nuts. Seriously? If the script is going to make a character smart, keep her smart. But don´t arbitrarily change her IQ to fit the plot. I walked out of "The Game Plan" thinking the film was just one thing: cute. It has a heart, it´s lovingly produced and is perfect entertainment for the entire family. All of the jokes come from Peyton and Joe learning to live together. A clip played in the trailers involving Joe´s allergy to cinnamon is amusing even though it´s nearly beaten to death. The QB´s turn as an enchanted tree in a ballet production-and the subsequent team cry fest over it-could only have been done in a Disney movie without the audience rolling their collective eyes. This is really a film with dueling themes: the first about family we´ve covered and another about money. Specifically, it´s not money which brings happiness, it´s love. Another clichéd story element to be sure and one which could conceivably have been left out of the film altogether, considering how menacing Sedgwick´s Stella Peck turns out to be. She´s a typical Disney mustache twirling villain without an honest mustache twirling scheme. She just wants money for Joe and, through commission, for herself. Everything Stella does relates to endorsements which, honestly, turns into a joke halfway through the film. It´s fine if the man has a different girl in every city, but can´t have a child he never knew about? Maybe it´s a sly tweak of popular culture; I´d venture to say it´s more of a coincidence the film nearly subliminally mentions that fact. The Rock sheds his tough guy image by letting himself be emotional over a plot point late in the film. He´s sensitive with his daughter, yet still has the chops to make his team respect him. Just imagine what would happen if any of the guys saw him singing Elvis tunes to her in an attempt to say "I´m sorry." Sometimes his acting is too far over the top and clueless for Joe´s own good-seriously, Joe, what kind of mother drops her daughter off with a father she doesn´t know and GOES TO AFRICA? But his cluelessness isn´t born out of malice; he genuinely doesn´t think anything fishy is going on. In any event, I´m going to surprise myself and everyone else by giving "The Game Plan" a 6 out of 10. I´ve mentioned all the places it stumbles, yet I still find myself liking it. No pretensions, no agenda, no egos, just an enjoyable time in the theater for all age groups. You can´t expect anything else from the movie aside from how I´ve already described it: cute. Spout Post: Eli Roth Surrenders to Your Kids http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/24/27768.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/24/2008 4:00:49 PM
Body: It happens eventually to every filmmaker and actor associated with R-rated movies*, and now Eli Roth, the “torture porn auteur” who gave us Hostel and Hostel II, is making the transition to family-friendly fare — in order to make the kids happy, of course. No, it has nothing to do with the money, which comes more easily with younger-targeted, lower-rated releases (especially when your last movie disappoints). It has to do with the realization that kids don’t have enough movies made for them, and they’d apparently like to see what Eli Roth’s talent is like. Only, up until now, they haven’t been allowed. As Roth defends the move: “Everyone I know has been saying ‘When are you gonna do a movie my kids can see?’ And finally, I’m gonna make a movie that 13-year-old kids can see.” The movie, which Roth is still scripting, is described as being inspired by Cloverfield and Transformers, with all the “mass-destruction” and “chaos and pandemonium” that would entail. But it won’t be too scary, as it’s being planned strictly to receive a PG-13 rating. Roth says he feels “like he pushed the violence in R rated movies about as far as [he] can push it,” and that he’s “bled out.” However, he isn’t completely done with the gore and promises that the unrated DVD version of this planned PG-13 movie will feature some gratuitously violent scenes shot specifically to be left on the cutting room floor. Hey, as long as the hypocritical studios allow it, that’s a brilliant idea. * Here’s a sampling of others who did it for the kids: Mark Wahlberg on making Invincible: “It’s a movie my kids can see - my nieces and nephews. I haven’t had that. None of my nieces and nephews have seen Boogie Nights, thank God! I haven’t made too many PG movies.” (via IMDb/WENN) Jodie Foster on making Nim’s Island: “I was dying to do something lighter and I was excited about a movie my kids could see.” (via Just Jared) Gary Sinise on making Mission to Mars: “I can take my kids to it and that’s a nice thing to be able to do. They’ve been asking me when I’m going to do something that they can see.” (via The Cranky Critic) The Rock on making The Game Plan (by way of reporter Marshall Fine): “Meanwhile, he’s just happy he’s finally made a movie that his 6-year-old daughter can see (”She sat all the way through it,” he notes). Like Joe in “The Game Plan,” Johnson found that parenthood required adjustments to his life that he never imagined himself making.” (via NY Daily News) Gary Oldman on making Lost in Space: “I wanted to do a movie my son could see.” (via Entertainment Weekly) Vin Diesel on making The Pacifier: “I needed to do a film that my niece and nephew could see. I needed to do a film that my godchildren could see. I needed to do a film that would dispel the fact that the only movie I’ve ever done was “Iron Giant” for these toddlers.” (via MTV) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:00:49 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/24/2008 4:00:49 PMIt happens eventually to every filmmaker and actor associated with R-rated movies*, and now Eli Roth, the “torture porn auteur” who gave us Hostel and Hostel II, is making the transition to family-friendly fare — in order to make the kids happy, of course. No, it has nothing to do with the money, which comes more easily with younger-targeted, lower-rated releases (especially when your last movie disappoints). It has to do with the realization that kids don’t have enough movies made for them, and they’d apparently like to see what Eli Roth’s talent is like. Only, up until now, they haven’t been allowed. As Roth defends the move: “Everyone I know has been saying ‘When are you gonna do a movie my kids can see?’ And finally, I’m gonna make a movie that 13-year-old kids can see.” The movie, which Roth is still scripting, is described as being inspired by Cloverfield and Transformers, with all the “mass-destruction” and “chaos and pandemonium” that would entail. But it won’t be too scary, as it’s being planned strictly to receive a PG-13 rating. Roth says he feels “like he pushed the violence in R rated movies about as far as [he] can push it,” and that he’s “bled out.” However, he isn’t completely done with the gore and promises that the unrated DVD version of this planned PG-13 movie will feature some gratuitously violent scenes shot specifically to be left on the cutting room floor. Hey, as long as the hypocritical studios allow it, that’s a brilliant idea. * Here’s a sampling of others who did it for the kids: Mark Wahlberg on making Invincible: “It’s a movie my kids can see - my nieces and nephews. I haven’t had that. None of my nieces and nephews have seen Boogie Nights, thank God! I haven’t made too many PG movies.” (via IMDb/WENN) Jodie Foster on making Nim’s Island: “I was dying to do something lighter and I was excited about a movie my kids could see.” (via Just Jared) Gary Sinise on making Mission to Mars: “I can take my kids to it and that’s a nice thing to be able to do. They’ve been asking me when I’m going to do something that they can see.” (via The Cranky Critic) The Rock on making The Game Plan (by way of reporter Marshall Fine): “Meanwhile, he’s just happy he’s finally made a movie that his 6-year-old daughter can see (”She sat all the way through it,” he notes). Like Joe in “The Game Plan,” Johnson found that parenthood required adjustments to his life that he never imagined himself making.” (via NY Daily News) Gary Oldman on making Lost in Space: “I wanted to do a movie my son could see.” (via Entertainment Weekly) Vin Diesel on making The Pacifier: “I needed to do a film that my niece and nephew could see. I needed to do a film that my godchildren could see. I needed to do a film that would dispel the fact that the only movie I’ve ever done was “Iron Giant” for these toddlers.” (via MTV) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog Spout Post: It's Must-See, but Only to Say 'You've Seen' http://www.spout.com/blogs/mythman/archive/2007/10/13/20806.aspx

Post By: mythman
Post To: Watch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good
Post Date: 10/13/2007 9:30:56 PM
Body: Don't get me wrong; it's terrific acting all around, and a fairly good couple of stories (clashed together ... sort of 'I wonder what happens if ... oh ...")If it had come out before the WEDDING CRASHERS-gang had written The Comebacks, The Game Plan is one of the movies that would've had its three-minute spoof there.If it hadn't been out by then, I guess I'll have to get my mind started on another 'idea ahead of its time'-script for the Farrellys to reject!As I can see from the Community rating, the 'experts' (who all have faith in Hollywood enough to see each "project" through) know that--while it is a worthy brick in the wall--it's still just 'another brick in the wall.'Non-experts (or "most people") don't want 'another brick in the wall.' They each have at least a wall-full of those at home (a.k.a. 'books').Yes; with this movie, I would also much rather close my eyes and remember how the book went!
]]>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:30:56 GMTmythmanWatch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good10/13/2007 9:30:56 PMDon't get me wrong; it's terrific acting all around, and a fairly good couple of stories (clashed together ... sort of 'I wonder what happens if ... oh ...")If it had come out before the WEDDING CRASHERS-gang had written The Comebacks, The Game Plan is one of the movies that would've had its three-minute spoof there.If it hadn't been out by then, I guess I'll have to get my mind started on another 'idea ahead of its time'-script for the Farrellys to reject!As I can see from the Community rating, the 'experts' (who all have faith in Hollywood enough to see each "project" through) know that--while it is a worthy brick in the wall--it's still just 'another brick in the wall.'Non-experts (or "most people") don't want 'another brick in the wall.' They each have at least a wall-full of those at home (a.k.a. 'books').Yes; with this movie, I would also much rather close my eyes and remember how the book went! Spout Tag:life http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/life/MemberTagFilms.aspxlife
Number of films tagged: 1082

Number of people who tagged: 52

Number of times used: 224

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:43 GMT108252224Tag Spout Tag:father http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/father/MemberTagFilms.aspxfather
Number of films tagged: 3580

Number of people who tagged: 51

Number of times used: 213

]]>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:56 GMT358051213Tag Spout Tag:daughter http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/daughter/MemberTagFilms.aspxdaughter
Number of films tagged: 3658

Number of people who tagged: 40

Number of times used: 138

]]>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:01:02 GMT365840138Tag Spout Tag:football http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/football/MemberTagFilms.aspxfootball
Number of films tagged: 1216

Number of people who tagged: 39

Number of times used: 77

]]>Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:51:35 GMT12163977Tag Spout Tag:sports http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sports/MemberTagFilms.aspxsports
Number of films tagged: 3350

Number of people who tagged: 27

Number of times used: 102

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:43 GMT335027102Tag Spout Tag:contrived http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/contrived/MemberTagFilms.aspxcontrived
Number of films tagged: 16

Number of people who tagged: 11

Number of times used: 17

]]>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:29:26 GMT161117Tag Spout Tag:parenthood http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/parenthood/MemberTagFilms.aspxparenthood
Number of films tagged: 18

Number of people who tagged: 8

Number of times used: 19

]]>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:43:46 GMT18819Tag Spout Tag:agent-representative http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/agent-representative/MemberTagFilms.aspxagent-representative
Number of films tagged: 1461

Number of people who tagged: 7

Number of times used: 7

]]>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:02:33 GMT146177Tag Spout Tag:estrangement http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/estrangement/MemberTagFilms.aspxestrangement
Number of films tagged: 282

Number of people who tagged: 6

Number of times used: 9

]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT28269Tag Spout Tag:family-dynamics http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family-dynamics/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily-dynamics
Number of films tagged: 112

Number of people who tagged: 4

Number of times used: 112

]]>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:45:34 GMT1124112Tag Spout Tag:sportsmovie http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sportsmovie/MemberTagFilms.aspxsportsmovie
Number of films tagged: 2

Number of people who tagged: 2

Number of times used: 2

]]>Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:48:10 GMT222Tag Spout Tag:therock http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/therock/MemberTagFilms.aspxtherock
Number of films tagged: 2

Number of people who tagged: 2

Number of times used: 2

]]>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:11:51 GMT222Tag Spout Tag:KyraSedgwick http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/KyraSedgwick/MemberTagFilms.aspxKyraSedgwick
Number of films tagged: 1

Number of people who tagged: 1

Number of times used: 1

]]>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:11:51 GMT111Tag Spout Tag:footballstar http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/footballstar/MemberTagFilms.aspxfootballstar
Number of films tagged: 59

Number of people who tagged: 0

Number of times used: 0

]]>Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:02:22 GMT5900Tag