list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around This Sporting Life on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/This_Sporting_Life/34817/default.aspx Title: This Sporting Life
Year: 1963
Director: Lindsay Anderson
Plot: Adapted by David Storey from his own novel, This Sporting Life stars Richard Harris as Frank, an athletic coal miner who aspires to the greener pastures of professional rugby. Soon establishing himself as one of the most brutal and arrogant players in the business, Frank begins to amass a fortune. He also falls in love with his landlady, Mrs Hammond (Rachel Roberts), who initially resists his advances. When she finally gives in, their relationship hinges on sex alone, as Frank practically begs Mrs. Hammond to give of herself emotionally and she remains incapable. At the wedding ceremony for one of Frank's teammates, Mrs. Hammond unexpectedly lashes out at her swaggering lover. They split up, but Frank, who until now has equated happiness with wealth, is unable to get over the permanent loss. In the end, with nothing else left, all of Frank's self-worth becomes contingent on his rugby performances, though Frank and the other players are exploited to such a degree that this also proves disastrous. Widely regarded as one of the finest British feature films ever produced, the gritty and bleak This Sporting Life not only marked former documentary filmmaker Lindsay Anderson's first feature, but became one of the harbingers of the 'Angry Young Man' school of filmmaking. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 9
Number of Lists: 5
Number of blog posts: 2
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:22:11 GMTThis Sporting Life1963Lindsay Anderson Adapted by David Storey from his own novel, This Sporting Life stars <a href="/players/P____93538/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Richard Harris</a> as Frank, an athletic coal miner who aspires to the greener pastures of professional rugby. Soon establishing himself as one of the most brutal and arrogant players in the business, Frank begins to amass a fortune. He also falls in love with his landlady, Mrs Hammond (<a href="/players/P____60655/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rachel Roberts</a>), who initially resists his advances. When she finally gives in, their relationship hinges on sex alone, as Frank practically begs Mrs. Hammond to give of herself emotionally and she remains incapable. At the wedding ceremony for one of Frank's teammates, Mrs. Hammond unexpectedly lashes out at her swaggering lover. They split up, but Frank, who until now has equated happiness with wealth, is unable to get over the permanent loss. In the end, with nothing else left, all of Frank's self-worth becomes contingent on his rugby performances, though Frank and the other players are exploited to such a degree that this also proves disastrous. Widely regarded as one of the finest British feature films ever produced, the gritty and bleak This Sporting Life not only marked former documentary filmmaker <a href="/players/P____79629/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lindsay Anderson</a>'s first feature, but became one of the harbingers of the 'Angry Young Man' school of filmmaking. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide9Taggedy Taggged (6-10)5244http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u50601zw7ym.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/This_Sporting_Life/34817/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_film_directors_with_the_name_And/657/43319/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Smooth_J
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 7/29/2009 7:22:11 PM
Body: Although PTA is an incredible film-maker, and I love each and every movie he's made (but, alas, I have not seen Hard Eight/Sydney/his first movie), Wes Anderson has always hit home with me. Regardless of critical opinion on some of his films, I have adored everything he's made, and found the re-watchability factor with his movies to be better than most other idiosyncratic directors. So, my vote went, hands down, to Wes. I haven't had a chance to see any of Lindsay Anderson's films, but I've been eyeing up If... for a while and have This Sporting Life in my Netflix queue.
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:22:11 GMTSmooth_JMovie Polls7/29/2009 7:22:11 PMAlthough PTA is an incredible film-maker, and I love each and every movie he's made (but, alas, I have not seen Hard Eight/Sydney/his first movie), Wes Anderson has always hit home with me. Regardless of critical opinion on some of his films, I have adored everything he's made, and found the re-watchability factor with his movies to be better than most other idiosyncratic directors. So, my vote went, hands down, to Wes. I haven't had a chance to see any of Lindsay Anderson's films, but I've been eyeing up If... for a while and have This Sporting Life in my Netflix queue. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Which_of_these_film_directors_with_the_name_Anders/657/43311/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 7/29/2009 1:50:50 PM
Body: Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. Again it's kind of an arbitrary comparison I know, but I still thought it was interesting how many Andersons there were as famous directors. I know Roy Andersson has an extra "s" in it, but as far as I know it's pronounced the same. Please vote only once in each poll. Some of the movies from these directors: Lindsay Anderson - This Sporting Life, If...., O Lucky Man! Paul Thomas Anderson - Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood Paul W.S. Anderson - Event Horizon, Resident Evil, AVP: Alien vs. Predator Wes Anderson - Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Roy Andersson - A Swedish Love Story, Songs from the Second Floor, You, the Living
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:50:50 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls7/29/2009 1:50:50 PMPlease reference this thread for the rules of this group. Again it's kind of an arbitrary comparison I know, but I still thought it was interesting how many Andersons there were as famous directors. I know Roy Andersson has an extra "s" in it, but as far as I know it's pronounced the same. Please vote only once in each poll. Some of the movies from these directors: Lindsay Anderson - This Sporting Life, If...., O Lucky Man! Paul Thomas Anderson - Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood Paul W.S. Anderson - Event Horizon, Resident Evil, AVP: Alien vs. Predator Wes Anderson - Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Roy Andersson - A Swedish Love Story, Songs from the Second Floor, You, the Living http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_September_15_This_Sporting_Li/625/35854/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/3/2008 5:19:07 AM
Body: [quote user="chrismorrell"] Can i be so bold as to add the theme's title "This Sporting Life (1963)" with a young hulking Richard Harris virtually playing himself,as a Rugby League player,who aims "above himself" as it were, in a "class war" drama of the sixties from Lindsay Anderson. Because i'm a motor racing fan,and i went to see them when they came out,i should add Grand Prix andLe-Mans with steve McQueen A couple of additions "Rollerball" with the mighty James Caan.(it's gonna happen!) and "Dodgeball" , a sporting classic... [/quote]
]]>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:19:07 GMTchrismorrellWeekly Theme10/3/2008 5:19:07 AM[quote user="chrismorrell"] Can i be so bold as to add the theme's title "This Sporting Life (1963)" with a young hulking Richard Harris virtually playing himself,as a Rugby League player,who aims "above himself" as it were, in a "class war" drama of the sixties from Lindsay Anderson. Because i'm a motor racing fan,and i went to see them when they came out,i should add Grand Prix andLe-Mans with steve McQueen A couple of additions "Rollerball" with the mighty James Caan.(it's gonna happen!) and "Dodgeball" , a sporting classic... [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_September_15_This_Sporting_Li/625/35266/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 9/17/2008 6:13:15 PM
Body: Can i be so bold as to add the theme's title "This Sporting Life (1963)" with a young hulking Richard Harris virtually playing himself,as a Rugby League player,who aims "above himself" as it were, in a "class war" drama of the sixties from Lindsay Anderson. Because i'm a motor racing fan,and i went to see them when they came out,i should add Grand Prix andLe-Mans with steve McQueen A couple of additions "Rollerball" with the mighty James Caan.(it's gonna happen!) and "Dodgeball" , a sporting classic...
]]>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:13:15 GMTchrismorrellWeekly Theme9/17/2008 6:13:15 PMCan i be so bold as to add the theme's title "This Sporting Life (1963)" with a young hulking Richard Harris virtually playing himself,as a Rugby League player,who aims "above himself" as it were, in a "class war" drama of the sixties from Lindsay Anderson. Because i'm a motor racing fan,and i went to see them when they came out,i should add Grand Prix andLe-Mans with steve McQueen A couple of additions "Rollerball" with the mighty James Caan.(it's gonna happen!) and "Dodgeball" , a sporting classic... http://www.spout.com/blogs/chrismorrell/archive/2008/9/17/35263.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: chrismorrell Blog
Post Date: 9/17/2008 5:54:11 PM
Body: This was one of Richard Harris's early films..I remember it as one of the "kitchen sink" /"class war" British dramas of the early sixties It just reeks of it.. Harris is almost playing himself as a pro Rugby player.(That's "League" code,which always was professional).. it's scary and violent (bang go his front teeth!) in a malevolent ,"social class" divide type way...it's an essential!
]]>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:54:11 GMTchrismorrellchrismorrell Blog9/17/2008 5:54:11 PM This was one of Richard Harris's early films..I remember it as one of the "kitchen sink" /"class war" British dramas of the early sixties It just reeks of it.. Harris is almost playing himself as a pro Rugby player.(That's "League" code,which always was professional).. it's scary and violent (bang go his front teeth!) in a malevolent ,"social class" divide type way...it's an essential! http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/16/32630.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/16/2008 3:00:59 PM
Body: Though I first buzzed about an Academy Award nomination for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight more than a month before his death, I now want to take it all back. I feel all the talk of Ledger’s posthumous Oscar chances will cloud my mind when I finally do see it, and it will probably also cloud the Academy’s judgment, too. Six months from now, when the nominations are announced on January 22 (coincidentally the one-year anniversary of Ledger’s death), if Ledger is not recognized for his role as The Joker, there will surely be an uproar — actually, Hollywood might just up and self-implode. I’m not the only one annoyed by all the Oscar buzz. Terry Gilliam, who directed Ledger in The Brothers Grimm and the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is calling “bullshit” on the whole thing, particularly against Warner Bros., which Gilliam accuses of exploiting Ledger’s death and chance of a posthumous Oscar for publicity purposes. Considering most Oscar campaigns for live actors are really just part of movie marketing, he has a good point. Sure, I would love to see Ledger honored. I’ve believed in his Oscar worth since 10 Things I Hate About You . But in February, if he receives a posthumous award, it will surely feel, at least in good percentage, that it’s because he died young. In that case, why not also give supporting noms sight unseen to Rob Knox for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Brad Renfro for The Informers? Despite the more than 10 posthumous nominations in Oscar history, however, it’s not obligatory for the Academy to hand out such accolades every time someone dies before his final movie is released. Just check out the following list of talent who probably deserved posthumous Oscar recognition as much as Ledger does: Jean Vigo for L’Atalante - One of the greatest, most influential films of all time, L’Atalante premiered in France in 1934, a few months before Vigo died of tuberculosis at the age of 29. It eventually made its way to the U.S. 14 years later, just in time for the debut of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. And considering the first recipient, Vittorio De Sica (for Shoeshine), would win again two years later (for Bicycle Thieves), the Academy should have recognized Vigo’s film, even if it was more than a decade old. Unfortunately, it would be many decades before L’Atalante received the kind of esteem it deserves. James Dean for Rebel Without a Cause - Dean starred in only three feature films, one of which, East of Eden, was released prior to his death. He received posthumous Oscar nominations for that film and his final appearance in Giant, which came out a year later. But wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he’d also been nominated for his most iconic role in Rebel Without a Cause? Sure, he’d have posthumously gone up against himself in 1956, but that’s what movie gods like him were made to do. Richard Harris for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Not only should Harris have received a nomination, he should have won, too. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t the greatest performance by the actor, who’d previously been nominated for 1963’s This Sporting Life and 1990’s The Field. It’s that Harry Potter fans would have tuned in and saved that year’s telecast from being the least-watched in years. Just imagine how many people will be tuning in to next year’s show just because of the (inevitable) Ledger nom. Heather O’Rourke for Poltergeist III - I know that I’m only one of maybe three people who like the third Poltergeist movie, but even if you think the movie itself is bad, you have to give little Heather O’Rourke credit for being giving creepily terrific performances throughout the series. Compare her talent to some other young actresses who’ve been nominated. Especially Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine. And had she lived, she’d probably be a better actress today than Oscar-winner Anna Paquin. F.W. Murnau for Tabu - His Sunrise was pretty successful a few year earlier, at the 1st Academy Awards, but he wasn’t even nominated. In fact, the man who also gave us Nosferatu, Faust and The Last Laugh was never nominated for an Oscar, a fact that might have been different had the Oscars been founded a decade earlier or had he not died tragically in a car accident at age 43. I’m sure, at least, that Floyd Crosby, when winning for his cinematography work on Tabu, raised the statue to the sky and said, “this is for Murnau.” Peter Sellers for The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu - Whether or not you believe the Academy hates on comedic actors, you should agree that Sellers should have won an Oscar before he died. Or after he died. If he’d been nominated for this critical and commercial failure, though, it would of course have been one of those “he deserved it for ______, but this will do” kind of situtations. Stanley Kubrick for Eyes Wide Shut - If Scorsese can finally win with The Departed, Kubrick should have finally won posthumously with what is often thought of as his worst film. If anything, he at least deserved to be nominated instead of M. Night Shyamalan. Adrienne Shelly for Waitress - Didn’t it seem like a sure thing the writer-director-actress, Shelley, would get the nomination this year? Considering Diablo Cody had already (unofficially) won the actual Oscar before the nominations were even announced, could it have hurt to include the tragically murdered screenwriter? Or were there already too many ladies on the screenwriting ballot this year? Thelma Ritter for What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? - If ever there was a supporting actress who should have won an Oscar, Ritter was she. After six nominations (four of them consecutive), a posthumous seventh should have come with this movie (even if I’ve never personally seen it, I bet she’s great as usual). Unfortunately, the ballots were likely already in when she had her heart attack in February 1969. Also, she probably would have lost to Ruth Gordon anyway. Brandon Lee for The Crow - Laugh all you want, but in a crazy year that saw John Travolta recognized with a nomination and Tom Hanks recognized with a win for one of his silliest performances ever, would it have been so strange if the Academy had given Lee the slot filled by Morgan Freeman (obviously Oscar had little love for The Shawshank Redemption as it was)? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/16/2008 3:00:59 PM Though I first buzzed about an Academy Award nomination for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight more than a month before his death, I now want to take it all back. I feel all the talk of Ledger’s posthumous Oscar chances will cloud my mind when I finally do see it, and it will probably also cloud the Academy’s judgment, too. Six months from now, when the nominations are announced on January 22 (coincidentally the one-year anniversary of Ledger’s death), if Ledger is not recognized for his role as The Joker, there will surely be an uproar — actually, Hollywood might just up and self-implode. I’m not the only one annoyed by all the Oscar buzz. Terry Gilliam, who directed Ledger in The Brothers Grimm and the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is calling “bullshit” on the whole thing, particularly against Warner Bros., which Gilliam accuses of exploiting Ledger’s death and chance of a posthumous Oscar for publicity purposes. Considering most Oscar campaigns for live actors are really just part of movie marketing, he has a good point. Sure, I would love to see Ledger honored. I’ve believed in his Oscar worth since 10 Things I Hate About You . But in February, if he receives a posthumous award, it will surely feel, at least in good percentage, that it’s because he died young. In that case, why not also give supporting noms sight unseen to Rob Knox for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Brad Renfro for The Informers? Despite the more than 10 posthumous nominations in Oscar history, however, it’s not obligatory for the Academy to hand out such accolades every time someone dies before his final movie is released. Just check out the following list of talent who probably deserved posthumous Oscar recognition as much as Ledger does: Jean Vigo for L’Atalante - One of the greatest, most influential films of all time, L’Atalante premiered in France in 1934, a few months before Vigo died of tuberculosis at the age of 29. It eventually made its way to the U.S. 14 years later, just in time for the debut of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. And considering the first recipient, Vittorio De Sica (for Shoeshine), would win again two years later (for Bicycle Thieves), the Academy should have recognized Vigo’s film, even if it was more than a decade old. Unfortunately, it would be many decades before L’Atalante received the kind of esteem it deserves. James Dean for Rebel Without a Cause - Dean starred in only three feature films, one of which, East of Eden, was released prior to his death. He received posthumous Oscar nominations for that film and his final appearance in Giant, which came out a year later. But wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he’d also been nominated for his most iconic role in Rebel Without a Cause? Sure, he’d have posthumously gone up against himself in 1956, but that’s what movie gods like him were made to do. Richard Harris for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Not only should Harris have received a nomination, he should have won, too. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t the greatest performance by the actor, who’d previously been nominated for 1963’s This Sporting Life and 1990’s The Field. It’s that Harry Potter fans would have tuned in and saved that year’s telecast from being the least-watched in years. Just imagine how many people will be tuning in to next year’s show just because of the (inevitable) Ledger nom. Heather O’Rourke for Poltergeist III - I know that I’m only one of maybe three people who like the third Poltergeist movie, but even if you think the movie itself is bad, you have to give little Heather O’Rourke credit for being giving creepily terrific performances throughout the series. Compare her talent to some other young actresses who’ve been nominated. Especially Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine. And had she lived, she’d probably be a better actress today than Oscar-winner Anna Paquin. F.W. Murnau for Tabu - His Sunrise was pretty successful a few year earlier, at the 1st Academy Awards, but he wasn’t even nominated. In fact, the man who also gave us Nosferatu, Faust and The Last Laugh was never nominated for an Oscar, a fact that might have been different had the Oscars been founded a decade earlier or had he not died tragically in a car accident at age 43. I’m sure, at least, that Floyd Crosby, when winning for his cinematography work on Tabu, raised the statue to the sky and said, “this is for Murnau.” Peter Sellers for The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu - Whether or not you believe the Academy hates on comedic actors, you should agree that Sellers should have won an Oscar before he died. Or after he died. If he’d been nominated for this critical and commercial failure, though, it would of course have been one of those “he deserved it for ______, but this will do” kind of situtations. Stanley Kubrick for Eyes Wide Shut - If Scorsese can finally win with The Departed, Kubrick should have finally won posthumously with what is often thought of as his worst film. If anything, he at least deserved to be nominated instead of M. Night Shyamalan. Adrienne Shelly for Waitress - Didn’t it seem like a sure thing the writer-director-actress, Shelley, would get the nomination this year? Considering Diablo Cody had already (unofficially) won the actual Oscar before the nominations were even announced, could it have hurt to include the tragically murdered screenwriter? Or were there already too many ladies on the screenwriting ballot this year? Thelma Ritter for What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? - If ever there was a supporting actress who should have won an Oscar, Ritter was she. After six nominations (four of them consecutive), a posthumous seventh should have come with this movie (even if I’ve never personally seen it, I bet she’s great as usual). Unfortunately, the ballots were likely already in when she had her heart attack in February 1969. Also, she probably would have lost to Ruth Gordon anyway. Brandon Lee for The Crow - Laugh all you want, but in a crazy year that saw John Travolta recognized with a nomination and Tom Hanks recognized with a win for one of his silliest performances ever, would it have been so strange if the Academy had given Lee the slot filled by Morgan Freeman (obviously Oscar had little love for The Shawshank Redemption as it was)? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drama/MemberTagFilms.aspxdrama
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