Rudy on ice. The Rocket: the Legend of Maurice Richard chronicles the rise of Richard, apparently a famous French Canadian hockey player active during the 1940’s. Written by Ken Scott and directed by Charles Biname(‘), The Rocket is a beautiful period film washed with the familiar patina of films like Hope and Glory.
It seems no one, especially the sporting press, ever expected the frail Richard to amount to much. His team, the Canadians, even felt he was a ‘lemon’ at the beginning of his career. Personal doubts followed, but Richard remained determined. He had heart, I suppose. Besides his humble demeanor Richard stayed remarkably unchanged from his youth, through his career in the NHL. He loved the same woman, always dominated the rink and even held down a factory job for many years. Truly he was a saint.
Roy Dupuis is serviceable as the modest Richard but the real standout is Stephen McHattie (A History of Violence, The Fountain) as Canadians coach Dick Irvin. Irvin defies his anti-Canadian superiors to keep Richard on the team, seeing in him the drive and heart he needs for the team. Over time others begin to notice the Richard that Irvin has known all along, and our protagonist finally begins to get his due.
The film follows the familiar plot of most sports hero films. Athlete overcomes obstacles to live his dream and continues to overcome further obstacles to prove himself. Eventually he is recognized a true underdog success story and lauded as the greatest “insert sport here” player ever. If you feel you’ve probably seen this all before it’s because you have. Sometimes done worse, sometimes done better. Everything seems dragged from other movies, the somber piano music, the strained home life, the derision by those in the league working against him.
The Rocket does convey the struggle Richard went through to have his accomplishments recognized for their merit. Time and again Richard breaks league records with ease, and every time he is met with indifference from a francophobic American fan base. At every turn he is met with obstacles, always overcoming them with cool aplomb. The “aw shucks’ routine does wear thin after a while, but the film maintains interest in Richard by highlighting he growing importance to underdog lovers everywhere.
While The Rocket isn’t a bad film by any stretch it is a boring one. Unless you are a hockey fan, Canadian, or just love Rudy, Rocky, Hoosiers, Invincible, The Karate Kid, Major League 2, The Mighty Ducks, The Bad News Bears, Cinderella Man etc…, you might be hard to make it through the film.