A SHOT AT GLORY

UK, 2000, 114 minutes, Colour
Robert Duvall, Ally Mc Coist, Bryan Cox, Michael Keaton, Cole Hauser, Morag Hood, Kirsty Mitchell.
Directed by Michael Corrente.

A Shot at Glory is a film about Scottish football. The film, therefore, has a limited audience. However, there have been a number of films with soccer as the subject: The One and Only Jimmy Grimble, Purely Belter (both of these focusing on children and their love for soccer), Escape to Victory (which even included Pele as one of the cast, a prisoner-of-war story with Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine and playing soccer) as well a the portrait of Leeds United, The Damned United with Michael Sheen. The difficulty is the limitation of the code and its not being popular in the United States (witness, by contrast, the number of films about gridiron and American football). Other films about football include The Club, about Australian Rules, and Warming Up, about rugby union, Australian Rules, Last Winter and Invictus..

This is the story of Kilnochy club, under pressure to win the Cup, under pressure from the American owner, especially considering transferring from the oval in the town of Kilnochy.

The film offers a tour de force for Robert Duvall, Scots accent and all, as the local manager of the Kilnochy club. He gives it his usual zest, preoccupied with the club, training the men, remembering the opportunities that he did not have, alienated from his daughter when she broke an engagement and married the star footballer. The star footballer has been in London, is recalled to give the club the chance for winning. Michael Keaton has a small role as the American owner of the club. Cole Hauser is an American who plays in the team, especially in the position of goalie, which is crucial to the culmination of the film. Bryan Cox is the coach of the Scottish Rangers.

The film gives some background about Scotland and its obsession with soccer, the football league, the fans, the games.

There are some comic touches, but the film is very earnest about football, about winning, as well as having the human drama of the coach, his devoted wife, alienated daughter, clashes with his son-in-law.

1. An interesting film about football? The popularity of soccer around the world? Limited audience?

2. The Scottish settings, the town of Kilnochy, Glasgow? Homes, training grounds? The oval? The dressing rooms? The sense of realism? The musical score – and bagpipers and Scottish melodies?

3. The title, the attempts at success, for winning, the glory of the Cup? The irony of the ending? The next year and ambitions?

4. The picture of football in Scotland, the competitions, the information about Celtic and Rangers, the backgrounds, the religious differences? The rivalries?

5. Gordon Mc Leod, his years as a footballer, as the manager of the team? His working the men in the team? The grounds, the exercises, in the dressing room, the pep talks? His own attitude, his disappointments? His rivalry with the coach of Rangers? Seeing him on the TV, ignoring him? The fact of his son-in-law coming back into the team, the alienation because of the marriage, his being away, his skills, yet Gordon suspicious of him? The matches, the training, his success? The matches and going up the ladder? The build-up to the confrontation with Rangers? The seeming reconciliation between Jackie and Gordon? Gordon ordering him to stay in his room – the woman coming, resisting? His wife coming, going out, the Rangers mocking him, throwing the bottle, the fight, in jail? His being let out? Gordon keeping him off the field? Finally letting him on?

6. Gordon and his home life, the devotion of Irene, their easiness together? Yet her offering criticisms, especially about their daughter? His praise of her at the testimonial dinner? Always at the matches?

7. His alienation from his daughter, her marrying Jackie, the child? His refusal to speak to her? The testimonial night and his ignoring her? Her confronting him at the end, explaining what had happened the night before? His relenting about Jackie going on? The reconciliation at the end? A hard man?

8. Peter Cameron, ownership of the team, the American influence? Wanting to move grounds? The discussions with Gordon, setting the conditions? The testimonial night and the speech, staying in the grounds in the team had success? The end, his comments, the loyalty of the teams and the fans? Staying at the grounds?

9. The young American, his being in the team? Training, his awkwardness on going on? The ideas that Gordon had given him? The penalties, the kick-offs, his failures and success?

10. The players, their working together, loyalty to Gordon? In the dressing room? The jokes with the tea lady in the shower? The spirit of the team? Their playing their best? Defeated?

11. Bryan Cox as the Rangers manager? On television? The rivalry? His watching the match? The penalties? His getting the Cup? Gordon and the comments? Winning by a penalty was not a victory?

12. Sports films and the presentation of underdogs, working together? The issue of championships? Morale? The picture of defeat – not easy winnings? Always hope for the future?