FOOTY LEGENDS
Australia, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ahn Do, Claudia Karvan, Peter Phelps.
Directed by Khoan Do.
The fact that this film was made and distributed is itself a tribute to the two brothers, Khoa Do and Anh Do, born in Vietnam but who have become part of Australian culture, Anh Do the comedian and writer, Koah Do, the writer and director (born 1979, who was named the 2005 Young Australian of the Year).
This is a small film with a Sydney feel, about a football code which is limited to a few states but which has an international following, Rugby League. But, with all feelgood films about underdogs and competitive sports, you don’t have to know much about the game to enjoy the film.
And, that is what Footy Legends is. A group of outsiders who went to school in the Sydney suburb of Yagoona and showed some potential at footy band together some years later to win a competition. This will give them self-respect but also some money so that our talented hero (played by Anh Do) will have some money to look after his little sister and save her from going to social welfare (embodied by Claudia Karvan). Needless to say, he is tempted along the way to play for a superior team (embodied by Peter Phelps). But, the ragtag team keep trying – and get a mighty suburban response at the grounds and, especially, down at the pub.
The Do brothers made two films about Cabramatta in Sydney, a Vietnamese centre (see Little Fish, for instance), a short, Delivery Day and a feature with three stories about Vietnamese, Forgotten People.
While it is all predictable – and nice – the performances give a greater warmth and comic touch to a collection of funny situations, some sentiment and, what everyone hopes for, the underdogs to win.
A more serious look at Rugby League is in The Final Winter (2007).
1.A Sydney story? Rugby League? Universal appeal?
2.The suburbs, homes, pubs, sports ovals, shops? The musical score?
3.The title, irony? The truth about the team, their self-image? Underdogs?
4.The predictability of the basic plot: the past, the players as friends at school, their skill in playing, their talents, not continuing, the bonds continuing? The present, ten years passed, the drug addict and his reform, the nerd, the heavyweight, the islanders etc? The Vietnamese man and his sister? The relationships, women in their lives, children? Coping or not?
5.Luc and his sister, his care for her? The memory of their dead mother? The grandfather, hospital, going to visit him, the man in the accompanying bed, the stories, the war, his heroics? The friend in the other bed revealing that this was all made up? Luc and his wanting to get jobs, the social welfare visits, the pressures on him, wanting to take his sister away?
6.The football, their skills, the decision to form a team, discussions, practice, talent, going into the competition, the various matches, draws, wins, hopes? The prize money? Gowings – and the possibility of advertising the clothes?
7.The social background of the suburb, the pressure, social welfare and severity, the inspector, her relationship with the young girl, Luc and his love, her running away, being in hospital, his going to visit her?
8.The team, the personalities, their getting on well together? The slick agent, the offers to Luc, the money, tempting? His own team?
9.Playing together, the games, the precarious nature of the competition?
10.The radio commentators, their comic observations?
11.The public, at the grounds, the audience in the pub, their being on-side, local heroes?
12.The final competition, playing hard, Luc’s sister allowing him to go, the hospital, the crisis, the temptation of the money, his packing up, going out, seeing the agent, going back?
13.His sister coming to the oval, the grandfather on the bike, the social worker? Playing and winning?
14.The multicultural and multi-social background? Multicultural Australia and its effect? The humour of the final images with all the members of the team modelling the clothes?
