GOAL
UK, 2005, 118 minutes, Colour.
Kuno Backer, Alessandro Nuvola, Marcel Iures, Stephen Dillane, Anna Friel, Sean Pertwee, Frances Barber.
Directed by Danny Cannon.
A celebration of English football which most audiences will enjoy.
The media often paints an ugly picture of bad sportsmanship on the pitch, the prima donna tantrums of exorbitantly highly-paid players, the hooligan behaviour of supporters. In recent times, films like The Football Factory and Green Street portray alarming violence of ‘the firms’ and their brutal clashes. Goal! takes a very positive tone yet it does not shirk the negative issues.
There are not many football films. In the 80s there was an entertaining World War II escape story with Sylvester Stallone, Escape to Victory, where the prisoners played football (and Pele starred as one of them). There was The Miracle of Berne two years ago where film-makers re-created the glory days of German football (soccer to those outside the world of football). Now, we have the English celebration. It is a likeable film, one of those emotional rags to riches and championship sagas that may be fairytales but do come true so often with those who are very talented in sports.
The film has been written to appeal to the widest range of football enthusiasts. The hope is that it will draw the American football fans (not the fans of American football, a very different sport). With a Latino hero, it is clearly going to be a winner amongst Hispanic audiences.
Most of the time, dreamers go off to America to fulfil their hopes. This is a really serious contender for movie surprise of the year! This time someone from Los Angeles leaves it for his dream, going to England and, more specifically, to the wet and wild city of Newcastle and its football club.
Goal! opens with illegals crossing the Mexican border. Then it shows a poor family making a life in LA by working in mansion gardens. The father knows that this is the world his family is confined to, no wealth, no opportunities except to buy a truck and set up an independent business. And that’s it. His older son, Santiago (Kuno Becker) has a great talent for football. When an English former scout (Stephen Dillane) notices him, he backs him and persuades him to come to Newcastle to try out.
The screenplay does not give Santiago a dream run. His first play is in pouring rain and sloshing mud that he has never experienced in LA. Some of the Reserves are bullies with nasty insults to Santiago. The coach (a persuasive continental European performance by Romanian Marcus Iures) seems aloof. However, Santiago is presented as a decent and principled young man, well brought up by his grandmother and pleasingly polite, even when his team-mate takes him to boozy, sexy clubs. He is tempted to give up but doesn’t – and people appreciate him and support him.
For those who love the game, they will feel right at home even if they are not Newcastle supporters. Quite a lot of match play sequences. The film uses the actual city and stadium locations as well as the turbulent sea-front very effectively. We are drawn into identifying with Santiago. We really want him to succeed, to win over the coach, for his father to acknowledge that his choices are the right ones.
Kuno Becker is a very personable young man (and a popular star in Mexico) and has no trouble in getting us on his side. Anna Friel has a nice role as the team’s nurse and his girlfriend. Allesandro Nivola gives a flamboyant performance as the equivalent of an ageing Wayne Rooney (or substitute whichever player has proven himself a yob role-model) who, in this world of dreams and hopes, can actually come to his senses and do the right thing. If only…
1.The popularity of sports films, sports and talented stars?
2.Audiences expectations, humble beginnings, scouts, opportunities, differences between the US and the UK, tryouts and failure, success, personal crisis, achievement? Family and personal background?
3.The conventions, the types? Good and bad? Tests, training, temptations, difficulties overcome?
4.The Latino Mexico background, the family coming across the border, the border guards? Los Angeles, Santiago’s father and his business, the work in the pools and gardens, Santiago helping him, the girls in the car watching, the mansions? His own more humble home, his playing sport, going to church? Authentic setting?
5.His father, his fixed ideas, two classes in the world, the rich and the poor, his low expectations? His family, his wife walking out, his mother staying and looking after his sons, the two boys, wanting to buy the truck, taking Santiago’s money? Santiago going in the middle of the night with his grandmother’s and brother’s support, not saying goodbye? His father going to watch his son on the TV? Not communicating with his son, refusing to answer the phone? His death?
6.The grandmother, the good woman, her selling her belongings to pay for Santiago’s future? His brother, the phone calls? The final phone call? Santiago learning as his father had watched him?
7.Santiago as a boy, not going back to get his beloved ball as he crossed the border? Teenager, work, in the pool, his going to play football, the pride of his coach? His father and the family watching him? His job in the Chinese restaurant? Saving his money? Playing, the encounter with Glenn? The discussions, the promise for the agent to come, his not coming? Glenn and his promise, Santiago and his saving, his father taking the money for the truck? His father trying to shatter his dreams as unrealistic? His going to Newcastle, the phone calls? His grief at his father’s death but not going? No peace?
8.Glenn, his background and career as a footballer, his family, death of his wife? His watching Santiago, contacting Barry Rankin? His ringing Erik Dornhelm in the early morning? At home, his work, his album of photos? His pleading with Dornhelm for Santiago to have a tryout? His continued support, taking Santiago in, sharing his victories? Fulfilment?
9.Santiago in himself, his age, experience, ignorance? A good and courteous young man? His work principles? Not wanting to owe money to people? Going to London, the arrival, the rain? Glenn lending him the money and his later paying it back? His courtesy and respect?
10.The encounter with Roz, the hospital, their talking, the bond? His lying about his asthma? His breaking the breathing apparatus? Playing without it? His being fired? His being offered the chance, especially with Gavin Harris? Admitting the truth?
11.The coach and the coaches, sympathetic, the tryout in the mud and his not having experienced this? His plea to the coach, to Dornhelm? The practices? The hostility of some of the players, the racist jibes of Hughie Mc Gowan? Mc Gowan and his later changing? The dressing room, his failure, his playing the ball and not passing – and the decision to let him go?
12.Gavin Harris, full of himself, the big payments for contracts, the press confrontation and his performing for the journalists? For the public? His skills and his not using them? His behaviour, girls, drinking, the clubs, being late, Dornhelm and his criticism? His helping Santiago? The bond between them? Santiago moving into his flat? Observing Gavin’s lifestyle? Gavin taking him to the club, the girls, the photos and the scandal? Dornhelm and his severity? The straight talk? The possibility of Harris being ousted? His change? A good heart, supporting Santiago, success?
13.The coaches and their dealings with Santiago, sympathy, the training? The reserves? Santiago and his promotion? Looking at the lists, playing with the main team?
14.The characters of the players? The cameos by the real-life footballers? Jamie and his showing Santiago the town? In the club, his injury, hospital? Hughie Mc Gowan, the discussions about his sister, his change of heart? Team play?
15.Santiago and his experience, the poor background yet the possibilities, learning the difference between telling the truth and lying? His relationship with Roz, their dates, his courtesy to her mother? The effect of success, with Gavin, the photos, his shame, the explanation? Talking with Gavin’s girlfriend and her walking out on Gavin? Into the team, learning to play for the team, integrity? The triumph of the final goal?
16.The choreography of the matches, football fans enjoying them?
17.The final match, the stadium as a cathedral, worshippers? The score and the edging ahead? The television screenings – and the American viewers? His achievement? Goal?
18.The significance and importance of sport, its place, ethos, the contrast with the old days and the less financial professionalism? The contrast with the 21st century, players being spoilt? The games, coaching and skills?
19.The film as inspirational and encouraging?
