Miracle is about a coach, Herb Brooks, who embarks on a mission to assemble the perfect hockey team to beat the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. The team goes through some initial growing pains, but soon comes together to attempt the seemingly impossible task of beating the best hockey team in the world. Based on a true story.
Commitment: Herb Brooks addresses the team right after the team has been chosen and says, “take a good look gentleman, because they [the ones who did not make the team] are the ones getting off easy. The final roster will have 20 names on it so more of you are going home." (15m)
Leadership: Mike Eruzione shows his leadership when he tells Herb Brooks that he plays for the USA after they had been made to skate after an exhibition game in Europe. Herb Brooks had been asking this question throughout the movie and the players kept giving their college names instead of saying they played for the USA. (45m)
Motivation: Herb Brooks uses a variety of motivational tactics throughout the movie. He tells goaltender Jim Craig that he is thinking of benching him after the exhibition loss to the Soviet Union. (1h 16m) During an intermission, Herb uses a player's bruised leg as a way to fire the team up when they are losing by calling him a quitter and to be a hockey player. Herb knows this will fire the rest of the team up because of how close they are to one another. (1h, 24m) And finally, he gives his famous speech, starting with, "Great moments...are born from great opportunity." (1h 37m)
Politics: Opening scenes show the Cold War problems, inflation, and around the Christmas party scene Jimmy Carter gives his famous speech discussing how there was a “question of confidence in America.” (65m) It shows where the country was at this time and how the hockey game versus the Soviet Union meant everything.
Teamwork: Mike Eruzione and a few other players talk to Herb about bringing in an all-star college player three months before the Olympic Games and tell him that they are a “family” so Herb should send the all-star home even though he is an incredible talent. (61m)
Underdogs: Team USA are the underdogs in the Olympics, but primarily when they face the Soviet Union in the semi-final game, where they beat them.
Run, Fatboy, Run is about Dennis Doyle, who left Libby at the alter due to mounting pressures of being a husband and father. Now Libby has a new boyfriend who is everything Dennis is not. Motivated to win back Libby's respect, his goal is to run a marathon alongside the antagonist Whit.
Attributions: Dennis attributes his failures to external, stable, and out-of-control variables.
Confidence: Dennis walks around the whole movie slumpy until the very end, while Whit is a very proud and confident person.
Goal Setting: Dennis sets his goal of finishing the marathon and earning back the respect of Libby and his son Jake.
Imagery: During the marathon, Dennis hits the "runner's wall" and envisions himself breaking through a real wall, recalling images of past moments.
Motivation: Dennis is motivated by various other characters throughout the movie, such as making a bet with friends, being chased with a spatula, betting his rent, and wanting to earn back the respect of his former fiancé.
The Rookie is about Jim Morris, who pitched in the minors, but after injuring his arm and having multiple surgeries, he became a science teacher and baseball coach in a Texas high school. After a bet with his team he found himself at a MLB tryout and at 35 years old he attempts a childhood dream.
Coaching: Jim Morris is a high school coach, so there are several examples of him coaching throughout the movie.
Confidence: Jim pitches batting practice to the team, and once they start hitting off him, they have the confidence to hit any pitcher they face.
Going for your Dream: His childhood dream was to pitch in the MLB, which is the dream he is now chasing again.
Injury: He was drafted young, but after injuring his arm, he had to give up his pitching career and his chance at making it in the big leagues.
Motivation: The bet between Jim and his team give the team extra motivation to win the championship, while Jim also turns to his family for motivation.
Invictus is the real story about the South African rugby team who became champions in 1995, when the Rugby World Cup was held in their own country. Good history about coaching, leadership, and how sports united the whole country, which was suffering from racial and political tensions.
The Longest Yard is about former popular professional quarterback Paul Crewe who is sent to prison. He decides to create a makeshift team of inmates to face off against a team of prison guards in a game of football.
Release Years: 1974, 2005
Rating: R (1974), PG-13 (2005)
Length: 121m (1974), 113m (2005)
For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database (1974 and 2005) and Rotten Tomatoes (1974 and 2005) or purchase it from Amazon.
Aggression: Both the inmate and guard teams are extremely aggressive towards each other when playing.
Coaching: Paul (played by Adam Sandler) coaches the inmates despite many of them not knowing much about football.
Motivation: Paul uses a variety of tactics to motivate his team, but none is more motivating then the mean prison warden.
Substance Abuse: A major alcohol problem at the beginning of the movie was the reason the quarterback was imprisoned.
Teamwork: The inmates helped each other in many ways to pull off the win against the prison guards.
Underdogs: The inmates' football team is clearly the underdog in the movie; at first they don't even believe they have a chance at winning.
