I had the same experience with the movie "W" about the life of
President George W. Bush. I called the Theater about the Bush movie,
even asking if there were political reasons behind the apparent
non-booking! ("You're a political animal," one-time Morris Chamber of
Commerce manager Scott Beckman told me.)
In our media-drenched universe, people my age can't expect business
to be done like in the old days. They say the 1930s was "the golden age
of Hollywood." Balderdash. Take a look at the DVD vending machine at
McDonald's. Hollywood is spitting out movies faster than I can keep
track of them. Today is the "golden age."
The movie "Win Win," despite its visibility in those cable TV
promos and its obvious charm and quality, evidently didn't penetrate
into the clear mainstream. James Berardinelli of "Reelviews" didn't even
review it. I even noticed a little campaign online to get him to review
it. Good ol' Roger Ebert did review it. Ebert liked it but not as much
as I would have expected. I would have expected Roger to like it without
any reservations. Ebert is a "critic of the people," and "Win Win" is a
tale about real people, showing their flaws and everyday tribulations
but also their ability to prevail.
There is nothing not to like about "Win Win," which stars the
endearing everyman Paul Giamatti. I didn't like him in "Sideways" which I
considered the epitome of amoral Hollywood tripe. But "Win Win" is a
fresh and inspiring offering which Giamatti seized to portray Americana -
the joys but also the grim challenges faced by ordinary Americans.
These are Americans facing the specter of bills to pay. They are in no
way extraordinary with their talents. Or motivations. They don't rule
out cutting corners or bending rules.
We all know people who might resort to a little shiftiness. Hold up
a mirror, anyone? Some of these people may slip into a gray area where
they might be truly "bad." But there surely is a wide gray area. Stuff
breaks and people don't fix it. This isn't just suggested in "Win Win,"
it's vividly portrayed. Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty, a struggling
attorney whose office is plagued by a clanging furnace, the repair of
which poses a daunting bill. We can nod as we relate. I raise and lower
our garage door manually even though there's an automatic system in
place - gremlins, I guess.
"Win Win" shows people on the margins with overwhelming reason to
feel discouragement, but who nonetheless feel a zest for life and
family. You just have to probe below the surface. Attorney Flaherty has
no intention of being corrupt or to hurt anyone. But he does play fast
and loose with the legal rules. This is in his role as a legal caretaker
for an elderly client with early dementia issues. The client is played
by Burt Young. You remember Burt from "Rocky?" I have a fondness for him
mainly because of a movie you have most certainly forgotten. He starred
in "Uncle Joe Shannon" which had a soundtrack featuring my childhood
musical idol: Maynard Ferguson, trumpet player. Burt and Maynard may
have been on the cusp of long-term fame at the time. But the movie did
not succeed.
Burt Young acts very well as Flaherty's client in "Win Win." He's a
patriarchal old man who has been blessed by riches. In the end he wills
his money to the city parks system - God bless him. He overlooks his ne'er-do-well daughter played by Melanie Lynskey. I won't bother stating
anymore that a particular actor acted well, because I think everyone
acted brilliantly, creating a gem of a movie that deserved to circulate
more widely than it evidently did.
It's amazing this far into this blog post that I haven't alluded to
the sports element of the movie. Is it a "sports movie?" It comes close
but I'm not sure I'd brand it that way. I found it very refreshing to
see a movie presenting high school wrestling, the red-haired stepchild
of winter prep sports, in such a dedicated way. I have been to many high
school wrestling meets. I used to cover the sport for the print media.
There's no sport I didn't cover for the print media.
So you might want to know: Do I consider high school wrestling to
be under-appreciated? Well, the answer is no. I don't blame the average
Joe fan for not being greatly interested in watching. Two guys wrap
around each other on a mat while a referee assigns points on various
moves. It's rather esoteric. It seems depressing when a kid gets pinned.
There is an obsession with weight classes. I found it depressing that
so many kids went out of their way to drop weight. I found it depressing
when several weight classes would be "forfeited" during the course of a
match. Some coaches would hesitate sending out a kid to vie vs. a
"superstar" opponent. The fame of these "superstars" would circulate
widely in the wrestling realm, just like the reputation of "fast guns"
in the old west.
The state wrestling tournament is like a mecca - yes, with almost
religious-seeming overtones - for those in the wrestling fraternity. And
that's a big part of the problem: it's too much of a fraternity. It can
seem too "inside baseball." (Did that term originate with the old
Johnny Bench syndicated TV show?)
Giamatti as Flaherty coaches a suburban New Jersey high school team
in a losing rut. It's symbolic of course. "Win Win" is about the grind
of day-to-day struggles and human failings, even as it shows our
potential to rise above in the end.
The Burt Young character has a grandson who shows up out of the
blue to startle Flaherty. The grandson is a diffident young man of few
words, a boy who has been deeply hurt and made cynical before his time.
We see he has a heart of gold, though. He buys Cocoa Puffs for his
grandpa. What better symbol of love? Alex Shaffer, a real-life wrestling
champion, plays "Kyle."
The assistant coaches add texture to the movie. Bobby Cannavale
plays "Terry" who is Mike's best friend. Terry has had much travail come
into his life. Like for example, his wife leaving him for the
contractor who was hired to remodel the house.
Mike and Terry have the kind of friendship I find most endearing.
Remember your best friend from college? It's like that. It has that
unconditional quality - we sense the potential for laughter no matter
what storm clouds are looming. Cannavale as Terry is enlisted to sit
with the coaches at mid-season. Holy cow, it's sort of like "Hoosiers"
in which the (stereotypical) town drunk is enlisted, right? Terry has
rough edges as a coach but he's much more stable than the Dennis Hopper
character.
Let's acknowledge the other assistant coach: "Vigman," played by
reliable treadmill actor Jeffrey Tambor. By coincidence, I caught Tambor
on the DVD of "Pollock" (about the artist) recently. "Vigman" is an
accountant who shares Flaherty's office. Business isn't booming for him
either. Life for these everyman souls seems to reflect the fortunes of
that wrestling team.
But "Kyle" comes along and provides quite the new wrinkle. In the
story he comes from Ohio. He's cutting ties with his druggie mom, or
trying to. Kyle is a bleach-blond, zoned-out kid of few but well-chosen
words. We're reminded of Sean Penn when he found his footing as an
actor. But Alex doesn't have to "act" when wrestling. He's quite the
genuine article. In fact he's amazing.
The coaches are amazed in practice when first they become aware of
the young man's gifts. The coaches exchange glances just like the
coaches in "The Natural" when first the Robert Redford character takes
batting practice. The drab and drudgery-filled lives of the coaches,
along with the Flaherty family, are about to be pierced by the presence
of the extraordinary Kyle.
Kyle wrestles the way "Roy Hobbs" (Redford) hit baseballs. Kyle has
every reason to be cynical and discouraged but he unmistakably projects
love. With few words. So, is "Win Win" a sports movie? Sort of, but
only to an extent. Some movies of this type feel they need to show the
heroic characters winning it all at the end. Such was "Hoosiers." Some
apparently feel this is too predictable so it's better to show some sort
of setback at the end, but with some lessons learned. "Coach Carter" is
that type of movie (with rap music impressed on your brain by the end).
"Win Win" goes in its own direction. Kyle never shows any flaws as a
wrestler. But he does misbehave because of the swirling disillusionment
he feels, i.e. the sense people are letting him down. He gets
disqualified. But he doesn't "lose." We can't imagine him losing to
anyone. In one scene the coaches are amazed watching a video of Kyle
from Ohio. These jaded guys show effervescent joy, thrusting their arms
up and shouting as they watch Kyle perform a move they are well familiar
with.
Kyle is a reminder that triumph can come out of nowhere. He's a
reminder that many of life's triumphs can be unscripted and unexpected.
He's a reminder that a simple box of Cocoa Puffs is a gesture of
unconditional love.
We become fans of the "New Providence High Pioneers." We become
fans of all the actors and actresses in "Win Win." James Berardinelli
did not review this movie. I'm most happy to roll up my sleeves and do
so.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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