The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
You can be deeply affected by a film and still know the film isn't especially terrific, right? I mean, you have to be amazed at the core humility and strength of Lou Gehrig, and it is presented (and maybe romanticized, it's hard to know) beautifully. So well before the end you know there is something special in this man's life, maybe something to learn from or emulate.
At the same time, there are some obvious movie-making tricks at work here, some corny side characters, some simplifications, and some filler (like the two dance numbers, which get a big credit in the titles but which are pretty lame, even if you like the music of the period as much as I do). It's an expertly made movie the way so many movies in the 1940s were, so it is filmed and edited with artistry. But if the story is inspired, the movie leans on that story to succeed, and often isn't inspired on its own terms.
It sounds bad to even write this kind of criticism. So, strike it from the record. Enjoy the movie. The biggest star? Babe Ruth himself, doing a pretty good job acting like Babe Ruth. And Gary Cooper as Gehrig is often wonderful (overlook those goofy looks that are more forced than cute). Teresa Wright is as sweet and disarmingly supportive and innocent seeming as a movie like this needs her to be. The director? Sam Wood has a lot of really well made films, some bordering truly great ones (including "Gone with the Wind," which he had a small role co-directing). There's even the well done "For Whom the Bell Tolls" with Cooper made the next year, and the imperfect but affecting "Goodbye Mr. Chips," which has some interesting echoes (a main character who quietly is admirable and influential right up to the end).
Anyway, this is a unique film, and really can't not be enjoyed.
You can be deeply affected by a film and still know the film isn't especially terrific, right? I mean, you have to be amazed at the core humility and strength of Lou Gehrig, and it is presented (and maybe romanticized, it's hard to know) beautifully. So well before the end you know there is something special in this man's life, maybe something to learn from or emulate.
At the same time, there are some obvious movie-making tricks at work here, some corny side characters, some simplifications, and some filler (like the two dance numbers, which get a big credit in the titles but which are pretty lame, even if you like the music of the period as much as I do). It's an expertly made movie the way so many movies in the 1940s were, so it is filmed and edited with artistry. But if the story is inspired, the movie leans on that story to succeed, and often isn't inspired on its own terms.
It sounds bad to even write this kind of criticism. So, strike it from the record. Enjoy the movie. The biggest star? Babe Ruth himself, doing a pretty good job acting like Babe Ruth. And Gary Cooper as Gehrig is often wonderful (overlook those goofy looks that are more forced than cute). Teresa Wright is as sweet and disarmingly supportive and innocent seeming as a movie like this needs her to be. The director? Sam Wood has a lot of really well made films, some bordering truly great ones (including "Gone with the Wind," which he had a small role co-directing). There's even the well done "For Whom the Bell Tolls" with Cooper made the next year, and the imperfect but affecting "Goodbye Mr. Chips," which has some interesting echoes (a main character who quietly is admirable and influential right up to the end).
Anyway, this is a unique film, and really can't not be enjoyed.