Field of Queens
I watched most of, "A League Of Their Own," last night. About the Rockford Peaches. The first time I saw this movie, I thought, "Wow, this is way better than I expected!" It is a good movie. Feels like the little sister of Seabisquit. It plasters, "Rockford," all over the place, so Rockford can feel proud. It's probably their only movie. Their best one, at least. Racine and South Bend also featured - all being parts of my traditional stomping ground. (Just so you know, peaches are a Southern thing. There are virtually no peaches in Rockford).
All the women were great in this movie. (I thought Britanny Murphy could have played Dotty's buddy). Near the end of the movie, the team had lost and Dotty went back to Oregon, and surely this can't be the end of the movie! So, it did gratify by actually ending with the team in later years, looking back. Then they broke into song again, which was weird again. Even though this new end completed the movie, I still felt like there was something in the movie missing for me. What was missing? Why did it feel incomplete?
1 - Too much of the same scenery made it feel like it never explored much, maybe.
2 - There was no true m/f romance in this movie which had similarities to a romantic comedy.
3 - No actual Rockford accent anywhere. Most of the girls were from elsewhere. Rosie O'Donnel, Madonna, the old rich guy who was probably the owner, were all sporting New York accents.
4 - Still something else je ne say don't know...
I'd like to find a video where Hanks talks about how he prepared for the character, because I do think he fished around in local bars and clubs or whatnot. He has a lot of annoying vulgarisms common to males around here. Not so sure that's how Rockford men were back then, although Hanks probably stepped up the machismo even more, thinking there must have been more misogyny, etc. back then. That happens a lot in some movies, maybe since the 1990's. Must have been more racism, more gender stereotypes, more cruelty, more etc. Maybe, but not always. To some degree, a lot of people had their shit together, all through history, and we ended up where we are somehow. Not saying their wasn't stupid stereotyping, just not permeating everything, and not so dorky, as if the perpetrators were always some kind of crazy clueless puppet people. That in itself is stereotyping.
This was a compelling, fun and exciting movie, for kids and women and macho men and baseball fans alike. Something to make women, and Americans, and Rockfordians proud. Today, a visitors centre and museum are being planned next to the baseball field where the Peaches played. And, the news reports, one of the Peaches died yesterday, apparently. (Shirley Burkovich as older Alice.
After the movie, another Tom Hanks movie started up, with views of Chicago, where the story was set. Rockford, Chicago, etc. I guess I live in a relevant region of the country. This Irish boy has been in orbit around Chicago most of his life. I sometimes think I should write books or movies just focusing on this area, like John Hughs. It was apparently enough for him. But I am too distracted by how annoying the people are here. I could come up with the Tom Hanks character in "League of Their Own," but he would be positively obnoxious, and this would be far more true to life. I'm not really in the habit, or [forgot the word], of prettying up the truth to make a buck or sell a fantasy. I'm all about the truth, 'bout the truth, 'bout the truth. And my brother says, "Gee, I guess I can't trust you." I'll bet he also believed Trump colluded. Smart people around here.
Downtown Rockford hasn't changed a lot since those years, it's hay day. The country suburbanised after that, and football became more popular. Baseball was king back when we still felt connected to Britain in many ways, including personality. All those Americans with British-like accents in those old movies, right? Notice, also, there was not a black person on the team, (at least in the movie). There was a point where a black women throws back the ball to Dottie - and I thought for sure the movie would go there, recruiting that woman onto the team. I guess not. The moment was just there to indicate racism. It took time for things to change. Now, most TV sports have become so woke that they are losing viewers.
I watched this movie on the, "Laff," channel or network. Free, through the aerosphere. On that brother's TV! Well, before the next movie, they ran a content advisory. Sort of like a, "storm ahead." "Caution: Parental Advisory." "Some content may be objectionable..." Or such. While the voice and the words ran, one of the greatest visuals played. It was a somewhat overweight woman walking by. You watched her from the back, as she walked away slowly. She is scratching her ass, with her hand lifting her skirt. It really does look objectionable. Disturbing. Hilarious! Hats off to whomever came up with that one.
About the short documentary which inspired the film.
All the women were great in this movie. (I thought Britanny Murphy could have played Dotty's buddy). Near the end of the movie, the team had lost and Dotty went back to Oregon, and surely this can't be the end of the movie! So, it did gratify by actually ending with the team in later years, looking back. Then they broke into song again, which was weird again. Even though this new end completed the movie, I still felt like there was something in the movie missing for me. What was missing? Why did it feel incomplete?
1 - Too much of the same scenery made it feel like it never explored much, maybe.
2 - There was no true m/f romance in this movie which had similarities to a romantic comedy.
3 - No actual Rockford accent anywhere. Most of the girls were from elsewhere. Rosie O'Donnel, Madonna, the old rich guy who was probably the owner, were all sporting New York accents.
4 - Still something else je ne say don't know...
I'd like to find a video where Hanks talks about how he prepared for the character, because I do think he fished around in local bars and clubs or whatnot. He has a lot of annoying vulgarisms common to males around here. Not so sure that's how Rockford men were back then, although Hanks probably stepped up the machismo even more, thinking there must have been more misogyny, etc. back then. That happens a lot in some movies, maybe since the 1990's. Must have been more racism, more gender stereotypes, more cruelty, more etc. Maybe, but not always. To some degree, a lot of people had their shit together, all through history, and we ended up where we are somehow. Not saying their wasn't stupid stereotyping, just not permeating everything, and not so dorky, as if the perpetrators were always some kind of crazy clueless puppet people. That in itself is stereotyping.
This was a compelling, fun and exciting movie, for kids and women and macho men and baseball fans alike. Something to make women, and Americans, and Rockfordians proud. Today, a visitors centre and museum are being planned next to the baseball field where the Peaches played. And, the news reports, one of the Peaches died yesterday, apparently. (Shirley Burkovich as older Alice.
After the movie, another Tom Hanks movie started up, with views of Chicago, where the story was set. Rockford, Chicago, etc. I guess I live in a relevant region of the country. This Irish boy has been in orbit around Chicago most of his life. I sometimes think I should write books or movies just focusing on this area, like John Hughs. It was apparently enough for him. But I am too distracted by how annoying the people are here. I could come up with the Tom Hanks character in "League of Their Own," but he would be positively obnoxious, and this would be far more true to life. I'm not really in the habit, or [forgot the word], of prettying up the truth to make a buck or sell a fantasy. I'm all about the truth, 'bout the truth, 'bout the truth. And my brother says, "Gee, I guess I can't trust you." I'll bet he also believed Trump colluded. Smart people around here.
Downtown Rockford hasn't changed a lot since those years, it's hay day. The country suburbanised after that, and football became more popular. Baseball was king back when we still felt connected to Britain in many ways, including personality. All those Americans with British-like accents in those old movies, right? Notice, also, there was not a black person on the team, (at least in the movie). There was a point where a black women throws back the ball to Dottie - and I thought for sure the movie would go there, recruiting that woman onto the team. I guess not. The moment was just there to indicate racism. It took time for things to change. Now, most TV sports have become so woke that they are losing viewers.
I watched this movie on the, "Laff," channel or network. Free, through the aerosphere. On that brother's TV! Well, before the next movie, they ran a content advisory. Sort of like a, "storm ahead." "Caution: Parental Advisory." "Some content may be objectionable..." Or such. While the voice and the words ran, one of the greatest visuals played. It was a somewhat overweight woman walking by. You watched her from the back, as she walked away slowly. She is scratching her ass, with her hand lifting her skirt. It really does look objectionable. Disturbing. Hilarious! Hats off to whomever came up with that one.
About the short documentary which inspired the film.
Click to view