I came to a conclusion last night. The 1970s were full of fantastic films about losers. The Sting is basically about a couple of losers, as much as Robert Redford and Paul Newman can be losers. Animal House, huge bunch of losers. The Jerk for crying out loud! Here we have another such film, about a serious group of losers, again directed by George Roy Hill and starring Paul Newman called Slap Shot.
Take the premise: a down and out minor league hockey team. The loser league of the loser of American sports. Sorry, hockey fans, but you know it. Paul plays Reggie Dunlop, the aging captain and coach of the Charlestown Chiefs. Reggie is the ultimate loser, we have the standard estranged wife thing (which of course confounds the brain), but more importantly all that Reggie knows is hockey and he doesn't seem to be very good at it.
Problems arise when the Charlestown mill announces it's closing and soon the team will fold. Desperate to hang on to the only life he's ever known, Reggie spins a yarn about the team being sold to a town in Florida. At the time, he starts a strategy that is basically beating people up and inciting opponents to violence, which is, let's face it, the best part of hockey. Inspired by this film, I've tried to get the San Antonio Spurs to implement a similar strategy in the NBA Playoffs to no avail. They have talent and standards which the Chiefs certainly do not. The new strategy and lies breathe life into the team and their fan base grows as they inspire vitriol in every city they travel to. The Chiefs make it all the way to the finals or some sort of minor league championship. Armed with this news, Reggie goes and seeks out the team's owner to find it is a woman who could sell the team, but would rather fold the team in order to get a tax break. He returns to the game, knowing he's doomed, ready to play it straight which is a miscalculation because the other team has a roster made up of the felons of minor league hockey. They get beaten up and suffer, then go in during half time and the manager of the team reveals that the stands are full of NHL scouts, ready to give them contracts. So, they quickly decide to revert to the strategy of beating people up. I really don't want to ruin the ending for you on this one. It does hold with my theory of loser endings.
Anyway, this film has some incredible use of profanity, not that it's shocking, it's just so profuse that it borders on absurd. The supporting cast is incredible, each managing to shine in their own moments throughout the film. The only actor who doesn't take my interest is Michael Ontkean as Ned Braden, who for most of the film has the thankless job of playing the straight man. He pales in comparison to the rest of the motley crew. Take the Hanson brothers, who must be some of the most bizarre characters in the history of cinema.
Slap Shot isn't a film that feels driven by Dunlop. He seems to be sailing with no direction, tossed from side to side by the events of his world. He tries to get ahead but never quite manages it, which makes the film all the more charming. Newman is somehow perfect as a hockey loser, even though that right off the bat doesn't inspire confidence. I've said before that he's not comfortable in light comedy, but he was perfect for this sort of absurdist cynical comedy. He does so well saying so little in this film, not getting all the comic highlights of the film, but somehow is its soul. I think it's not a film you can quite get on the first try, which immediately makes it a hard sell and to some extent you do need a working knowledge of seventies comedy. It's a great sports movie, it's got to be the best hockey movie ever, although I have to admit, I don't really seek out a lot of hockey movies.
So, what do you think of the 1970s being the era of the loser? In the mean time, you should just watch this clip of cars playing hockey from Top Gear. Please note the subtle tribute to this film.
Top Gear - Suzuki Swift Ice Hockey by joeyjack
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