The Pride of the Yankees (Collector's Edition)
This was another movie that I hadn't really planned to watch until spring training started in the spring, but because I was really starting to feel the pressure to pick up the pace I decided to watch the movie earlier than I had originally planned. The pressure really started to intensify around Christmas when I was working more, and had less time and motivation to watch a movie every day let alone the two a day I would need to do to finally catch up. Luckily this was a movie I was able to watch with my Grandpa, who likes stories that are based on real events or people and set in any time-period before the 1980s. I don't know what he has against movies dating after 1980, but I wouldn't trade the night we spent watching this together for anything.
After having watched the movie:
(Possible spoilers below)
I have to agree with my Grandpa, there's something about a movie that is based on either true events or a real person that gives the movie a different kind of value to me. And not really being a baseball fan, I don't know that I would have sat down and watched the movie on my own. I mean, I'm not really interested in the disease and before watching the movie I had very little interest in the player. Making the movie and continuing to tell Lou's story though gives the disease a recognizable face.
Side note, I also realize there is Stephen Hawkin who has also served as a more modern face to the disease. However to ten year old boys, I just don't think he's as interesting as a MLB Baseball Hall of Fame Athlete. Sorry nerds.
Final thoughts: I feel like I've said it enough that if it wasn't already a cliche, that I've turned it into one, but movies like any other form of art have a different impact on people. The Pride of the Yankees wasn't only about ALS or the story of a baseball great, but instead it really was about who Lou was as a person. In fact, I really think the movie is improperly titled. I thought I was going to get the story of one of Lou's greatest years playing for the Yankees, and instead I got an insight to his life. Or at least a writer and directors take on who and what Lou was like. After all, the movie was released within two years of Gehrig's death.
For those who are interested in learning more about ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and Lou Gehrig's accomplishments while playing for the Yankees, I've enclosed the links respectively.
OFFICIAL COUNT 149 DOWN 216 TO GO
Next up: Annie Hall
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