THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510060052
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
IN A HEADLONG dash to film a movie about underdogs who win in every possible sport, the Disney studio now tries to soccer it to us.
``The Big Green'' is the familiar story of misfits who come from behind and learn to smile, and win, when they muster their forces to overcome bullies (all of whom look like regular guys). Even the little ones are old enough, perhaps, to have seen this one before. ``The Mighty Ducks'' wasn't that long ago.
The title refers to a tired old playing field that once was the scene of big triumphs in the fading town of Elma, Texas (population 2,000).
From the looks of things, people haven't been getting paychecks in Elma. The houses are unpainted. The kids are so bored that they amuse themselves by pouring Chee-tos on themselves and letting the pigeons pick them off.
Things change when a shapely blond creature comes to town and teaches the misfits to play soccer. She's British and she was once a Bond girl (Olivia d'Abo). She's now given up being sexy to train the kiddies, but Steve Guttenberg (he's baaack) notices. He's the bumbling local sheriff who used to be the local football star.
Among the kids, there's the fat one, who learns to push his weight around; and the troubled little girl, who learns to laugh; and so forth. Everyone is happy once they learn to kick each other.
This all leads to the big game, in which our team plays against the big boys from nearby Austin. The result is thoroughly predictable.
Along the way, though, even a movie as simple, and seemingly harmless as this one sneaks in several troubling aspects.
For example:
At one point, a character sneaks in a knock at ``Reaganomics.'' Hollywood's liberal stance is well known and they are entitled to dramatize their viewpoint in any way that serves the plot, but why be so persistently sneaky about it? No one goes to a movie like ``The Big Green'' expecting to get a political statement.
It is suggested that athletic success instantly solves all the woes of life, including bad grades, low self-esteem and clueless parents. There can be more important achievements than merely winning a game. Movies should, occasionally send out alternative suggestions.
The good-guy team is made up of a mix of girls and boys, both whites and ethnic minorities, while the villain team is made up of all white males. This distinction is too common in movies. Racism is racism.
But, after all, ``The Big Green'' is just a repeat of earlier so-called ``feel good'' movies.
If nothing else, is proves that Steve Guttenberg can still get employment after all those ``Police Academy'' gigs. ILLUSTRATION: MOVIE REVIEW
``The Big Green''
Cast: Steve Guttenberg, Olivia d'Abo, Jay O. Sanders
Director and Writer: Holly Goldberg Sloan
MPAA rating: PG (language)
Mal's rating: **
Locations: Chesapeake Square, Greenbrier 13 in Chesapeake; Janaf
in Norfolk; Kemps River, Lynnhaven 8, Pembroke in Virginia Beach
by CNB