SPORTS BOOKS VS THE MOVIES THEY INSPIRED

In Hollywood, everything is recycled. Sets are reused time and time again, actors replay the same role in several different movies, and, of course, plots are "borrowed" from all over the world to be remade into movies. It's no secret that books make up a large portion of these plundered story sources, and so it would be silly to expect sports movies to be any better. Many sports movies, just like many movies of all kinds, find their origin in novels that have been largely forgotten. Instead of just accepting this as the new world order however, we want to give the books a fighting chance. We're not saying that some of these stories aren't told better on the screen than on the page, we just think the page deserves a shot to stand up for itself. Here are our sportsbook reviews:

Fever Pitch, first published in 1998, is Nick Hornby's attempt at chronicling his life within the context of his fanatical obsession with the Arsenal football club. Each chapter is defined by one particularly memorable Arsenal match and the memories of life, love, writing, and soccer that Hornby associates with the game. In this way Hornby creates a backdrop of soccer, through which his experiences, his wit, and his ideas are all filtered. Fever Pitch is considered one of the greatest sports books of all time by many since it so expertly combines a real-life vision of football fanaticism and the sharp, intelligent musings of the author.

Pros:

• Several delightful examples of Hornby's unique, wicked sense of humor
• Provides extensive information about the game of soccer, without bogging down the quick pace of the narrative
• Very intimate, realistic view of football fandom

Cons:

• Occasionally overly sentimental or whiny
• Long sequences that tend to drag
• Somewhat lacking in soccer action sequences

The American movie version of Fever Pitch was released in 2005 and stars Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. The main character Ben (Fallon) is, in this version, no longer a devoted Arsenal fan but a lifelong Boston Red Socks supporter, and his love interest (Barrymore) becomes the center of his focus. So, rather than musing over the intricacies of fanaticism, or searching for the path through soccer to maturity, Fallon spends most of the picture making jokes and comically attempting to reconcile his intense passion for the Red Socks with his new found love of Barrymore. The movie ends with Fallon and Barrymore marrying while the Red Socks go on to win the World Series.

Pros:

• Good chemistry between Fallon and Barrymore
• A great romantic comedy for date night
• Plenty of great jokes for Red Socks or Yankees fans

Cons:

• Extremely formulaic plot
• Lacking in humor for a romantic comedy
• Less interesting for most Americans to learn about baseball than soccer

The generic plot and dialogue of the film version  keep it from stepping beyond the realm of a cheap date-night movie. Where the book is propelled by its fascinating stories and biting humor, the movie is held back by its lack of both. In essence, the book wins this round because, unlike the movie, it actually had a story to tell.

The Junction Boys, by Jim Dent, tells the story of coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his efforts to revive a losing Texas A&M football team by forcing its players through some of the most grueling training practices ever recorded. In 1954, During the peek of a Texan drought, Bryant brought all 111 boys on the A&M football team to the small town of Junction. There, in the gravel, thorns, and cacti he abused, bullied, and ran the boys to the point of complete exhaustion, day after day. The book makes vivid notes of the brutality of both Bryant and his practices, revealing how Bryant purposefully kept his team from staying hydrated, broke one boy's nose with his own forehead, and took some sick pleasure in humiliating the less talented boys.

Pros:

• Accounts of Bryant's tactics which are, at times, shocking and fascinating
• Memorable characters with whom a reader can connect and empathize
• Funny, inspirational, horrifying, and nauseating stories abound in the lives of the boys

Cons:

• Mr. Dent's writing occasionally feels juvenile or underdeveloped
• By the end of the book the reader has to wonder if 291 pages may have been too many to cover only a ten-day period
• Dent's frequent attempts to imagine Bryant's thoughts feel forced and unnatural at times

In ESPN's attempt to retell Dent's tale as a made-for-TV movie, Tom Berenger plays the old Bear and a cast of unknowns take on the roles of the boys. The same basic story, of a coach cutting the fat off his team with a grueling ten day training camp, remains the same. However, many of the shocking, horrifying, or unsettling accounts of Bryant's behavior have been either cut or forgotten. The story is instead presented as an inspiring message of what a little bit of "toughness" and a refusal to quit can accomplish. Rather than a biopic on the unforgettable character that is coach Bryant, the movie is a traditional football flick with a message.

Pros:

• Solid performance by Berenger as coach Bryant
• Occasionally very funny dialogue
• Well choreographed action scenes

Cons:

• Missing many of the gut-wrenching scenes that made the book so intriguing and memorable
• Meager performances on the part of the boys
• Poorly executed low-budget production

The book, although hardly perfect, is endlessly intriguing thanks to the impressive amount of research that went into it, and the unbelievable stories it tells. So, although Bryant is a fascinating character in, and the focus of, both pieces, it is only in the book that the reader is given a true sense of the coach's ambitions for his camp. By removing many of these shocking stories and instead telling the story of a football team who learned to be tough, the movie lost it's ability to compete with the book.

Shoeless Joe, by W.P. Kinsella, is a classic story of baseball and redemption. It tells the story of Ray Kinsella, a novice farmer with a love of baseball. One day, after being told by an unidentified voice "If you build it, he will come," Ray begins building a baseball field in the middle of his farm. Intuitively, he understands that this is what the voice had meant, and soon unidentified voices begin giving him many more instructions. Through the course of obeying these instructions Ray eventually helps J.D. Salinger, the 8 black sox, himself, and others find redemption and absolution through baseball.

Pros:

• Intriguing integration of important historical figures
• Inspirational and heart-warming without being cheesy
• Complex themes of religion, redemption, and perseverance work very well together

Cons:

• Some very flat characters drag the rest down a bit
• In some place relies too heavily on "magic" or coincidence as explanation
• Seems too short to adequately cover the entire story

Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner, is the Hollywood remake of Shoeless Joe. The main story remains largely untouched by the film makers, though the small changes are noticeable. No longer is J.D. Salinger a prominent character, but instead Terence Mann, an author and political activist, takes his place, and the religious themes are all but eliminated. In exchange for those concessions, however, the film version offers us a spectacular performance by Costner, and a meatier antagonist in Timothy Busfield's Mark.

Pros:

• Possibly Kevin Costner's all time best performance
• Beautiful shots of rural Iowa
• Emotionally charged and tense

Cons:

• A couple of instances of unnecessary or boring dialogue
• Can sometimes feel overly sentimental
• Requires a greater than usual suspension of disbelief

Watching Field of Dreams is an experience beyond a basic story. Between the soaring soundtrack, the memorable characters, and Kevin Costner's once in a lifetime performance, the film moves viewers to cheer for the goofy dreamer, whether on-screen or off. While the book too is a great story with universal themes, it simply can't make hopeful idealism look as good as the movie.

The 16th Round tells the stunning tale of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and his struggle to find justice in the racist American society of the fifties and sixties. Carter, at the beginning of the book, is an up and coming middleweight boxer who seems poised to take the championship in only a few years. He fights both in the ring, against famous opponents such as Emile Griffith or Jimmy Ellis, and out of it, against the racist system that tries to keep Carter from becoming a success. Eventually, the racial tension comes to a head when Carter is wrongly arrested for the murder of three people and sent to the penitentiary. Although the book clearly shows the injustice that Carter faced, it also paints a realistic picture of Carter who, before being arrested for murder, had been arrested for burglary, assault, and many misdemeanors. The book is honest, touching, and at times infuriating.

Pros:

• Gritty, realistic depictions of life for Carter
• Interesting look at racist America
• Emotionally charged plot-line

Cons:

• Unimpressive, basic use of language
• Appeals to emotion seem forced in many places
• Almost exclusively anecdotal

The movie version, starring Denzel Washington, begins later in the life of Carter, and focuses mostly on his wrongful conviction to and eventual release from prison. The film features an incredible performance  by Washington and several significant, memorable scenes. As Carter is released from prison, Denzel's expressions and tones create one of the most authentic atmospheres in all of film. Unfortunately, in their efforts to demonstrate the injustice that Carter faced, the makers of the movie were more than willing to sacrifice much of the factual accuracy. Carter is shown as a much more righteous man than he was in reality, while his opponents, prosecutors, and contemporaries are all portrayed as more corrupt and racist than they actually were.

Pros:

• Terrific acting on the part of Washington
• Several moving scenes of injustice
• A few character pairings that produce fantastic dialogue

Cons:

• Complete misrepresentation of many facts
• Lack of convincing boxing action
• Weak performances by peripheral characters

While the movie does find itself struggling to remain true to life, Denzel Washington's recreation of Carter's struggles makes for the more interesting story. The 16th round is an important read, if only to understand the common mind-set at the time, but The Hurricane will much more effectively move the consumer to really think about the problems associated with race.

For Love of The Game, by Michael Shaara, is an exploration of what it is that defines the difference between boyhood and manhood. The book tells the story of Billy Chapel, a fictional giant of the baseball world who is stuck in the twilight of his career. On the day that his team is set to play its last game of the season, Chapel finds out that he is being traded after the game, effectively ending his career in baseball. On top of this, since his girlfriend stood him up the night before, he reasons that she has moved on without him. With all this in mind, Chapel takes the mound and begins pitching the perfect game, while thinking critically about baseball, his girlfriend, and his entire self-image. Eventually Chapel determines that it's time to leave childhood behind and enter manhood. He gives up baseball (his youth), and tries to reconcile with his girlfriend (his manhood).

Pros:

• Several moments of impressive thought on "manhood" and maturity
• A character with several dimensions that the reader can still identify with
• Unique narrative format

Cons:

• Occasionally self-indulgent
• Prone to overly-long, flowery descriptions
• Focalization shifts become confusing at times

In the movie version, also starring Kevin Costner, Chapel is still a past-his-prime pitcher in his last game against the Yankees. He has still recently found out that he is to be traded after the game, and he still is reeling over being stood up by his girlfriend. However, in the film we also learn that his girlfriend is leaving without him for London the day after the game takes place. With that in mind, the Costner version completely shifts focus from the personal growth of the protagonist to his relationship with his girlfriend. Chapel spends his time on the mound thinking about his lost love, and eventually realizes that she is what is truly important to him. In the film baseball no longer represents youth, but instead the frivolity of living life alone. The movie ends with Costner pitching the perfect game and then going to the airport where he meets his love.

Pros:

• A few scenes that feel truly poignant
• Extraordinarily accurate in its portrayal of the sport of baseball
• A great feel-good romance

Cons:

• A few very boring, unnecessary scenes
• Very pushy moralizing
• Mediocre performances all 'round

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Just as we saw earlier in Fever Pitch, Hollywood has a habit of sacrificing the important themes of a piece of literature for a more accessible story line. While the film version of For Love of The Game is a sweet and entertaining story, it's simply not unique or important in any way. The book, by taking on the hefty ideas of maturity and the nature of manhood, clinches its position as the much more impressive piece of art.

Friday Night Lights tells the story of a high school football team in the small Texan town of Odessa. The team is on its way to the state championship, and everyone in the town is putting pressure on the team to bring home the victory. Although the book deals with concepts as varied and deep as race relations, the role of education, and what obligations parents have to their children, the main focus of the book is still football, and the importance of the sport to the players, the coach, and especially to the people of Odessa. Through the trials of the boys, especially poor Boobie, we learn that football isn't just a sport to the town, but the catalyst that allows the community to exist in the first place.

Pros:

• Intriguing look at an unfamiliar culture
• Memorable, lovable characters
• Exhaustively researched

Cons:

• Occasionally tries to tackle too many weighty concepts at once
• Less interesting characters bog down the narrative
• Language is often inconsistent with action

The film version of Friday Night Lights tells essentially the same story that the book does. However, the focus in the movie has shifted from football as catharsis to the personal struggles that football creates within the team. In fact, much of the film seems to be centered on how each member of the team, coach included, can enjoy the sport of football while overcoming football at the same time. Players are injured, scared, unsure of their future outside of football, or bullied by those who expect better performance, all while trying to still enjoy the game of football.

Pros:

• Great performances by Billy Bob Thorton as Coach Gaines and Derek Luke as Boobie
• Impressive football action scenes
• Almost perfect soundtrack; one of the best ever

Cons:

• Overly sentimental during several key scenes
• Not enough focus on the infinitely interesting Brian Chavez
• Making Boobie's injury the fault of the coach makes his struggle less interesting

Both the film and the movie are fascinating stories with interesting themes and well-developed characters. That being said, the movie's exploration of the teams reliance on, but eagerness to rise above, the town's idea of football is simply the more intriguing tale. Combined with some fine performances and a truly unbeatable soundtrack, this puts the movie a small step above the book.

The Legend of Bagger Vance is an almost spiritual tale of one man's search for redemption. Rannulph Junah is a once-great golfer who has been left beleaguered and disturbed by his experiences in the first World War. In fact, Junah is left so despondent that when the leaders of Savannah, his home town, approach him and offer to let him play in an upcoming tournament with some of the biggest names in golf, he refuses. Shortly after, a mysterious man, who identifies himself as Bagger Vance, also approaches Junah and, after offering to be the Junah's caddy, convinces him to enter the tournament. Through the course of the tournament, Bagger Vance then teaches Junah to overcome his demons while improving his lost golf game. The zen teachings of Bagger Vance eventually let Junah recapture his former glory and happiness.

Pros:

• Author's expert knowledge of the game of golf
• Awesome parallels to Hindu mythology
• Interesting zen philosophies

Cons:

• Major over-description of the golf courses
• Needlessly complicated point of view
• Occasionally forced "wisdom" from Vance

The film version features Matt Damon as Junah, Will Smith as Vance, and Charlize Theron as the additional character "Adele," Junah's love interest. Junah is still a disturbed veteran who refuses to take part in a large golf tournament, but in the film it is his ex-girlfriend Adele who is hosting the tournament. Bagger Vance then shows up on cue and convinces Damon that he must play in the tournament. Through the course of the tournament, Vance spends his time teaching Junah that he must be peaceful and leave his past behind him if he is to regain his ability and his love. Eventually Junah is within one shot of winning the tournament, but instead calls a penalty on himself and ends with a tie for first place. Vance sees this as a sign that he can leave Junah, who is soon rejoined with Adele.

Pros:

• Beautiful shots of Georgian greens
• A feel-good ending
• Working chemistry between Damon and Smith

Cons:

• Extremely simplified idea of "zen"
• Focus on romance instead of growth
• No attempts to explain the advent of Bagger Vance

The beauty, magic, and spirituality of the book all stem from the combination of Junah's daunting problems and Vance's deep words of advice. Unfortunately, by making Junah's major problem a romantic one, and having Vance speak in simple, unmystical terms robs the movie of all the feeling it should have had. The actors, director, and scenes of the movie are terrific, but the focus is simply lost.