The new Nelson Mandela movie: one of the best sports films of all time?
Invictus inspires, but does it rank as one of the best sports movies of all time?
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the new movie stars Morgan Freeman as South African President Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as captain of the national rugby team. Based on a true story, the PG-13-rated film focuses on Mandela’s effort to unite post-apartheid South Africa behind the team’s quest to win the 1995 World Cup. (A quick aside: Now I know why they call them rugby shirts.)
My reporting trip to South Africa this fall, which included a tour of the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, piqued my interest in the movie.
Before David Duncan, Mike Avery and I flew home, Southern Africa Bible College director Fred Bergh took us to see Pretoria, the presidential capital of South Africa. Fred, a white man who is a former South African ambassador to the United Nations, talked in glowing terms about Mandela, whom he knew personally, and the Nobel Peace Prize winner’s efforts to bring together all of South Africa’s people, regardless of color.
Fred told me:
I never worked on a permanent basis with former President Mandela but had dealings with him before and after his assumption of office, firstly when I was political and legal adviser to the former Foreign Minister and then as a diplomat in New York. He is an exceptional person, and his greatest qualities, in my view, are his humility, his honesty, his forgiving nature and his unflinching quest to apply the principles of fairness and justice for all. It was fitting that the country was first called a rainbow nation under his presidency.
Invictus, which Tamie and I saw at the $5 matinee Friday, highlights all those traits.
The majestic government buildings that Fred showed us are featured prominently in the movie, as are the shanty towns where the poor live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials. The scenery certainly looked familiar!
Beyond the racial and historical overtones, this is — at its heart — an exhilarating, entertaining sports film where the classic underdog battles to overcome the odds. Think Hoosiers, The Rookie, Miracle, Rudy, Karate Kid, Rocky and even the recently released Blind Side, but don’t forget to Remember the Titans.
If those stories made your pulse race and put a big smile on your face, this one will, too.
Your turn: What are your top five favorite sports movies of all time? Rank them from 1 to 5.
— Bobby
Thanks for this. John and I are looking forward to this movie. And neither one of us are sports fans.
Thanks, Paula. I’ll be curious what you think about it.
Last night I went with friends from work to see it. Over coffee afterwards, one of my friends talked about what it was like experiencing these events first-hand as an Afrikaner in South Africa. She said the film brought back so many memories. First of all, she was impressed with Freeman’s and Damon’s accents…saying they were spot-on. Also, she indicated that the filmmakers did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of what the South Africans felt and experienced during that time. Her family had gathered to celebrate her 21st birthday and watched the match together on a big screen. Although they didn’t realize it at the time, she said that when Mandela walked onto the field wearing the #6 jersey of the Springboks (South African national rugby team, a deep-rooted symbol of Apartheid) it was a major turning point for their country and its racial reconciliation. The celebrations in the streets afterward were the first time they had done so without fear of violence and riots. She said her parents have made big changes in their outlook since then. On the other hand, her brother has not (still doesn’t want to use the same facilities as blacks, send his kids to school with blacks, etc.). She said that the black middle class is growing and that it’s not unusual to see blacks buying homes in previously-white-only neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the shanty towns are still prevalent. Despite the fact that the country’s old flag (another symbol of Apartheid) was not banned, you never see it flown at sporting events any more. She said the rugby was very realistic too, and she wanted to jump up and cheer during the film. She wondered if the rest of us (who didn’t share that same personal connection with the story) would find it boring. We didn’t. I’m a sucker for sports movies and a sucker for movies about racial reconciliation, so I didn’t stand a chance.
Thanks for the post. Having seen it last night, it was nice to get a perspective from someone who has been there, and in the comments, someone who has lived it. Beautiful stuff.
As far as Invictus goes, I think it was very good for the “important” parts. Some weak points did exist, though. For example, I like that Eastwood didn’t feel like he had to spell everything out, but he could have been more clear about identifying key characters. I think that was Mandela’s daughter he was talking to in his house toward the end, but I’m not really sure. The most glaring weakness in my opinion was the distracting way in which the poem was narrated. We weren’t really free to focus on what it actually said because there was so much going on on the screen. I got the idea that it was very inspirational, but I missed bits and pieces of it. Overall, it was a very good film, but I don’t think it belongs in the “Best Sports Movies of All Time” discussion. I would like to see a Nelson Mandela biopic that doesn’t rely so much on the sports storyline.
Having said all that, here are my Top 5:
5. We Are Marshall
4. Rocky
3. Field of Dreams
2. Remember the Titans
1. Raging Bull
Of the ones you listed, I haven’t seen Hoosiers or The Blind Side, but have seen the others.
Jonathan and Robert,
Many thanks for your comments! Been traveling, so apologies for my delayed response.
I had forgotten about We Are Marshall. Loved that movie. And guess I haven’t seen Raging Bull. Maybe I need to.
– Bobby