A Review and Comparison of "Sleepless in Seattle" and "A League of Their Own"

-
Last night as my wife is wont to do, she suggested watching a movie together.  Now as a dutiful husband, I complied happily, at first.  So we are watching "Sleepless in Seattle" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.  Lovely movie, a little unrealistic but lovely just the same.  So, okay so this is nice and enjoyable but then comes "League of Their Own" with Tom Hanks again.  Now, this being a sports movie, it should be fine but then on finer inspection it comes across as a bonafide movie that mainly females would enjoy (colloquially known as a "Chick Flick" - no offense intended).

Sleepless in Seattle also qualifies but I have to say the Sappiness index (my own creation) goes skyward with "A League of Their Own" because first, it is about a problem that the baseball owners faced during World War II when their best players were tapped to serve in the armed services.  What is a baseball owner to do?  Create a league of women players, of course!  They were plentiful since they weren't drafted to serve and there were a good number of talented athletes ripe for the picking.

So the movie moves along with Tom Hanks as a name but with his best years behind him given that he had fallen into alcoholism and was useless as a player.  My problem is with the interaction with the women, the fact that one of the women's husband dies in combat and the way the letter from the war department is handled is too much.  Then you have the one with the child on the bus for their away games who is a brat beyond words.  Sappy interactions between Tom Hanks character and Gina Davis (who is supposedly married to a soldier who does return with a foot injury.  A foot injury?  Couldn't have had a broken arm or leg?  A foot!)

So, on the grand scale, I would rather watch "Sleepless in Seattle" long before another grueling couple of hours with "A League of Their Own".   Don't get me wrong, they are both sappy but at least "Sleepless" does have a satisfying ending. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What If?

-
In all of the English language, no two words personify hope and the unexpected as What If.  These 2 words form the basis for most if not almost all stories we hold near and dear to our hearts.  It is a very prolific technique for exploring a new idea for a novel, screenplay, poem, prose and any other form where words dominate.  Personally, I like to ask the What If? question for any point in my life where I had to make a decision that formed the iconic fork in the road.  What if I had not married her?  What if I hadn't left this college?  What if I had not finished college, what might I have done?  Given the way life went, what if I had pursued my true dream instead of the safe path I actually followed? What if can also be applied to purely fictional enterprises like What if our legal system was more of a lottery than a process.  In other words, you are accused, they roll the dice which determines guilt, innocents and the length of your prison t...
Read more

Are You Paranoid or Just Careful?

-
Throughout my life I have been lumbered with this particular label and not in a particularly flattering way mind you.  Paranoia seems to be used very loosely when describing someone who may just be a bit more careful (or informed?). Some of us may have a very good reason to believe that we are being watched, followed, targeted by groups (yes if the government) or otherwise nefariously engaged.  I believe the problem is people lull themselves into a false sense of security.  False in the sense that it makes no sense whatsoever that anyone is at anytime immune to violent attacks.  Now will that attack be from a terrorist, organized crime or government entity, who knows.  The point is, as my psychology professor use to say, sometimes someone is following you.  No one wants to believe that we are not completely safe at any given moment.  However, there are events that seem to threaten that particular point of view.  My own take on this situation is ...
Read more

Conscientious Objection

-
Way back when I was in the process of graduating high school, we along with probably every other high school in the union were required to take the ASVAB test (ASVAB, or Armed Services Vocation Aptitude Battery, is a test given to determine suitability to serve in the armed services). The test covered among many other topics, mathematics, simple, applied and theoretical and tools by showing you a picture and you have to determine what said tool was designed for.  I was shall we say deficient in my advanced knowledge of math and some of those tools looked more like implements for torture than anything else.  Needless to say, I did not do well in these areas but exceeded quite effectively in all other areas.  Since I was determined to pursue a career in the ministry (Fundamental Baptist Minister to be exact), insufficient mathematical skills were not a concern.  Since doing well on the test, I was contacted by the US Army recruiter in our little tow...
Read more