This Sporting Life
Despite success on the field, a rising rugby star senses the emerging emptiness of his life as his inner angst begins to materialize through aggression and brutality, so he attempts to woo his landlad…
This Sporting Life
Despite success on the field, a rising rugby star senses the emerging emptiness of his life as his inner angst begins to materialize through aggression and brutality, so he attempts to woo his landlady in hopes of finding reason to live. In Northern England in the early 1960s, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver. Machin lodges with Mrs Hammond, whose husband was killed in an accident at Weaver's, but his impulsive and angry nature stop him from being able to reach her as he would like. He becomes increasingly frustrated with his situation, and this is not helped by the more straightforward enticements of Mrs Weaver. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26} In drab early-1960s Wakefield, the volatile and aggressive young miner, Frank Machin, is determined to earn himself a place in the tough world of professional rugby and the local team. Hopelessly in love with his widowed and gloomily beautiful landlady, Mrs Margaret Hammond, Frank finds himself caught in the middle of his ferocious ambition and his unrequited love for the unattainable object of his desire, completely unable to break free from the agony of his bottled-up emotions. Now, all the riches of the world can't buy Frank happiness. What is the price the rough rugby player will have to pay for his success? —Nick Riganas Seeing the general adulation paid to the players even off the field, Yorkshire coal miner Frank Machin, through a series of actions, is able to secure an official tryout with his town's league rugby team. While his rough and largely ungentlemanly conduct on the field garners mixed reactions from those who will make the decision on whether he makes the team, he not only ends up making the team, but is able to negotiate a lucrative signing bonus, the money which he tries to use to make himself happy. His play generally does make him a fan favorite and a media darling in epitomizing pure masculinity. However, he is unable to impress the one person he really wants to impress, namely widowed working class Margaret Hammond. In having rented a room in her house for the past few months, Frank lives with Margaret and her two adolescent children, Lynda and Ian. She has shut down emotionally ever since her husband Eric died in an industrial accident, she still needing that connection to him in keeping and polishing his work boots which she keeps hidden in a cupboard. She is unaware of the rumor, probably which is reality and which Frank has heard, concerning Eric's death, it placing their strained relationship into context. —Huggo
This Sporting Life
Drama,Sport
Film Details
Despite success on the field, a rising rugby star senses the emerging emptiness of his life as his inner angst begins to materialize through aggression and brutality, so he attempts to woo his landlady in hopes of finding reason to live. In Northern England in the early 1960s, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver. Machin lodges with Mrs Hammond, whose husband was killed in an accident at Weaver's, but his impulsive and angry nature stop him from being able to reach her as he would like.
He becomes increasingly frustrated with his situation, and this is not helped by the more straightforward enticements of Mrs Weaver. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26} In drab early-1960s Wakefield, the volatile and aggressive young miner, Frank Machin, is determined to earn himself a place in the tough world of professional rugby and the local team. Hopelessly in love with his widowed and gloomily beautiful landlady, Mrs Margaret Hammond, Frank finds himself caught in the middle of his ferocious ambition and his unrequited love for the unattainable object of his desire, completely unable to break free from the agony of his bottled-up emotions.
Now, all the riches of the world can't buy Frank happiness. What is the price the rough rugby player will have to pay for his success? —Nick Riganas Seeing the general adulation paid to the players even off the field, Yorkshire coal miner Frank Machin, through a series of actions, is able to secure an official tryout with his town's league rugby team. While his rough and largely ungentlemanly conduct on the field garners mixed reactions from those who will make the decision on whether he makes the team, he not only ends up making the team, but is able to negotiate a lucrative signing bonus, the money which he tries to use to make himself happy.
His play generally does make him a fan favorite and a media darling in epitomizing pure masculinity. However, he is unable to impress the one person he really wants to impress, namely widowed working class Margaret Hammond. In having rented a room in her house for the past few months, Frank lives with Margaret and her two adolescent children, Lynda and Ian.
She has shut down emotionally ever since her husband Eric died in an industrial accident, she still needing that connection to him in keeping and polishing his work boots which she keeps hidden in a cupboard. She is unaware of the rumor, probably which is reality and which Frank has heard, concerning Eric's death, it placing their strained relationship into context. —Huggo.