Film for Thought: Sports Fever @ Sunaparanta - Film Screenings on 11, 12, 18, 19, 26 June & 3 July 2019

It’s world-cup time and to celebrate this month and half of non-stop sport we present ‘Sports Fever @ Sunaparanta’.  Over the next 4 weeks we will showcase six “sports” films that explore the sports field as a metaphor for the game of life.  Presented by Arvind Sivakumaran, the films will be screened at Sunaparanta indoor gallery on 11^th, 12^th, 18^th, 19^th, 26^th June & 3^rd July 2019

Films scheduled as below:

Tuesday, 11^th June ’19 (Basketball) 

Film: Hoosiers (1986)

Starring: Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper

Duration: 1 hr 55 mins

Recently voted “the fourth best sports film of all time” by The American Film Institute, ‘Hoosiers’ features one of Hackman’s most under-rated performances as the coach of a small-town high-school basketball team.

Wednesday, 12^th June ’19 (Athletics) 

Film: Chariots of Fire (1981)

Starring: Ian Charleson, Ian Holm, Ben Cross

Duration: 2 hrs 5 mins

The winner of the 1981 Oscar for Best Picture is remembered mainly for Vangelis’ moving and ethereal music score but is also a beautifully directed drama of two British athletes competing in the 1924 Paris Olympics – one runs to fight bigotry and the other for the greater glory of God.

Tuesday, 18^th June ’19 (Golf) 

Film: Tin Cup (1996)

Starring: Kevin Costner, Rene Russo

Duration: 2 hrs 14 mins

Kevin Costner shines as the loser golf “pro” in this romantic sports comedy who’s always had the talent but not the temperament to make it in the big league. Fate gives him another chance to overcome his mental baggage and finally achieve glory but can he overcome his self destructive nature and win the US open or will he forever remain the “great” that no one has heard of?

Wednesday, 19^th June ’19 (Baseball) 

Film: The Natural (1984)

Starring: Robert Redford

Duration: 2 hrs 18 mins

With a strong emphasis on myth, mysticism and divinity, this allegorical and inspirational adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s novel is a beautifully shot and inspiring parable of Roy Hobbs, the late bloomer who lost his way at a young age but returns to defy age and prove the adage that that you can never put down real talent even in the sports world where youth always has the advantage. 

Wednesday, 26^th June ’19 (Football) 

Film: Fever Pitch (1997)

Starring: Colin Firth

Duration: 1 hr 42 mins

A film that deals with the fan rather than the sportsman, Colin Firth is excellent in an early comedic role as the football mad Arsenal fanatic whose loyalty to the football club threatens his peace of mind and romantic relationship with his football-averse schoolteacher colleague.

Wednesday, 3^rd July ’19 (Chess) 

Film: Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

Starring: Ben Kingsley

Duration: 1 hr 49 mins

The “sports film with rare intelligence”, Steve Zaillian’s introspective drama follows a young child prodigy Josh, as he grapples with the different approaches, strategies and techniques thrown at him by chess coaches and parents who try to cultivate the next Bobby Fischer.