Goal!
—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Soccer Photos)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
Santiago’s dad: “That’s how things get better! That’s how you measure a life!�
Santiago: “It’s your life, not mine.�
Measuring life. For that task, there seem to be as many measuring sticks as there are people. Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) faces a challenge much greater than winning soccer matches. He must confront the issues of personal and corporate significance if he hopes to succeed.
Several themes permeate this film, some predictable, some unlikely and truly surprising. To be honest, I expected a B-rated film that cheated us out of character and plot development. I predicted the typical “American Dream� story where a poor barrio immigrant is snatched from poverty and leads the US team to the World Cup in less than a year. That’s how American off-brand sports films tend to work. However, Goal! surprised me with its candor about the nature of life and success. Three primary themes of the film explore traditionally “un-American� truths.
First, "God gives success in whatever form it comes". In the barrio, an ex-scout watches Santiago play. He asks the coach who taught Santiago to play like that. The coach replies, “God taught him that.� The scout offers him a trial in England, but Santiago’s efforts to start a professional career in soccer are unsuccessful. He tries, but even getting to Europe proves to be a challenge. Worse, when he gets there, he fails time and again. Only with the help and faith of others does he make it to each new level of success. Santiago acknowledges along the way that God is managing his life. He tells his girlfriend that she’d have to ask the saints why he had to come so far to play. He also says at a point of grave failure, “I don’t know why I thought I could do this on my own.� Even in trials, he never abandons his faith. At the end of the film, he makes the sign of the cross as a barroom full of people pray for his success. Unlike the traditional American Dream story, Santiago’s success comes from above.
Second, "Personal passion is better than fame and fortune". Gavin Harris (Alessandro Nivola), the big shot who joins Newcastle United before Santiago shows up, is vilified by fans of the team. His love for endorsements and frivolous living garner insult from true football lovers. Santiago’s girlfriend, Roz Harmison (Anna Friel), fears that he too will change into a Gavin-like star if he makes the team. She says, “I don’t have a problem with footballers. I have a problem with fame.� In typical American films, fame and money are the brass ring of success, but Santiago represents a more grounded perspective as he matures throughout the movie. Though he has his moments and trials, he ultimately sees through the temporal nature of outward success. As he reminds Gavin, “We’re one step away from being busboys.�
Third, the messages, “Dare to Dream Big� and “Hard Work Achieves Success� are common American themes, but most films subscribe to one philosophy or the other. This movie allows for individual choice, which says something bigger than either of the messages alone. Santiago knows that life must hold more than being a lawn maintenance worker, while his dad believes in the value of working hard to make small steps in life. In the second scene of the movie, Santiago lies dreamily on a floating chair in the middle of a client’s massive pool. In contrast, his father calls him back to reality and everyone climbs back into the work truck. These two oppose one another on this issue throughout the film. The interesting thing is that both men succeed in their own right, which begs the bigger question…
How do you measure a life? It’s a great question to ask. Do we measure our lives by how we accomplish success or by what we define as success? Do we succeed by following our passions and living a life we love, or by achieving fleeting rewards like money and power? Do we measure our lives by what we’ve accomplished on our own, or by the continual acknowledgement of what God has done on our behalf and the talents he has given? Santiago seems to land on the spiritual side of the fence in his segment. The word on the street is that this is the first film in a trilogy. I’ll be anxious to see how Santiago continues in his development. How will he define success and will he actually arrive at a “better place?�
This is a surprisingly good movie. It goes a lot deeper than most sports and hobby related films bother to go. The characters are realistic and the acting is well done. Though the ending is predictable, the events leading to it aren’t typical. That means it will be entertaining for those who aren’t even soccer fans. And honestly, as a 32-year old soccer-player, I’m grateful that this film didn’t diminish my favorite sport. There’s nothing worse than a bad movie about your favorite hobby. I’m looking forward to the next installment…
— Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Soccer Photos)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
Santiago’s dad: “That’s how things get better! That’s how you measure a life!�
Santiago: “It’s your life, not mine.�
Measuring life. For that task, there seem to be as many measuring sticks as there are people. Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) faces a challenge much greater than winning soccer matches. He must confront the issues of personal and corporate significance if he hopes to succeed.Several themes permeate this film, some predictable, some unlikely and truly surprising. To be honest, I expected a B-rated film that cheated us out of character and plot development. I predicted the typical “American Dream� story where a poor barrio immigrant is snatched from poverty and leads the US team to the World Cup in less than a year. That’s how American off-brand sports films tend to work. However, Goal! surprised me with its candor about the nature of life and success. Three primary themes of the film explore traditionally “un-American� truths.
First, "God gives success in whatever form it comes". In the barrio, an ex-scout watches Santiago play. He asks the coach who taught Santiago to play like that. The coach replies, “God taught him that.� The scout offers him a trial in England, but Santiago’s efforts to start a professional career in soccer are unsuccessful. He tries, but even getting to Europe proves to be a challenge. Worse, when he gets there, he fails time and again. Only with the help and faith of others does he make it to each new level of success. Santiago acknowledges along the way that God is managing his life. He tells his girlfriend that she’d have to ask the saints why he had to come so far to play. He also says at a point of grave failure, “I don’t know why I thought I could do this on my own.� Even in trials, he never abandons his faith. At the end of the film, he makes the sign of the cross as a barroom full of people pray for his success. Unlike the traditional American Dream story, Santiago’s success comes from above.
Second, "Personal passion is better than fame and fortune". Gavin Harris (Alessandro Nivola), the big shot who joins Newcastle United before Santiago shows up, is vilified by fans of the team. His love for endorsements and frivolous living garner insult from true football lovers. Santiago’s girlfriend, Roz Harmison (Anna Friel), fears that he too will change into a Gavin-like star if he makes the team. She says, “I don’t have a problem with footballers. I have a problem with fame.� In typical American films, fame and money are the brass ring of success, but Santiago represents a more grounded perspective as he matures throughout the movie. Though he has his moments and trials, he ultimately sees through the temporal nature of outward success. As he reminds Gavin, “We’re one step away from being busboys.�
Third, the messages, “Dare to Dream Big� and “Hard Work Achieves Success� are common American themes, but most films subscribe to one philosophy or the other. This movie allows for individual choice, which says something bigger than either of the messages alone. Santiago knows that life must hold more than being a lawn maintenance worker, while his dad believes in the value of working hard to make small steps in life. In the second scene of the movie, Santiago lies dreamily on a floating chair in the middle of a client’s massive pool. In contrast, his father calls him back to reality and everyone climbs back into the work truck. These two oppose one another on this issue throughout the film. The interesting thing is that both men succeed in their own right, which begs the bigger question…
How do you measure a life? It’s a great question to ask. Do we measure our lives by how we accomplish success or by what we define as success? Do we succeed by following our passions and living a life we love, or by achieving fleeting rewards like money and power? Do we measure our lives by what we’ve accomplished on our own, or by the continual acknowledgement of what God has done on our behalf and the talents he has given? Santiago seems to land on the spiritual side of the fence in his segment. The word on the street is that this is the first film in a trilogy. I’ll be anxious to see how Santiago continues in his development. How will he define success and will he actually arrive at a “better place?�
This is a surprisingly good movie. It goes a lot deeper than most sports and hobby related films bother to go. The characters are realistic and the acting is well done. Though the ending is predictable, the events leading to it aren’t typical. That means it will be entertaining for those who aren’t even soccer fans. And honestly, as a 32-year old soccer-player, I’m grateful that this film didn’t diminish my favorite sport. There’s nothing worse than a bad movie about your favorite hobby. I’m looking forward to the next installment…
— Overview
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