How far would you go to live your dream? When Santiago Munez is given the chance of a lifetime, he must leave his family, his life in Los Angeles and everything that he knows to travel halfway around the globe to England and into a completely foreign world – the exciting, fast-paced and glamorous world of international soccer.
Release Date: May 12, 2006 Studio: Touchstone Pictures Director: Danny Cannon
Screenwriter: Adrian Butchart, Mike Jefferies, Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais Starring: Kuno Becker, Stephen Dillane, Anna Friel, Marcel Iures, Sean Pertwee, Alessandro Nivola Genre: Action, Drama Official Website: Goalmovie.com
MPAA: Rated PG for language, sexual situations, and some thematic material including partying. (edited from PG-13 version) Runtime: 118 min
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM, and MPAA.ORG.
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SYNOPSIS
“I’ve spent muddy days watching young lads beat the hell out of each other. But once in a while, there’s one that comes along and lifts your heart.”
--Glen Foy in “Goal! The Dream Begins”
Like every kid, Santiago Munez has a big dream. But unlike every kid, he’s given the rare opportunity to make that dream come true -- if he’s willing to put his fears aside, travel thousands of miles from home, and hold his own with some of the best in the world. The intense pressure and personal sacrifice prove costly for Santiago on his quest -- but will they be enough to keep this gifted, determined young athlete and fledgling hero from his ultimate “Goal”?
When Santiago crossed the border into America at the age of 10, he had two things in his possession: his football and a tattered picture of the World Cup. Working menial jobs while growing up in Los Angeles, Santiago’s (Kuno Becker) passion was playing football. Convincing his father that he could be an international football star was another story: “There are two types of people in this world,” declared the elder Munez, “People in big houses, and people like us who cut their lawns and wash their cars.”
But when Brit Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane), an amiable former football player and sometime scout spots Santiago at a local L.A. match, he recognizes a deft, fast and brave footballer -- the kind of talent that the glamorous English Premier League Club, Newcastle United, is hungry for.
Now thrust into a foreign land where football is a religion and Newcastle’s St. James’ Park its cathedral, this young American must prove that he’s got the grit and the game to win a contract with one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world. Muddy fields, cold winds and crunching blows from teammates -- not to mention personal woes, injuries, and the temptations of life in the fast lane -- are just a few of the obstacles Santiago must overcome to triumph in the heady, heart-pounding world of international football.
"Goal! The Dream Begins" takes audiences into the electrifying, heart-pounding action of the world's most popular sport and features cameos from the soccer's hottest superstars such as David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Raúl, and Newcastle captain Alan Shearer.
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... 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...
— Continued
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