This page was created on August 16, 2000
and was updated on May 29, 2005

SYNOPSIS:
Success is often a matter of blind luck, and some deserving people, talented in their own right, never get a crack at it. Such has been the fate of Shane "Footsteps" Falco (KEANU REEVES), once a hot All American prospect on the football field. Shane can only regret what's behind him, and can't even begin to imagine what's ahead. But Fate is not through with Shane. When League players decide to strike, leaving the prospect of empty fields (and equally empty stadiums) for team owners to contemplate, the Washington Sentinels scramble for a solution. When they bring contentious and self-retired head coach Jimmy McGinty (GENE HACKMAN) back into the fold, McGinty seeks out players who will play with their hearts rather than their wallets. For the League, the situation is a disaster, but for Shane and a mismatched crew of outsiders, it's a second chance to grab at sports stardom. As they amaze everyone with their winning streak, the ragtag group discovers in itself the ability to hope for more than they ever thought possible...maybe even the playoffs, which has been denied to the Sentinels for seven years.

MONEY HUNGRY SELF CENTERED RICH GUYS.
I think what we are experiencing in our culture is a real turnaround in values. The "bad guys" in the film are the striking professional football players. These guys make millions and they want more money! Twenty-five years ago the public would have been sympathetic toward a ball player's strike. But, not now. Since the NFL strike of 1987 sympathies have changed. Big money has left a bad taste with many fans. The film makes a strong statement against greed. Heartless money (greed) is not well thought of. The greedy 80s are over.

Even formerly non-charitable and heartless billionaire Bill Gates is now into charity. A culture shift. Sign of the times. May Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rest in peace.

OUTSIDERS BECOME THE INNER CIRCLE
The film sports a typical but important story line.
Stories abound of "regular folk" becoming heroes:
Armageddon, Gladiator, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Mystery Men, etc.
Stories of people that are motivated by heart and not by money are in vogue.
And, besides, we identify best with the outsiders and underdogs.
We want the loser to win.
Somehow, such stories bring welcomed and needed hope.

Jesus, the crucified criminal outsider, became the center of all history.

THE BORN AGAIN TEAM.
The replacements come in a wide assortment of personalities:
Shane Falco is a former Ohio State University All-American quarterback.
Daniel Bateman is an ex-cop and ex-psychotic
Chain smoker Nigel Gruff is an ex soccer player brought on as the kicker.
Rappers Jamal and Andre Jackson take the offensive line.
Sumo wrestler Jrumbo Fumiko is recruited for his fierce competitiveness and size.
Convicted felon Earl Wilkinson is given place.
And then, there's Walter Cochran, a born-again Christian.

Like the speakers of the 2000 Republican Presidential Convention -inclusive.
Like the floor of the 2000 Democratic National Convention -inclusive.
Like the pairing of Baptist Al Gore with Jewish Lieberman -inclusive.
Like the Reform Party teaming of white Buchanan with black Zeola -inclusive.

I believe that the Mac computer sudden turnaround -due largely to the inclusion of different designer colors- reflects this culture shift toward profound inclusion.

In fact, for the first time in the history of the U.S. Census, people can check more than one ethnic background -inclusion.

The genus of Jesus' teaching was the inclusion of all types of people into one community.

It has taken 2000 years for that teaching to be actualized,
and we have a long ways to go yet, but it's happening!
Long live the memory of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
who helped us understand the meaning of Jesus Christ.

ORGANIZED VIOLENCE
There was a time that I despised organized sports -like NFL football.
To me it was nothing more than glamorized macho male violence
that marginalized woman!

And then God changed my mind.
Working with violent inner city gang kids in the 80s
I came to see football as a way of bring discipline and structure
to out of control kids.
I became a true believer.
Organized football games brought actual miracles.

In the film nothing-guys become something-guys.
Disconnected individuals became connected community members.
Goal-less guys become guys achieving goals.

This is like God, who makes 'somebodies' out of 'nobodies.'

WOMEN ON THE SIDELINES
Annabelle Farrell is the head cheerleader for the Washington Sentinels.
When the players strike, so do a number of the cheerleaders,
leaving Annabelle to hold auditions for replacement cheerleaders.
The only experienced ones she is able to find are exotic dancers.

Cheerleaders have always been women on the side lines of the game.
This is a powerful example of exclusion.
Men get to play and woman can only cheer them on.
It has been a cultural way of marginalizing woman.
Of making woman something less than qualified. Sub-human, even.

The film goes further and finds even more marginalized woman
-exotic dancers.
And then the story incorporates these women as cheerleaders,
and then uses their sexiness to help defeat the rival team.
Thus including woman in the game.
Women as part of the team! Wow! What a concept.

I understand that their PG-13 sexiness maybe offensive to some.
Nevertheless, it is a powerful statement about inclusion.

Women need to be included in the game.

Jesus taught this by including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and other woman as part of his inner circle -with the 12 men disciples. -Luke 8:1-3

Bulletin Board:

Pretty Cool!
Subject: The_Replacement
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002
From: R****

Hi David,
Found your site while trying to find out the meaning of the name Shane Falcon? I was watching it for the second time today and felt led to write about and then I found your site so have a look! God Bless, R****
4-04-02
The Replacements

RATINGS AND LANGUAGE
Subject: Rating vs. language
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000
From: Greg kabelek@yahoo.com

Hey, just seen "replacements" about half an hour ago and feel pretty bad about it. Here, in New Zealand, the movie has a "M" rating (mature audience) and I feel like it should have much much higher rating because of its coarse language. I'm 19 years old and I think I'm on the right track with God and I felt pretty convicted by the Holy Spirit for listening to all of the swearing. The ladies weren't wearing much neither and it didn't seem to me like I was watching the stuff I should be. I agree with the comments from David and Mike regarding the content - however I was switched to "negative mode" after the swearing started. Think twice whether you want to rubbish your mind with swearing or consider another movie to see. Thanks David, good work, just keep it up!!!! regards
Greg
PS: feel free to post my email on the Web. kabelek@yahoo.com

GOIN' FOR DREAMS
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000
From: Mike Furches mike@furches.org

How many of us have ever wanted to know what our lives would be like if? If we had taken the job that would have required a transfer? Gone to school in another city? Auditioned for that part in a play? Taken a stab at a different career? Gone into the ministry? and the list could go on an on. The Replacements is a film that in many ways addresses the concepts of all people addressing and seeking after their dreams. For many we have given up hope and not taken a grasp of opportunities presented to us.

The characters in The Replacements are individual characters who had a love for football and other aspirations of life. Maybe they wanted the chance to coach guys that had heart and love for the game, score a touchdown, throw a touchdown pass, or yes even fall in love with a real a player who actually loves the game more than the money they make from the game. While many will watch The Replacements and see adult humor in the film they shouldn't look over the important message of taking advantage of what God gives you.

While there are not overtly religious messages in the film there is an abundance of messages that give examples of being the best you can, even if for a brief moment in time. It is also the story of transformation. You see a bunch of rag tag ball players and, yes, cheerleaders, who reform as individuals possessed with their flaws, from exotic dancers to criminals, to become a force to change their surroundings and the lives of those around them. Imagine if we as the church would do that. You know, focus on our individual strengths and abilities to help each other out to conquer the enemy we face each day, Satan. What kind of world would we live in.

A wonderful scene from the movie gives an example of how we could support each other. I won't give it away other than to say that the lead character, Falco, realizes what it means to have the support of two massive linemen protecting him in parking lots as well as in the Red Zone of a football field. I imagine that the producers and director of The Replacements had no idea of the powerful message they could give some Christians from the message of this film. There is after all a great deal of material that we as Christians might need to look the other way and certainly be cautious of letting our small children see. I will say here by the way that I believe an 'R' rating would have been more appropriate than a 'PG-13'.

The reality of it is though that film can motivate us if we direct the message of the film in the right direction. You don't believe so, I do. For example, I know the film Rocky with Sylvester Stalone did that for me. I know of few people who can, even now, hear the song 'Gonna Fly Now' and not get moved, pumped up, and ready to go to war. I've even heard the song played in churches, getting ministry teams ready to go to the streets. The Replacements does the same thing but on a much larger collective scale. You see you see the power of a team coming together to change, coaches, management, cheerleaders and yes even the nations capitol, Washington D.C.. There are a few films I liked more this summer but few, if any, that I enjoyed more. I hate to say that on one regard because of so much adult content in the film. But for me if a bunch of rag tag football players portrayed in film, by the way the film is loosely based off of the real replacements in the NFL Players Strike of the 1980's, can change their lives how much more can I given the power of God's Holy Spirit. After all greater is He who lives in me than he who lives in the world, and personally I always liked seeing the bad guys get beat. Rating on a scale of 1-10: 7
Mike Furches mike@furches.org homepages.infoseek.com/~furches/index.html

REPLACEMENT REDSKINS
Subject: On "The Replacements" and the Washington Redskins
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000
From: "Joe A."

Hi David - Haven't seen "The Replacements" yet, but your fascinating review reminds me that this film has already gotten a lot of comment here in Washington, DC. Here in Washington, fans are really passionate about their Redskins (if you've been following the NFL this year, you probably know that the 'Skins have a lot of potential this fall), and naturally, this movie roused quite a lot of interest. One thing you might not have noticed, and that came in for some criticism by Washingtonians, is that the movie, while purporting to be set in Washington, was actually filmed in Baltimore. Given that RFK Stadium, the home of the Redskins during 1983 (when the movie is set) has not been used by the team for the past two seasons since their move to new quarters in suburban Maryland, it seemed to a good many folks that the producers missed a chance at verisimilitude. (Seeing that the movie is often critical of the NFL, it's not really surprising, though unfortunate, that the producers couldn't use the authentic Redskins insignia. This produces the odd result, however, that "Washington's" uniforms in the movie look a lot more like the New England Patriots! I notice, though, that in one of the pictures, the uniforms of the opposing team look like the Pittsburgh Steelers'. Perhaps it's simply that the producers couldn't get permission from the Redskins to let their regalia be used. It's too bad, because the movie could have had a lot of fun with the Redskins' longtime fans, who are as unique a bunch of characters as any in pro football. One bone I do have to pick, sight unseen, is with the Gene Hackman character. Not doubting his importance to the story, but I feel this unfairly slights the Redskin's real coach throughout the 1980's, Joe Gibbs (who is himself an evangelical Christian who has done a lot of good work with troubled boys in the Washington area; these days, Gibbs is involved with NASCAR). Of course, Hackman's character could be meant as a Gibbs figure, but in that case, he didn't need to have been a replacement himself; he could already have been there when the "scabs" showed up. (I may find cause to retract these words once I've seen the movie, because I really, really like Gene Hackman.) Oh, yes - what you said about the greediness of the players in the '83 strikes is even more relevant right here in Washington. Stephen Davis, Washington's running back and one of the mainstays of its offense last year, held out for the first two days of training camp last month because he and his agent were reluctant to come to an agreement over their contract. If I remember it right, the Redskins were offering something like so many million dollars over a four-year period, and Davis wanted so many million dollars over a three-year period. Can you imagine that? *I* would be glad to get such-and-such million dollars over ANY time frame, and I bet so would you! I mean, when you get to arguing over what digit to put at the beginning of a seven or eight-figure sum, it just gets plain ridiculous. -Joe-