If only I weren't so addicted to things like rent and food.
Anyway, the Union just wasn't looking strong enough with only 3 states, so here's a fourth. In recap: Kansas- The Wizard of Oz, New Jersey- Toxic Avenger, Deleware- Fight Club.
Okay, so as before, a look at a couple of Runners-Up before announcing the winner.
First off, Groundhog's Day. After a couple of off turns (re: What about Bob?), Bill Murray returns to form with this movie set in snowy, small-town Pennsylvania. The whole town is in arms to see Punxsutawney Pete, the Groudhog that 'predicts' the weather. Murray is there to cover the event for his news station, and feels trapped by his lackluster life. This becomes literal as he becomes trapped in an endless time-loop, reliving the same banal day over and over again until he learns to 'get it right', appreciating all the little folk around him.
In a way, Groundhog's day is a typical 'Scrooge' story, where a miser, only concerned with his own success, learns the value of human life through supernatural interference. What we're treated to, though, is a comedy where Bill Murray at first revels in, and then is horrified by, the repetition of each day, and the way that he abuses his knowledge of its events.
While the supernatural element is one of this movie's great strengths, it actually ended up knocking it out of the running. Its still a portrait, though absurd, of Pennsylvanian life, and the story requires the state for its setting, I just couldn't pick if over these other two stories of pain and triumph in Penn State.
Next Runner-Up, Slap Shot.
Now, I honestly have a real deep knowledge of this film like I do the others, but I had to put it up here based on strength of reputation.
Slap Shot is a Paul Newman film that is kind of reminiscent of the Bad News Bears. You know the story, washed up coach with major league talents inherits team of losers. Together they reveal each other's hidden talents and overcome their weaknesses and go on to defeat a superior, but ultimately soulless champion-level team. Except, this one is a little different. And this one's Hockey, not Baseball.
Two things make Slap Shot stand out from a Mighty Ducks or a Major League. Firstly, its set during the recession of the 70's and uses actual Pennsylvania crises as the basis for its stories. In this case, the team is about to be disbanded because of the closing of many area wood mills, and so the nearby towns are falling apart.
Secondly, this movie isn't so much about a bunch of lovable losers getting their stuff together as it is about the power of lying.
Throughout the entire picture, Paul Newman struggles to find ways to get his team to play, to fight, to work together. He can't find anything in the truth to get them to play, so he finds stories that will. There's a buyer for the team, there are NHL scouts in the audience; couple that with the team's near homicidal play style and they find themselves the match of almost any team in their league. Almost.
Not really in the running, but worth mentioning that all of Romero's original 'Of the Dead' films were in Pennsylvania.
Ultimately, though, had to lean towards the film with not only cultural reflection, but impact. And none from Pennsylvania have more than that Philly wonder himself, Rocky.
Despite its lackluster sequels, if you haven't watched Rocky lately, you need to go back and see it again. When people tend to think back on it now, they think of Rocky as a ridiculously long franchise of films, sucking the merit out of the Sports genre. Really this is unfair, all of the Rocky movies are ok. 2-5 are not bad, but nothing spectacular, with 4 being one of the great guilty pleasures of the 80's, basically an 80 minute music video about the Cold War. Seriously, its 5 minutes of Apollo dying, 5 minutes of Dolph Lundgren and Bridgette Neilsen looking better than they ever would again in their freakish Hollywood lives, and 70 minutes of training montage. The sixth film, Rocky Balboa, is a heartfelt, if overlong, nostalgia piece.
Bastardized by Hollywood, you can't ignore how quality a film the first Rocky is. People forget, too, that this film won 3 Academy Awards, including best picture in 1976, was the highest grossing picture of '76, and was written by Sylvester Stallone himself.
Stallone plays his greatest role here. Rambo was a good character (at least for one film) and, of course, who can forget Demolition Man and Judge Dredd... but Rocky was his first and best starring role. And why not? He was a low class slob from Philly with high aspirations. He was in a porn. And so, this role of mook, of small mob enforcer, a man trapped in ignorance and poverty, with dreams of being a prize fighter.
What makes Rocky work is its feeling of authenticity and empathy. Stallone put a lot of himself, a lot of the common man, into his character. Due to its tiny budget, a lot of family members and other small film producers gathered together to help create the film. A lot of effort, and a lot of love went into its creation, and it shows. There's also a well-crafted, inspiring love story that helps bolster the climactic battle at the end.
Beyond that, Rocky has a lot of civic pride for the city of Philadelphia. Now, that might seem odd, since the movie does focus on crime, poverty, mob bosses, and abuse within the city. But at no point does it try to denigrate the city. Rather, it shows that despite the hardship of the city, and the horrible way urban life can treat people, you can still find love and happiness, and achieve your goals.
For a long time, Rocky inspired Philly to greatness, unified them, and turned the eye of the country onto the city through its iconic images of the titular character jogging across its landmarks. It may be a little dodgy now... again... but there was a time when a movie could work wonders, even on so large a community.
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