Personal Best

1982

Personal Best is a film that I had to like. First, it is a very authentic sports film made with actual athletes. Second, it shows a lesbian relationship, and then how one of the two turns to men, in very believable fashion. The banter and byplay among the professional athletes assembled for the remarkable cast was authentic as well, showing them in all their earthiness. All of that would have been enough for me to enjoy this film, but two added elements made it my sort of film. The first is that it was centered around the 1980 Olympics, when we boycotted the games. Not only was this completely unfair to athletes who had spent their entire life striving to attend these games, but it was politicizing an event intended to transcend politics. Isn't it bad enough that major sports athletes have become a commodity? Did we really think it was necessary to threaten the financial loss of an Olympic boycott to try and influence Russian foreign policy? This was not one of our finer moments.

Now to the positive side of why I love this film. Female athletes have far less chance of fame than male athletes, and even less chance of earning lots of money. Nevertheless, young female athletes are out there competing with every fiber of their being to achieve their personal best performances, and do heroic things with limited recognition and little opportunity for gain. In the 1988 Calgary Olympics, a young US speed skater, Bonnie Blair, had a good chance at one or more medals, and while I don't find speed skating exciting, I was inspired by her story, and watched all of her races. In the next to the last heat of the 500 meter, Blair's best event, the current world record holder, Christa Rothenburger, set a new world record. Last to skate was Bonny Blair, against a slow opponent, which is a real disadvantage. Bonnie won easily. What impressed me even more was her comment after the victory. A reporter asked about how worried she was when Rothenburger shattered the world record. Bonnie's answer, "It didn't bother me. I knew I had better times than that in practice." She continued to perform, eventually winning 5 gold medals and one bronze. She has now retired from sports, and makes a living as a motivational speaker. She is one of my heroes. Not only were her achievements extraordinary, but there was little hope of personal financial gain, and her attitude was inspiring.

Another example came in the 1998 Women's Open of golf. A 20 year old college student, Jenny Chuasiriporn, tied for the lead with a 40 foot putt at the end of regular play. She went into a playoff round against an established professional, and finally lost at the 18th hole of sudden death. An announcer ask her, "you must have been so disappointed to lose after everything." She said, "Are you kidding? I am just a college student; an amateur. I am thrilled to be here." She has not done as well as Bonnie Blair so far, and has not done well on the ladies pro tour. Still, I found her performance in the 1998 Women's Open inspiring.

That's the kind of pure dedication to sports and excellence that Personal Best brings to the screen. This is a wonderful film.

Ebert awarded 4 stars. I do too. 

 

 

Mariel Hemingway

Patrice Donnelly

Final Draft

(2003)

A depressed writer is having problems finishing his latest screenplay and has himself locked up in his flat above a garage by an actor friend. Needless to say, writers' block hits him hard and the characters from his past jump at the chance to perform their hallucinative act for the poor man on the brink of sanity.

 

Melanie Marden

The Comedy Wire

Comments in yellow...

In Malka Arda, Bulgaria, brothers Taso and Asen Hadjiev, age 74 and
75, still live together even after suing each other over 200 times.  It started in 1968, with a fight over land their parents left to them.  The squabbles kept coming, and they used up so much money on lawyers, they couldn't afford to move out of the family home.  A neighbor said they don't even remember what started it, but they now sue each other for any reason, and none of it is ever true.  The two share the same house, but they've divided it in two with barbed wire to keep them apart.  

*  Fortunately, it's a Bulgarian luxury home: 20 square feet. 

*  They're currently suing each other over which one gets the side of the house with the bathroom.

 

A Swiss bank paid for a study by a Geneva hospital that discovered the flu virus can survive on banknotes for over two weeks, spreading
through the exchange of money.  Researchers said in most cases, the virus on the bills dies within a few hours, but highly concentrated samples survived for several days; and in the worst-case scenario, if the virus was mixed with human mucus on the banknote, it survived for 2-1/2 weeks.  

*  This is why health care costs so much: hospitals are just trying to get our money away from us for our own good!.

 

It was announced that after 12 years and 5,012 performances, the Broadway musical "Rent" will finally close June 1

* Ironically, their lease is up.