Sunday, October 21, 2007

Motivational Movie Endings

I thought I would address one of the most inspirational, yet over used and formulaic movie themes we have all seen. It happens at the climax of a movie when everyone gets involved (chanting, clapping, etc.) to help the main character to achieve their victory. I think it is time to name this occurrence so we can better identify it in the future. For now I will call these "buzzer beaters". I love many of the movies that employ this technique, but it looses its impact the more you see it. Here is a list of some of these movies:

Spartacus- The slaves standing up one by one saying they are Spartacus in order to protect him.
Rudy- The crowd all chant his name in unison to get him in the game so he can make the final play.
Dead Poets Society- The entire class standing on chairs and saying "Oh captain, my captain" to show their respect.
Strictly Ballroom- The dad claps after the judges pull the plug. The crowd joins in so they can finish their number.
Karate Kid 2- The villagers playing their spin drums to give Danielson the strength and guidance he needs to defeat the bad guy.
Iron Will- The people at the finish line whistling the special melody to make the dogs run fast enough to cross the finish line.
On the Waterfront- The final scene as Terry Maloy confronts the union boss after being beaten and all the dock workers stand in solidarity.
Cool Runnings-When the Jamaican team wipes out and they carrying their sled towards the finish line. One person starts with the strong, slow, deliberate clap and it catches on until the crowd erupts once they finally cross the finish line.

I'm sure there are many more, so please send me your suggestions.

3 comments:

Jeff said...

Dear Chaka,
I'm a fan of many "buzzer beaters" myself. A great one is in the old movie "On the Waterfront."
Love ya Chaka!

Angie said...

Isn't there one at the end of "Cool Runnings"? I can't remember if people start clapping or not.

Intern said...

Um...I'm pretty sure they all get cruxified at the end of Spartacus.