First-time helmer Chris Browne's sense of humor captures perfectly the contradictions, absurdities and drama at the intersection of class, media, money and sports without dissing any of his player/subjects.
Comment
06/02/05
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League of Ordinary Gentlemen (2005)
91
%
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Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:31
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Even if bowling isn't your sport, this colorful documentary is still an entertaining watch.
Theatrical Release:May 27, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: Though never a sport of Kings, at one point in time bowling occupied a perfectly respectable place in the pantheon of American sports. It has long been one of the most popular participatory sports... [More]
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Reviews for League of Ordinary Gentlemen
Browne's film succeeds on numerous levels, in no small part because he admirably balances the slow-pitch, flyover-state silliness of bowling with a genuine appreciation of the inherent tensions and rivalries in a professional spectator sport.
06/02/05
The gladiators of ancient Rome never entered the arena with more pride, passion or determination.
05/27/05
You're left with a haunting vision -- of a go-for-it, romantic, fame-and-fortune template featuring quasi-athletes who can't seem to climb out of the lower middle class.
05/27/05
The dork factor is cheerfully acknowledged by the hip documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen, a witty look at the sport's quest for cool.
05/27/05
Top CriticIf you've ever struggled to watch bowling on TV, you'll appreciate Browne's gifts when the film ends and you realize -- no kidding -- you can't wait to see these guys compete again.
05/27/05
I know what you're thinking... a documentary about bowling? To which I answer: Hell yeah, and a darn good one, too!
05/26/05
This affectionate though unconvincing documentary struggles to present professional bowling as a simpler, nobler pastime from a simpler, nobler time.
05/26/05
Top CriticChristopher Browne's nonfiction chronicle of the Professional Bowlers Association's quest to retrieve its once-widespread popularity carries more warmth, intimacy and grit -- and still manages to be as witty and engrossing as any Hollywood comedy.
05/26/05
Top CriticWhile the movie is strong on the history of its subject, it allows some yawns to enter its own account of a big, heavily hyped tournament. Still, it's very entertaining.
05/26/05
A spunky documentary about the frantic efforts to resurrect the moribund sport of bowling.
05/26/05
A League of Ordinary Gentlemen looks fondly back at an era when bowling was the most popular leisure activity in America.
05/25/05
Top CriticCaptures the way in which unassuming, workmanlike skill increasingly has no place in a sports-entertainment culture driven by short attention span-grabbing shock tactics.
05/22/05
Even if you don't know a bowler's strike from a baseball strike, this look at a blue-collar sport is quite a winner.
05/13/05
Great characters, big laughs and a helluva climax all combine to make this one of the most entertaining sports documentaries ever made.
03/29/05
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