What a topic. So many scenes immediately come to mind. But, if for some reason I was forced to choose my favorite it would come down to these 4. (random number but I couldn’t leave any of these off) I wanted to take this as seriously as possible because some of these scenes are iconic, but I have a legit reason for why I ranked them this way.
Honorable Mention
Even though the scene is comedy he sums up American cinema to a T. We can’t handle any complexity and want to be entertained. Which is something he does for us.
#4 The 4th of July Game- The Sandlot
I know everyone who lives in America thinks this country stinks and is the worst. But as a kid of refugees from the former Soviet Union, I, along with my parents, love America. It has given us so much and we are deeply patriotic. There is something about this scene that makes me both tear up and hate those who constantly complain about the USA. Maybe its the song, maybe the innocence of playing ball with the boys but this scene is 10/10 despite the hate that this movie sometimes gets. It always reminds me of a certain quote that makes me extremely depressed which is:
“At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside together for the last time, and nobody knew it”
#3 Who Do You Play For? – Miracle
A first ballot HOF of a sports movie. A few thoughts on this scene, none of which have to do with the bit. First, I understand that the boys were playing the Norwegian national team but calling out good looking girls in the stands should never lead to punishment. Also, we should give team Norway some credit for tying USA in that game. They aren’t exactly a hockey power and they didn’t have any 5′ 7″ dynamos that play with a 7 foot stick on that squad. (shoutout Mats Zuccarello). Secondly, making the goalies skate doesn’t make sense, especially Steve Janaszak had nothing to do with that loss but was still made to skate.
Favorite quotes from the clip:
“Think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone”
“Again”
“The name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back. Get that through your head”
“Mike Eruzione, Winthrop, Massachusetts.”
“Who do you play for?”
“I play for, the United States of America”
Goosebumps.
#2 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Remember The Titans
This easily could’ve been #1 but it comes at #2. The T.C Williams high school football finally stops hating each other and starts getting along. Nothing plays better with the boys than a round of “Yo Momma” jokes. That is if everyone can take a joke. (this would be reported by AJ Perez as hazing in 2023, IFKYK). This scenes features all the main characters in quick succession including the liability that is Ryan Gosling at the cornerback position.
#1 Getting the Crew Back Together – Mighty Ducks 2
As a kid with Soviet Union roots who grew up in Canada and then Minnesota, hockey is life. Nothing summed up playing hockey with the boys like the Mighty Ducks movies. While we didn’t exactly get to go to the Junior Goodwill games, we played everyday in the winter. This scene and especially the parts at the Mall of America always bring back so many memories.
I think everyone who saw this movie as a kid wondered what it would be like to just wheel around the mall on your blades. In reality skating from St. Paul to Bloomington, to Lake Calhoun, picking up Banks in Edina I presume and then to the rink would legit take all day. Plus there’s no way any parents would let their kids do that.
29yo, 2 kids, former place kicker for the worst high school football team in Minnesota history. 2/2 xp, 0/2 field goals, led the state in total punts.