Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Pretty Good Actually

One of the things that seems to happen when you're sick is that you curl up on the sofa, get comfy, and watch alot of tv. I've watched several movies and caught up on a lot of shows the past few days. Gridiron Gang was the show of choice last night. I was surprised by how much I liked this movie. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is known more for his action movies and previous wrestling career than for his acting abilities but he did a really good job in this movie.

Gridiorn Gang is based on a documentary, something I wasn't aware of until after the movie. The movie is rated PG-13 due to language and some violet scenes so it's definitely not for young children but I highly recommend it for adults. Gridiron Gang is about based on L.A. County Probation Department's Camp Vernon Kilpatrick, located in California's San Fernando Valley. Their recidivism rate was over 75% when the football program was started and afterwards it dropped down to 35% (I think that's the correct percentage that was mentioned after the movie). Even if my numbers are wrong, any drop in repeat offenders is considered a success.

You wouldn't think a movie about gang kids who are in a juvenile detention football program would bring on the tears, but boy did it! I found myself cheering on the kids in this movie, to win not only their games but in life. I wanted these kids to get their lives straightened out and keep off the streets when they returned to life outside of detention. I love movies that you can get lost in. The content wasn't relaxing at all but it's one of those movies that I'm glad I watched.

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