Clint Eastwood directs this film with the sport of Rugby at its center, but the film is not really about sports. It is about people changing how they think, it is about leadership, it is about inspiration. But in order for this to work, the rugby portion of the film must work, and it does. Without going into the details of rugby rules, Eastwood is able to use the 1995 World Cup of Rugby as the central plot element and significant consumer of screen time without losing even those completely ignorant of how the sport works (namely me). Set in South Africa during the Mandela administration, we watch how Mandela works to build a post-apartheid country, without resorting to ethnic cleansing. And while we know that sports cannot solve the real problems of the world, we do see how even in small ways, paying attention to the leadership and inspiration that sports offers can move people toward unity. Or at least toward looking at each other with new eyes. The interactions between a street kid and police officers during the World Cup final is representative of how even small changes can be important. This is a good film, and well worth watching.
4 stars (out of 5)
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