Realism in cinemas is something we’ve talked about before, not so much of everyday life but of historical events. For instance Pearl Harbor or U-571 portray historical events and then alter them for dramatic and sometimes other more non-movie based purposes.
It happens a lot, and despite whether you agree with it or not younger generations grow up with a belief in the portrayal of those facts, especially when you see those immortal words “based on…”. A recent survey of young adults I saw showed that a majority of comments stated that they believed the CIA killed John F. Kennedy, asked why they believed that they stated because they saw it on that movie JFK. It’ll be interesting to see the belief in another generations time, and then another.
So why am I talking about all this? Well this was sparked off in my mind again recently when I heard that the movie The Game of their Lives is doing this very thing. Not as important as the JFK issue, but to me and a lot of other Scots, still very important, and so much so the BBC have written of it.
A Scots footballer’s famous achievement in leading the USA to victory over England in the 1950 World Cup has been ignored in a new American movie.
Greenock-born Eddie McIlvenny captained the USA to a shock 1-0 win over England in Brazil 55 years ago.
But in the new film, “The Game of their Lives”, an American footballer who wears the captain’s armband…
…A year after the famous victory over England, he was snapped up by Manchester United manager Matt Busby.
So he was a player of some repute, particularly after this win, but obviously not now. He’s even recognised in the Scottish Football museum.
Richard McBreatry, a historian in the museum, said: “Bill Jeffrey, the Scottish manager of the USA realised the old rivalry between England and Scotland and thought that by having Eddie as the captain he would galvanise the American side. Really I think that helped inspire what was a fantastic performance.
Maybe they’re going for an American audience primarily and they thought maybe by having an American as the hero, or captain, would be better than having a Scot in the role.”
Despite all this his wife isn’t happy with his exclusion from the movie.
Sheila McIlvenny said: “It is not the true story, not at all. I think he would have accepted it but I don’t think he would have been happy with it because it wasn’t the truth.”
The funny thing is there is a Scottish person in the movie, Gerard Butler, but he’s playing the American born Goalkeeper! Butler was even born in Glasgow, not that far from Greenock!
Any other Scots out there who feel particularly aggrieved of this, and what of the wider issue, the re-writing of history and the removing of key characters from movies portraying historical events?
