Simply put, the movie is much like any other sports themed film: A group overcome adversity to achieve their ultimate goal of becoming a team, united, strong, and determined. Hard times always arise, set backs occur, but in the end all is well. If you are into these types of films then give this one a perusal.

That’s it for my review, what I really want to do now is discuss a particular theme found in this movie: Purpose. Gridiron Gang never really directly alludes to this concept, it focuses more on the kids being “losers” in their crime filled lives. What the football team gives these kids is the opportunity to become winners. And that is about the depth that this concept is explored. What I would like to point out is that there is way more to this concept, or theme, than just ‘being a loser looking to be a winner’. What the football team truly gave these kids was an ultimate sense of Purpose.

One of the main characters explains to the coach of the team (The Rock), that he wants to join the team so that his son can be proud of him. What he is saying on a deeper level is that he has always regarded himself as a criminal, something he knew his son would not be proud of, and so, in the football team, he sees a better purpose for his life; something, that if he worked towards, his son would be proud of.

As a species we need Purpose. If we do not feel we have a purpose in our lives then we feel incomplete; that underlying sense of “Why Am I Here?”. For some of us this doesn’t feel too good, and without taking time to explore those feelines we simply accept them, writing ourselves off as useless, weak, insignificant, and so mask those feelings with drugs, alchohol, etc.

But by examining those feelings you are able to see past the hurt and look directly into that void of uncertainty; staring back at you will be the answer to the question “Why Am I Here?”, and by answering that question you will discover your purpose. For some, such as the group in the movie, the purpose is placed right in front of them, some choose to accept it, others do not. Some realise that although the physical aspects of the football team may not be for them, they still want to be a part of it; this way they have something to work towards, a purpose.

In the movie The Matrix: Reloaded, in one of Agent Smith’s many encounters with Neo, he says: “There is no escaping reason; no denying purpose. Because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist…It is purpose that created us…Purpose that connects us…Purpose that pulls us…That guides us…That drives us…It is purpose that defines us…Purpose that binds us.”

Now, Agent Smith is a computer program, but he is still correct when he says that without purpose “we would not exist”. Not only is he talking about Neo as a human being, from a religious perspective about God’s purpose for creating life, but he is also talking about himself and all the other non-human, non-living elements of the matrix (the machines and other computer programs), all of which were also created by someone, or something, because of a specific purpose.

And so, in closing, returning to the movie that sparked this blog entry, the Gridiron Gang has more to it than just football and The Rock, it has a great underlying theme of why having Purpose is such a quintessential part of our lives. Sure you could argue that for those boys, in their lives of crime, they did have purpose, the crime was their purpose, their driving force, and yes, you would be right, but I truly believe that when one’s purpose is to bring benefit to not only their own lives, but to the lives of others, then that is when one is truly living their life’s purpose.

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Where Grindhouse will be extremely successful is in the DVD market. This will be their cash-cow. I can see it now: Grindhouse (regular version with a few behind the scenes, some deleted scenes, and a director’s commentary), Grindhouse (Limited Edition with a Grindhouse genre retrospective from Quintin himself, tons of behind the scenes, deleted scenes, and a few more commentary tracks), Grindhouse (The DVD market Exploitation triple disc explosion version, complete with the lost footage that Quintin was talking about, even more ‘making of’ and deleted scenes, and a bonus disc featuring Quintin and Rodriguez’s favourite grindhouse movies from the 70s). It is going to get insane my friends, and yet it will be eaten up like a fat kid on a smarty.

cheers,

Jonesy

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