There's a lot of talk of this film being cliched...

Whilst I agree that there were definitely some corny and clichéd parts to this film I also think there were some pretty true to life elements as well. Allow me to elaborate (I apologise in advance for how long this post is):

Cameron Diaz’s character – I actually thought was quite believable. When you dissect her character she is a woman in a male dominated industry and very much in her father’s shadow. You don’t need to meet her father to know he would have been a man’s man and he had a daughter and no son (something he no doubt regretted). She has an alcoholic for a mother (who has probably never been a very good role model), so she modelled herself on her father and thinks she has to be a cold hearted corporate bitch to survive around all of the men and to live up to her father’s reputation whilst also trying to assert her own personality and ‘way of doing things’. That all comes through in the performance.

Ann-Margaret – Totally believable as the wife who waited and wept her entire life. Her looks have faded (which is all she ever had to begin with), and her husband is dead. All the money in the world can’t bring back her youth, so she thought she’d drink a little. She is a product of the old industry where women did nothing more but hang off their husbands arm, throw parties and look good - a wasted life and now she is full of regret…so she thought she’d drink a little. Lauren Holly’s character shows the new breed of WAG and I think the contrast between the two women is fantastic.

Jamie Fox’s character - also believable. He is young, not particularly intelligent or gifted in any other way, he spends most of his professional life being a bottom feeder in an extremely egocentric and macho environment, only to be thrust into the spotlight and hailed as the next big thing overnight. It is believable that he would react the way he does, because he has a lot to learn about what it means to be part of a team; how fickle the industry is and how quickly you can be brought down to earth with a thud. In the sports industry, you are only ever as good as your last season, and people forget quickly! Especially when money is involved. Even though his character is a walking, talking cliché, perhaps there is a reason for that…

James Woods character – also very believable that a doctor of his calibre would be an egocentric, narcissist who thinks he is God. This is probably the only reason he became a doctor in the first place - to live the life, not to help people. He loves the girls, drugs, parties, power and basking in the glow of celebrity. He doesn’t care about ethics or doing the right thing by the players. If the price is right, he will do what is necessary to get a player back out on the field (even at the expense of their personal wellbeing). It is totally believable that this kind or person exists in such a high stakes industry (especially in America), and totally believable that they would do just about anything to remain there. We read about these kinds of people in the entertainment industry all the time, Michael Jackson’s doctor anyone? So why not the sports industry as well?

Al Pacino’s character – Also very believable as an aging coach who is losing his ability (and drive), to motivate his players to victory. He looks ragged and at the end of his tether but loves the job so much he won’t give it away (what would he have left if he did that?). It’s also very believable that he struggles with the modern, corporate driven mindset of the sport and is constantly trying to push the game back to what it once was even though he secretly knows that he is fighting a losing battle and that his days are seriously numbered. His seething hatred of Cameron Diaz’s character comes from all that she represents (women rising to positions of power within the sporting industry and thus destroying the fabric of the boys club, the corporatisation of sport, and the loss of power and influence of the coaches over the teams they are expected to drive to victory or else). He yearns for, and mourns the loss of, what the game used to be about and, to me, that also comes out in his performance.

Lauren Holly’s character – My favourite character in the film. She is very believable as the top WAG. She is married to the star of the team and has made a very nice life for herself and she is not about to see that pulled from under her when she thinks her husband can still keep playing a little longer. She most likely has come from nothing and is a survivor. Although she is quite self absorbed, she is also her husband’s greatest supporter and is most likely heavily involved in his career and his management. He is pretty weak minded, but she isn’t and I like the fact that her character is multi-faceted. It is too easy to write her off as a heartless bitch. You can see she has invested a lot into his career and given up her life for it, now she needs him to be strong and keep playing for her.

Dennis Quade’s character was probably the only character in the film that I felt was very much clichéd (but then, that could just be the way he played it). Perhaps a different actor could have brought more depth and dimension to the character.

Just my long winded thoughts, what d’ya think? Or am I just talking out of my proverbial?