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D-12 Fri., Mar. 23, *77 The Arizona RepublicSlap Shot9 is slapstick“Slap Shot”: (R), with Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean and Jennifer Warren, directed by George Roy Hill, at Mann’s Cbris*Towo theater and the Indian drive-in.By MIKE PETRYNIIn Slap Shot,” a minor league hockey learn, and its aging player coach (Paul Newman), facing oblivionwhen the mill in its hometown closes, turns to violence and sports chicanery In keep its Jans coming through its last season.This is a movie against that sort of violence, the kind of mob-pandering modern hockey, led by the Philadelphia Flyers, is doing so often these days to please audiences blood lusts, but “Slap Shot” plays the notion both ways. Having its cake and eating it too, the movie presents as entertainment just what it abhors.Rut who cares? The trouble with most mock rightous-ness is that it doesn’t let us have a sense of humor toward our vices. Slap Shot’’ is bound to restore the laughter.Under direction by George Roy Hill (who did ‘‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and “The Sting”), working with a sensitive first-script by Nancy Dowd, this light examination of cur sports foibles and our common desire to survive life's never-ending frustrations is such a fine collection of slapstick, verbal humor and affectionate needling of humanity’s mock heroics, it provides at the minimum constant grins and at the maximum frequent side-splitters.Ak.we watch Newntan, at the story’s center, conniving to survive his setbacks, fending off having to start a new life by holding together his oid. trying poignantly to regain his ex-wife (Jennifer Warren) and evenphilandering to the extent of using a one-night stand as a taunt against an opposing goalie, we see he's a terrible person but still we warm to him not despite his faults but because of them.aToo many comedies these days are comic nonsense. Slap Shot succeeds because of its comic sense. It’s so in touch it even makes these players daily soap-opera watching hilarious, to say nothing of the rampanton-the-ice slapstick mayhem.11 must be noted the movie’s advertisements warn everyone away who may be offended by its foul language, so natural here to the locker-room milieu. So let it also be noled, that the language is also its ultimate comic triumph. When it comes to locker room humor, Miss Dowd, remarkably, not only has the vo-eabularly, she also has the rhythm.ICEICE SKATINGCHALETCUEDVft JkV 11 iM to 4i3fi P.M.EVCKlVMI 7:3m# 10:00 P.M.METROCENTER PHONE 967*8158“TOP HAT”f k lArn
Newspaper Details
Phoenix Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona, US
Fri, Mar 25, 1977
Page 102
Full Page
Clipped by
Rotten T.
USA 23 Sep 2020
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