Category: Kids
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In Guinea, a small boy triumphs with ‘The Golden Ball’ (1994)
The Ballon d’Or is an annual award in the shape of a golden soccer ball that recognizes the best footballer in the world. In the village of Makono in Guinea, boys imagine that such a golden ball is magical and will bring great fortune. But when a kind doctor gives Bandian a real soccer ball…
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‘In Oranje’ (2004) is a fine family film if you ignore the poisonings
In Oranje is a fantasy ghost film that, at over 20 years old, is both timeless and refreshing. It deftly combines tragedy, grief, resilience, fantasy, family, and passion for the game. If I were going to host a football film festival, I would choose this as an inspirational example of storytelling — except for the…
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Even the smallest dream needs ‘Hero Steps’ (2016)
Pasos de Héroe (Hero Steps) is a heartwarming story of a boy who has lost his lower leg from stepping on a land mine, but he has not lost the strength to manifest his dream of competing in a futbol tournament.
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Female footballers in a story that is ‘Forever’ (2023)
The Swedish film Forever is the most authentic soccer movie drama I have seen. It should appeal to female footballers everywhere, as a realistic story they have experienced in some form directly or indirectly. The producers were looking for new ways to portray football on the screen, and they scouted all of Vastra Götaland to…
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Times have changed since ‘Pretty Tough’ (2011)
Pretty Tough sat in my Amazon watchlist for a long time, because it looked like one of those low quality movies that was either exploitative of teen girls or from the Christian network. So I was surprised when I found Pretty Tough to be pretty good, and neither exploitative nor religious.
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Inspiring family friendly ‘La Foquita: El 10 de la Calle’ (2020)
The biopic La Foquita: El 10 de la Calle concentrates on the inspiring rise of the Peruvian footballer Jefferson Agustín Farfán Guadalupe, whose nickname is “La Foquita”. Farfán emerges from the shanty town of Villa El Salvador, where poverty is so deep, that finding enough food to eat is a daily chore.
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‘Africa United’ (2010) is a modern fairytale
Africa United starts off with Dudu, a young AIDS orphan in Rwanda, lecturing even younger boys on the use of condoms to protect against the disease. He then blows up the condom and turns it into a homemade soccer ball.
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‘The Soccer Football Movie’ (2022) – weird and unwatchable
The Soccer Football Movie needs a big red alert that warns “Not Suitable for Small Children”. Followed by a second warning that says “Indigestible for Adults”.
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‘Cosmoball’ (2020) is a visual adventure
It’s such a shame that Cosmoball had its theatrical release during the pandemic, dooming it to financial failure. Because this movie is a hoot. If you are curious about the Russian ability to make a CGI Marvel-universe type blockbuster, watch this film. Right now you do not need to pay extra to watch it with…
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‘Cool Kids Don’t Cry’ (2012) is a better Eighth Grade
Cool Kids Don’t Cry is a hopeful and touching film about a vibrant eighth grade girl who contracts leukemia, and how she and her classmates respond to her illness as it progresses.
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‘Strike’ (2019) a kids movie with football, mining, and sabotage
Strike is the story of Mungo, a footballing mole with a goal to win the Wild Cup for England. Mungo is torn, because like many footballing greats from the olden days, he has to work in the mines and uphold the proud tradition of his forefathers and everyone else at the Diggington gold mine.
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I’m no fan of ‘Fan of Amoory’ (2018)
The most charitable description of Fan of Amoory is that it is well-meaning propaganda meant to exhort young boys to follow their dreams and work to achieve them in the glory of the UAE.
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‘The Goal’ is social justice + football in 1999
Gulbahar Singh is a director who wants to make feature films on humanity, and The Goal (द गोल) is an unusual football drama in that its coach decides that overcoming prejudice is more important than winning.
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A Walkman can’t save ‘All the Freckles in the World’ (2019)
As a kids movie, there are a lot of reasons to dislike Yibran Asuad’s All the Freckles in the World. Take your pick: sexualization of 13 year olds, a teacher-student sexual relationship, a sexist affront to women, and last but not least, very little soccer despite a tenuous link to the Mexican National Team at…
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Alexis Sanchez is a Maravilla in ‘Mi Amigo Alexis’ (2019)
Mi Amigo Alexis has been released on Netflix in the USA without fanfare. Which is puzzling to me, because this is one of the best and highest-quality family-friendly soccer movies to arrive since Bend it Like Beckham. That being said, My Friend Alexis is not a comedy, not a film where you giggle along with…
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‘Back of the Net’ (2019) mirrors USWNT values
Created just in time for the 2019 Womens World Cup, Back of the Net embraces many of the same values that propelled the US Womens National Team (USWNT) into the social media stratosphere: embracing diversity, teamwork and a can do spirit. If your child got on the USWNT WWC2019 bandwagon and wants other forms of…
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‘The Falcons’ (2018): Icelandic values in a soccer tale
Iceland Iceland Iceland. They have so much to envy: gorgeous environment, the Viking thunder clap, and a team that performed at the highest international stages despite a population of around 350,000 and being coached by a dentist.
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A magical football match in ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ (1971)
Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks is not a soccer movie, but should be watched for its engaging 10-minute animation of a football game. Like all Disney animations, the quality is so good that the 50 year old film remains on par with today’s technology.
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‘Alex & Me’ (2018) is a quality movie with good role models
Even if you are like me and have watched over 250 soccer movies, Alex & Me provides an enjoyable fresh take on the underdog theme. Despite going straight to DVD, it is an inspiring family-friendly film that is well worth watching by pre-teen girls as well as their parents.
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‘The Anderson Monarchs’ (2012) all-Black girls team
Soccer decision makers, fans, and parents who don’t understand how our sport works in America should watch The Anderson Monarchs. Writer-Director Eugene Martin captures, in a decidedly upbeat way, the commitment required to sustain a unique, inner city, all-African-American, girls soccer team in Philadelphia.
