MovieChat Forums > Rookie of the Year (1993) Discussion > The pressures of growing up

The pressures of growing up

posted 4 years ago by twinA (4921)
4 replies | jump to latest

September 21, 2020 Monday 8:25 p.m. ET

In the film Henry Rowengartner is still at the age of worrying about getting his homework done, practicing good hygiene by keeping his room and physical body clean, and trying to maintain stable relationships with his buddies; not to mention, impressing a girl who really likes him too, wondering how to go about it.

The above are hypothetical examples of what coming-of-age children typically go through at that point in their lives. Henry aspires to be a role model to others in his life, symbolic of his need for a parental mentor, whom he eventually finds in baseball player Chet Steadman (Gary Busey, oh boy).

As the film plays along, our eager Henry has to make tough choices trying to juggle his new-found responsibilities and commitments that are pretty much thrown into his lap by his mother's opportunistic boyfriend, Jack. Henry's life is suddenly more busy than he could possibly ever imagine. Sure, he has a lot of fun and adventure but as we can see, overtime, Henry learns to slow down and appreciate his life.

I am reminded of very good wisdom from Melody Beattie from her book The Language of letting Go that I would like to share:

"In the busyness of our day in life, it may seem like a waste of time to slow down, to stop what we're doing and take a break. It is no more a waste of time then stopping to put gas in our car when the tank is almost empty."

Life is more than just about experiences and accomplishments but also building good character. Anyway, that's my take.

This is a good sport movie for those who don't care about sports.

~~/o/

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 3 years ago

It is actually surprisingly realistic. When you are an athlete on that level (this actually even goes all the way back to high school and college athletics), people don't see you as a person, they see you as someone who can either make them famous or rich. You are just a means to an end. The thing is you aren't actually doing anything to advance human society, you are just there for other people's entertainment, much like Gladiators of Rome just no one dies.

[–] twinA (4921) 3 years ago

September 4, 2021 Saturday 12:25 AM ET

Interesting point of view with the gladiator comparison. Personally, I am not a sports fan, imagining the appeal lies in its capacity to express violence in a healthy manner; a constructive means to confining tribalism through spirited competition. Intelligence comes in many forms, including the kinetic kind embodied by wellness, fitness, and atheletics. People talented in these areas do not need to be denied their gifts and learned skills. Besides, in a world increasingly relying on streaming - cable, antenna, satellite, and other TV providers are ever-so leaning heavily on sports to make them unique from their competitors in the entertainment outlet. Relationships vary between people, ranging from personal (friends, family) to transactional (retail, daily commutes).

~~/o/

[–] redban (6164) 3 years ago

Agree. A meaningful detail is that he was quitting after that game (even before his arm lost his magic). He learns that there are things in life more important than money, fame, and bright lights

[–] twinA (4921) 3 years ago

September 18, 2021 Saturday 3:55 PM ET

Henry learns that an easy life is not necessarily the best life, that living means dealing with difficulties and pain cannot be avoided without it taking over your life as it worsens. He learns what makes a person great is not what they do, but who they are. Chet is a great ball player, no doubt, but also understands a lot about self-confidence which sports teach.

~~/o/