 
A Shot at Glory
By: Lions Gate Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 15
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 On: 2008-10-25
I really enjoyed watcing this movie, it could easily have been a family movie if not for the language and a couple of "adult scenes".
 On: 2008-09-20
Good story, but the heavy Scottish accents make it difficult to follow the dialoge - including Scottish accents faked by a number of American actors.
On: 2007-05-09
If I am not mistaken, this could be the only movie about football in Scotland not to be about hooligans or riots. Even with Duvalls spurious accent, this movie is good.
On: 2007-01-24
First off; I give this 4 stars, 4 stars in your sports film genre; 4 stars since there are not many soccer/footy movies out there and it is deserved and despite its blemishes still has redeeming qualities to it; but if I were rating it in terms of movies in general; sure, it would probably merit 3 stars.
It is absurd I agree, the premise of the film that a team may move out of town as has happened in the USA with various sports teams, let alone move to Ireland;
But I think this movie could have been improved; the team needed motivations to win, one was to stay in their little Scottish town of Kilnockie; maybe it would have been more believable if the American owner Keaton had threatened Duvalls coaching character with being fired if the club did not have more success.
A bit more could have been made of the Celtic/Rangers rivalry; also, though it doesnt have to be wholely a film for the family, quite a few of the "f" words and other scenes could have easily been omitted and I believe it would have been better; if the DVD box claims it to be like a "Hoosiers with rowdier fans" then why not go into that direction even more? Maybe even take a page out of the Disney sports movie formula with such worthwhile watching movies as Invincible or Cool Runnings.
Good shots of football being played in the land where it was been among the top sports for a hundred years; still a decent cultural flavor of Scotland and their league can be found in this movie.
Lastly, I assume that the [sub] mark, may signify subtitles; listed on one of the DVDs; and I think, many could use this for parts of this movie; I love a good Scottish accent but I want to understand what is going on too!
On: 2006-03-20
I enjoy anything that stars robert duvall - his efforts in this movie were well rewarded.
by: shanx On: 2004-08-21
The movie itself is an indistinct yarn thatll appeal to fanatical buffs of Scottish football. But there are two things that elevate it above an over-chewed sports-and-inspiration claptrap flick.
One, the delightfully convincing performance of Bob Duvall, who wraps his tongue tautly around the Scottish baroque. I rewound and watched some of his scenes twice for the pure academic pleasure of it. After seeing his caliber recently in Secondhand Lions, my respect for the thespian has grown by a factor of ten.
Second, the brilliant soundtrack, which I was surprised to read in the credits was courtesy Mark Knopfler. The sound has a dreamy tinge of Dire Straits but manages to be reminiscent of many things Celtic, much like "The Nephew", Pierce Brosnan starrer, or "Cal" with John Lynch.
I wonder why Michael Keaton was roped in to make the inconspicuous appearance he makes, as an American invester unexplainably interested in a small middle-of-nowhere Scottish team.
But despite some cheesy things, not the least of which are some fast and furious goals, it is a watchable little film overall. Especially if you are a budding sports commentator looking for a distint voice (literally).
On: 2004-04-19
Robert Duvall is the quenessential actors actor. His ability to not only morph into any role but actually disappear entirely truly makes him a national treasure. However, for this 2000 release, he becomes an international treasure in the role of coach of a second tier Scottish football team. Duvalls weathered countenance is right at home among the equally grand and haggard Scottish countryside. Michael Keaton turns in a brief but potent turn as the teams owner, set on moving the team from its small Scottish home to a bigger stadium in Dublin. The film is more of a quiet character study than an all out sports film, but the game scenes infuse the movie with surprising passion and energy. Well worth owning.
 On: 2004-01-26
To save yourself time if youve read all the other reviews ill condense this.Whilst the idea of a First Division (and yes i got that right, First Division is second-tier. Premiership being the top) being moved might be appealing to US audiences, it makes anyone from Europe laugh. Not just would the governing bodies of the sport not allow it, the idea of a club moving would be considered heresy. So that idea is a bit stupid, and instantly off putting to anyone that knows the sport. As as the concept of an American owner and goalkeeper at a small Scottish club. Never happen especially in the case of the playing staff as theyd have to be capped sufficiently by the US to allow them a work permit. And if theyre that good they wouldnt be there. Okay none of this has anything to do with the film or acting theoretically but it made me roll my eyes. As did Duvalls accent, which went from one area to another and other to Ireland at one point. Far far too thick, only induced laugher from me. As did the concept of Super Allys character being ex-Celtic. For the uninititated hes a Rangers man who hates Celtic. The acting is passable and the story cliche ridden, although McCoist and Keaton were actually alright. Simply put, a great film for an American who knows nothing about the sport of the country but horrific for a Scottish person and a Scottish fitba fan at that. p.s Please dont call them "the Rangers or "the Celtics" like some reviwers elsewhere have. Its just Rangers and Celtic, no "the" or an "s" on Celtic.Youd be liable to be punched by a fan, or possibly applauded if they happen to hate them.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-26
In response to a previous review, football teams can play in other leagues, look at Wales... That said most of that review is incorrect and should be disregarded because its simply not true.
On: 2003-11-19
Here is a sports film that gets the difficult stuff right, but blows it all thanks to a gratingly impossible and totally unnecessary sub-plot.First the good bits. Kilnockie - an invented Scottish second division side - embark on an unlikely run in the Scottish Cup. So far so unoriginal. But the on-field scenes are superbly realistic - comfortably the best I have ever seen in any sport-related film. Then we have a real professional sportsman playing the lead - but amazingly this is a real professional sportsman who can act. Indeed he acts the pants off several better known actors and is utterly believable. It is also unpredictable - just at the moment you expect the "usual" to happen... it doesnt! There is a standard love interest, for example, but it doesnt get in the way. Throw in a sectarian sub-plot (about which more could have been done in fact) and this could have been a classic. So why the **** did some eejut allow this stupid sub-plot about an American owner threatening to move the club to Ireland? Not only was this clearly and obviously shoe-horned into the script at the last minute, not only was the American owner - played by Michael Keaton - unconvincing (and appalingly performed) to the point of absurdity, but as a storyline it is utterly, utterly, utterly impossible. Anyone who knows anything about the game will know that a club based in one country cannot play in anothers league. UEFA wouldnt wear it, even if the SFA allowed it (which they would not). But like a bad penny - every time the film getting going - this inept plot line shows up and has the effect of chalk being scraped across a blackboard. Eeeeghhhhh!!!! Yes - we can all guess WHY this stupid idea was added - because US audiences would identify with it. But the trouble is it destroys the film for anyone who knows anything about football by constantly highlighting the fiction. One can only suspend belief so far! And its all SUCH a shame!!!
On: 2003-02-09
Impossible not to give 5* to a film about Scottish fitba.
I admire Robert Duvalls attempt at a Scottish accent but it wisnae very authentic. Ally McCoist is a footballing hero but his acting was wooden, and so surprisingly was Kirstys, but at least those alluring eyes made up for it. There was plenty of opportunity to capitalise on small town Scotish humour but it never fully materialised.
Too many plots and sub plots floating in and out and never fully developed. The idea of Robert Duvall disowning his daughter becos she married outside the faith is a bit extreme in modern Scotland, but the chance to underline just how important the Catholic/Protestant Divide still is to many Scottish Football supporters was missed. It was a clever joke of the director to make Ally an ex-Celtic player. He never played for the Tim Malloys in his life, and all the football shirts in the archive TV footage in the film have been cleverly recoloured. Finally, I had to fall off the seat at the thought of Queen of the South being described as a mighty team but first division is first division. We cant buy this DVD in Scotland yet, so thanks to Amazon.com for sending me a copy, so I can show it to all my Zone 2 owning friends.
 On: 2003-01-30
Every couple of years, a film is released about some underdog baseball, hockey, basketball, or (U.S. style) football team that surmounts great odds to win the Big One under the leadership of an inspiring coach. Maybe some day itll be curling. In any case, A SHOT AT GLORY puts the viewer into the stands for Scotlands brand of football, i.e. soccer. A long way from Lonsome Dove on the Rio Grande, Robert Duvall plays Gordon McLeod, the coach of the team playing for the town of Kilnockie. The clubs owner, Yank Peter Cameron (Michael Keaton), has just acquired, to Gordons disgust, mega-star Jackie McQuillan (Ally McCoist). Jackie, though a talented player, has a volatile temper and is the philandering husband of Gordons daughter Kate (Kirsty Mitchell). Adding insult to injury, McQuillan had persuaded Kate to marry outside of her parents church. As Kilnockie, a second-tier team, battles its way into the company of the Big Boys and the Scottish National Cup championship match against the powerhouse Glasgow Rangers, Duvalls sometimes incomprehensible Scottish brogue is the best reason to see A SHOT AT GLORY. Im no judge of the dialect, but Duvall seemed a natural at it. And I could lose myself in Mitchells strikingly beautiful eyes. However, if the film appeared in an "art theater" near me, I can understand why it must have been for no longer that it takes to kick a penalty shot. Besides the relatively unfamiliar milieu, the unusual (for the genre) ending might perhaps be uninspiring. The inclusion of the Kelsey (Cole Hauser) character, an American rookie goalie that gets thrust into a tough spot, could have provided a subplot of considerable substance if fully developed; but it wasnt. Even putting Duvall in a kilt would have raised it a notch. A soccer fan will likely rate the movie higher as is, especially since McCoist played magnificently for many years with the real-life Glasgow Rangers and was Europes top scorer in the early 90s. Because of Duvalls top billing, I wanted to like A SHOT AT GLORY much more than I did. I guess Ill just have to plug in my much-viewed copy of LONESOME DOVE and once again watch old Gus herd those beeves to Montana.
On: 2003-01-29
Every couple of years, a film is released about some underdog baseball, hockey, basketball, or (U.S. style) football team that surmounts great odds to win the Big One under the leadership of an inspiring coach. Maybe some day itll be curling. In any case, A SHOT AT GLORY puts the viewer into the stands for Scotlands brand of football, i.e. soccer. A long way from Lonsome Dove on the Rio Grande, Robert Duvall plays Gordon McLeod, the coach of the team playing for the town of Kilnockie. The clubs owner, Yank Peter Cameron (Michael Keaton), has just acquired, to Gordons disgust, mega-star Jackie McQuillan (Ally McCoist). Jackie, though a talented player, has a volatile temper and is the philandering husband of Gordons daughter Kate (Kirsty Mitchell). Adding insult to injury, McQuillan had persuaded Kate to marry outside of her parents church. As Kilnockie, a second-tier team, battles its way into the company of the Big Boys and the Scottish National Cup championship match against the powerhouse Glasgow Rangers, Duvalls sometimes incomprehensible Scottish brogue is the best reason to see A SHOT AT GLORY. Im no judge of the dialect, but Duvall seemed a natural at it. And I could lose myself in Mitchells strikingly beautiful eyes. However, if the film appeared in an "art theater" near me, I can understand why it must have been for no longer that it takes to kick a penalty shot. Besides the relatively unfamiliar milieu, the unusual (for the genre) ending might perhaps be uninspiring. The inclusion of the Kelsey (Cole Hauser) character, an American rookie goalie that gets thrust into a tough spot, could have provided a subplot of considerable substance if fully developed; but it wasnt. Even putting Duvall in a kilt would have raised it a notch. A soccer fan will likely rate the movie higher as is, especially since McCoist played magnificently for many years with the real-life Glasgow Rangers and was Europes top scorer in the early 90s. Because of Duvalls top billing, I wanted to like A SHOT AT GLORY much more than I did. I guess Ill just have to plug in my much-viewed copy of LONESOME DOVE and once again watch old Gus herd those beeves to Montana.
On: 2002-05-17
Fans of typical cinderella-team sports movies may find this worth watching, even though its a a genre long run out of anything entirely different to do. There is a bit of room here for surprises and avoidance of usual cliches, but dont expect totally amazing new ground. This time its about a soccer team in Scotland. This genre, more familiarly set in America, doesnt seem entirely at home in its new setting. The Scottish flavor is somewhat represented, but theres always a feeling that the performers may not be quite at home in the different cultural setting. The generally impressive actor Robert Duvall is the lead as the teams coach. He doesnt seem entirely comfortable with his affected Scottish accent, and occasionally seems to lose focus on it, drifting back into sounding more like an American. Nonetheless theres some drama worth sticking with this for, especially in the second half, after a sometimes slow start.
On: 2002-05-16
Fans of typical cinderella-team sports movies may find this worth watching, even though its a a genre long run out of anything entirely different to do. There is a bit of room here for surprises and avoidance of usual cliches, but dont expect totally amazing new ground. This time its about a soccer team in Scotland. This genre, more familiarly set in America, doesnt seem entirely at home in its new setting. The Scottish flavor is somewhat represented, but theres always a feeling that the performers may not be quite at home in the different cultural setting. The generally impressive actor Robert Duvall is the lead as the teams coach. He doesnt seem entirely comfortable with his affected Scottish accent, and occasionally seems to lose focus on it, drifting back into sounding more like an American. Nonetheless theres some drama worth sticking with this for, especially in the second half, after a sometimes slow start.
On: 2002-05-08
Football (otherwise known as soccer) is the great Scottish pastime as baseball is to America, and for years two teams have always dominated the sport, the Celtics and the Rangers. A Shot At Glory follows the exploits of a second division team from the small town of Kilnocke, whose owner had just hired one of the best player to ever participate in the game, Jackie McQuillan, but one problem is that he is the long estranged son-in-law of the teams head coach, Gordon McLeod. As they work their way in one of the biggest national tournament, the two of them must come to terms with their own fears and demons, and learn to put their past behind them.A Shot At Glory is a solid movie supported by a veteran cast, Robert Duvall does a great job portraying Gordon, a man holding a long term grudge against his own daughter and his best friend, he devotes most of his time in trying to get his team to the top and the respect it deserves. Michael Keaton had a small part as Peter Cameron, the American owner of the Kilnocke team, most of his scenes were with Duvall, and the two of them contributed greatly to the success of this film. Ally McCoist plays Jackie, a talented player with an attitude, hes impulsive, explosive and rash, part of the story is about him seeking redemption in the relationship with his wife, and to a lesser extent in trying to make a come back to the sports that he loved so much. Well acted with some of the best football action youll ever see on screen, I really recommend A Shot At Glory to anyone whos remotely a sports fan. Dont miss your chance to catch this movie in the midst of big summer blockbusters of 2002.
On: 2002-05-07
A wonderful, authentic football movie highlighting the plight of a small second division Scottish side, its cranky manager (Duvall) and his successes on and off the pitch .. ..Beware however, that if you are not a true football fan, you will probably find the movie (and its euro terminology) quite confusing and boring .. .. For me though, I found it as sweet as a great cup of java on a cold English morning .. .. Duvall plays the obsessed Scottish Manager who is dueling with American owner (Michael Keaton)over the future of the club .. .. Keaton brings in a former great in the person of ex-Rangers great ALLY MCCOIST who plays not only the aging savior, but Duvalls son-in-law .. .. Of course the tension doesnt end there .. .. Emotions are frayed as boozing, womanizing McCoist has seperated from his wife and hating the idea of playing in the "bus leagues" where he started .. .. The stunning KIRSTY MITCHELL plays Duvalls daughter and those aqua eyes are worthy the price of admission alone .. .. Those sweet eyes are not happy ones as Duvall has distanced her because of her marriage against Duvalls wishes .. .. With McCoist trying to hande his pop-in-law, Duvalls side gets hot and wins promotion to the Scottish Premier League along with a match vs. powerhouse GLASGOW RANGERS in the final of the Scottish Cup .. .. No hints here, see the movie .. .. The action scenes are realistic as they were filmed by former World Cup broadcasters with real-life commentary by current Sky Sports talent .. .. The lush landscape and village scenery gives who a terrific feel for the locals and their town .. .. The real shock came with the terrific performance by McCoist .. .. He played for Rangers for 15 years, starred on the Scotland National Team and was Europes top scorer in 1992 .. .. All the footage of him scoring in years past was actually him!! All in all - A must-see for all football devotees, as well as Duvall fans .. .. See how well he pulls off his working-class Scottish accent .. ..
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