The look
I watched the movie, The Greatest Game Ever Played yesterday. At the end of the movie, I saw a facial expression I haven’t seen for more than 12 years. I remember that expression as if it were yesterday.
Sometime in May 1993, while my dad and I were driving in our maroon colored 1977 GMC Custom pick-up truck from Lacey to Tacoma we had a conversation. We were driving to a courthouse in Tacoma because I was ticketed for speeding on the I-5 Freeway and decided to argue against the fine. It was a school day and my dad took me up there. I remember him talking to me about standing before the judge and if I knew what I was going to say.
At one point, he began to talk to me in a tone I hadn’t heard at all during my rebellious teenage years. It was encouraging. Among the words he shared with me he closed with, “I’m very proud of you Derek.” It wasn’t just the words that conveyed the message; it was the eyes, the calmness of his face and what I perceived to be a struggle to get the words past his lips. His eyes alone expressed emotion similar to how actor Nicholas Cage tries to convey emotions through the eyes in his movies. Nicholas Cage is a fan of the old silent movies because facial expressions were the only means in which the characters could convey messages. Cage tried to learn from silent films how to convey such expressions through the eyes and tries to do this in his films. But getting back to my dad, the look on the face of Francis Ouimets’ father at the end of the movie was the look I saw on my dad’s face in our old truck more than 12 years ago. The movie’s ending was a nice reminder of that encouraging look.
The Greatest Game Ever Played was an awesome film. It wasn’t just about golf nor was it about the U.S. vs. England. It was also about the poor struggling for recognition and respect from the rich. This, I believe, is what moviegoers should take from the film. In societies where people seek to maintain their unique identities that distinguish them from others, I think it’s important to remember, that we should also find room to look for commonality. In the movie, you have Harry Vardon from England, a well-known golf champion who grew up poor, yet mastered a rich man’s sport. You also have Francis Ouimet, who grew up in a poor immigrant family in America who also become a great golf amateur. Both men were rejected by their rich countrymen because of their socio-economic status. Because England wanted to dominate sports, they supported Vardon as a representative of England, but the rich class refused to extend full country club membership to him because his father was a gardener. Ouimet was considered America’s last hope in beating the Brits. But what this really came down to wasn’t patriotism but “sticking it” to the rich; making sure they knew, that the poor class was just as good as the rich class.
Whether we’re Hawaiians, African-Americans, Southeast Asians, Samoans, Hispanic or trailer park Caucasians, we’re all under-represented, exploited, and to some degree still discriminated against. This fact alone is should a significant common factor that brings us together.
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 | The Greatest Game Ever Played
(Anonymous)
2005-10-30 22:42
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Maika'i Ahiahi E Ku'u kamakane:
I remember that Day Derek. that I drove you to court. I don't remember the sequents of
events of that day, but, I was sincerely and very much, so proud of you then and even moreso now.
You continue to set goals for yourself, you continue to stay focused on these individual goals
and once it's achieved, you set others goal for yourself. Yesterday, you were the Defendant, Today,
you are the law student, Tomorrow, an officer of the Courts?
Good luck to you My Son, in whatever your endeavors may be. Mom and I are So Very Proud
of You and wish continued success in your goals and your life as well. Most importantly Derek,
Malama O 'Oe Pono'i, a Hali'a, Ke Akua ia me 'oe ..... mau loa.
Maika'i Po Ku'u Kamakane
Aloha no kaua ia 'oe, Mama a me Papa.
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