Films of the 1970s, No. 37

 


Throughout 2023 I'm looking at my favorite films from the decade of the 1970s. I'll be counting down from 50 to 1 throughout the year, posting a new installment each Friday. Agree? Disagree? Want to share a story? Post it in the comments below!

Gale Sayers: [accepting the George S. Halas award] I'd like to say a few words about a guy I know, a friend of mine. His name is Brian Piccolo. And he has the heart of a giant, and that rare form of courage which allows him to kid himself and his opponent: cancer. He has a mental attitude which makes me proud to have a friend who spells out 'courage' - 24 hours a day, every day of his life. Now, you flatter me - by giving me this award. But I say to you here now - Brian Piccolo is the man of courage who should receive the George S. Halas award. It is mine tonight - and Brian Piccolo's tomorrow.

Brian's Song (1971)
Starring: Billy Dee Williams and James Caan
Director: Buzz Kulik
About: We've seen a number of classic sports films, include several released in the 1970s. We've even seen a number of sports films with heart-breaking stories. In the decade of the 1970s alone we got two prominent versions of this kind of story, the baseball kind in Bang the Drum Slowly, and the football version with Brian's Song, a film that began life as an ABC Movie of the Week. That partly explains its length, just 73 minutes, but it's also not a movie you need to be longer. This film focuses on the great Chicago Bears running back Gayle Sears (Williams) and his teammate, Brian Piccolo (Caan), who died of cancer at age 26. You know how the story is going to end but it's not about the destination here, it's the journey. The actors do a nice job and this is certainly a film that appeals to guys but also tugs at their heart-strings. If you haven't seen it, it's worth tracking it down.

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