Many people play the lottery for pure joy; Casinos in places such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City thrive on the temporary thrills that gambling brings to those who hope to hit the jackpot. We must not forget, however, that taking chances is not always about fun and games – especially for men and women who bet big on themselves while competing to win some type of prize.
It’s a funny thing about contests; you never know how much is at stake for participants who enter while at some type of crossroads or dire circumstance in their life. For some, winning means the difference between living and dying, whether they gain respect or lose prestige, whether they receive a second chance or glimmer of hope. That is the basis for of this week’s Monday Movie Meme theme: Game On!
Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring people who have a lot on the line, yet enter a contest that could have a huge bearing on their future circumstances. Here are my selections for this week’s Game On! theme.
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Members of a catholic school choir put all of their energies and faith into a statewide singing competition in this comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg, Lauren Hill and Kathy Najimy.
Finding Forrester
The dude in this drama starring Sean Connery, Rob Brown and Anna Paquin, found himself involved in some type of alleged plagiarism scandal…I think…while participating in a writing contest.
Cinderella Man
A struggling and disabled fighter enters a dangerous boxing match in an attempt to earn enough to feed and care for his family in this biopic starring Russell Crowe.
Akeelah and the Bee
A young girl butts heads with her mother, peers and mentor while prepping for Regional and National spelling competitions.
The Karate Kid
Didn’t Jaden Smith’s character compete in some type of vicious martial arts tournament in this 2010 remake also starring Jackie Chan and Taraji P. Henson? I’ve only watched the movie once and am a little fuzzy on most of the scenes from that movie – except for the fact that the boy had an inflated ego and it took a while for him to learn the importance of something so simple as hanging his own jacket up and whatnot.
All about the Benjamins
A wanted crook wins the lottery and then joins a bounty hunter in a wild chase for diamond smugglers, in this comedy starring Mike Epps, Ice Cube and Eva Mendes.
What movies have YOU seen featuring people entering contests?