Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Vision Quest (1985)

Louden: You never took a night off to see
me wrestle before. They'll dock you for that. 
Elmo: Hey, kid - money ain't everything. 
Louden: It's not that big a deal, Elmo. 
I mean, it's six lousy minutes on the mat, if that. 
Elmo: You ever hear of Pele? 
Louden: Yeah, he's a, a soccer player. 

Elmo: A very famous soccer player. I was in the room here one day... watchin' the Mexican channel on TV. I don't know nothin' about Pele. I'm watchin' what this guy can do with a ball and his feet. Next thing I know, he jumps in the air and flips into a somersault and kicks the ball in - upside down and backwards... 

... the goddamn goalie never knew what the fuck hit him. Pele gets excited and he rips off his jersey and starts running around the stadium waving it around his head. Everybody's screaming in Spanish. I'm here, sitting alone in my room, and I start crying. That's right, I start crying. Because another human being, a species that I happen to belong to, could kick a ball, and lift himself, and the rest of us sad-assed human beings, up to a better place to be, if only for a minute... let me tell ya, kid - it was pretty goddamned glorious. It ain't the six minutes... it's what happens in that six minutes. 

 Jeez that's a long-ass speech. You're so eloquent, Vision Quest.
But really we're here today because...

... it's Michael Schoeffling's birthday! The recluse on the right, where ever he is, is turning 54! Yes that's right Jake "Perfection" Ryan is in his mid-50s. Weep for us all. A few years back I did a really big post devoted to this movie and Schoeffling in particular, back in the day that you'll definitely want to click on. We miss you, Michael!


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