Sports Documentary: "Murderball"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the 2005 sports documentary, "Murderball," directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. It specifically describes the story of Mark Zupan who is considered among the top wheelchair rugby players in the world. The paper looks at the history of his disability and how the documentary portrays his life and his experiences playing wheelchair rugby.

From the Paper:

"Ebert (July 22, 2005) writes in his review of "Murderball" that Zupan's answer is "...hard to believe, but from him, I believe it." The team Zupan plays for us Team USA; the biggest rival for Team USA is Team Canada. And this rivalry becomes a central theme in the film. These players on the two teams definitely don't like each other at all. And Joe Soares, who was a great player for Team USA for many years, was let go because of his age and his declining skills. The film interviews Soares at length and viewers are given a close look at an angry man whose pride has been severely injured. But Soares - like all the competitors that are featured in the documentary - does not give up easily, and never quits. This is another story within the story, and Soares moves to Canada to become the head coach of Team Canada. He gets his revenge on Team USA for cutting him by leading Team Canada to a victory over Team USA. That win was the first time Team Canada had defeated Team USA in 12 years, so it was sweet for Soares and bitter for the Americans."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ebert, Roger. "Murderball: Mobile jocks smash cliches." Retrieved April 28, 2008, from http://rogerebert.suntimes.com.
• McGrath, Charles. "A Film's Stars Are Tough Athletes. They Are Also Paraplegics." The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com.
• Turner, Matthew. "Murderball." View London. Retrieved April 28, 2008, from http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/murderball-film-review-13656.htm.

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