| Product Summary | | Publisher: Buena Vista | | Format: Blu-Ray DVD | | UPC: 00786936724974 | | Buy.com Sku: 203168348 | | Item#: V2FEKJ | | Category Keywords: Theatrical Release | Rating:  |
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| | | "Blu-Ray Disc, Beyond High Definition."
Like the inspiring heroes in MIRACLE, REMEMBER THE TITANS, and THE ROOKIE, the amazingly gifted Santiago Mu ez, a young immigrant living in the barrios of Los Angeles, has an impossible dream -- to play soccer for a world class team.Unexpectedly getting a tryout with one of England's premier soccer clubs, Newcastle United, Santiago finds himself totally alone in a world where soccer is a religion and the players are gods.Now he not only has to prove he has the passion, talent, and determination to make it alongside the best in the world, but he has to overcome his own demons and those of others.System Requirements:Run Time: 117 MinutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC
"...an early candidate for the funnest movie of the summer." G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
"...a nice blast of English atmosphere." Kyle Smith, New York Post
Editor's Note
Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker), an illegal Mexican immigrant living in Los Angeles, lives and breathes soccer, but seems destined to live his life as a day laborer. His father, Hernan (Tony Plana), a stern hardworking man, discourages Santiago from playing soccer, believing it is only a feckless fantasy. One day, a former British professional, Glen Foy, spots Santiago playing in a pickup game, and promises him a tryout for Newcastle United. With the support of his doting grandmother, Santiago travels to England, and finds himself in a world where "football" is king, and "footballers" are Gods. His path to soccer stardom is tortuous and paved with pitfalls. Santiago must overcome a terrible tryout, a secret asthma condition, and the animosity of some of his teammates. However, with the guidance of Glen, the love of a plucky and beautiful nurse (Anna Friel), and the unexpected support by Newcastle United's playboy star Gavin Harris (Alessandro Nivola), Santiago finally finds himself in a position to score a pivotal goal and live his dream.GOAL! THE DREAM BEGINS contains many of the familiar tropes of the zero-to-hero sports story, but it rises above the clichés of the genre through the quality of the screenplay and the excellence of the acting. Each of the many minor roles is played to humble perfection, and the film artfully juggles dozens of subplots: Santiago's problematic involvement with troubled superstar Gavin Harris, his romance with Roz, his friendship with Glen, and his strained relationship with his father. The film proves to be full of subtle warmth and surprisingly moving. Thrilling matches--and cameos by such soccer luminaries as David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane--will certainly appeal to soccer fans, but GOAL!'s charming story will appeal to almost anyone.
| Features | Audio Commentary | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Featurettes: Golden Moments Of The Fifa World Cup, Behind The Pitch - How The Film's Intense Soccer Action Came Together Using Real Premiership Matches & The Actors & The Beautiful Game - Featurette On The Worldwide Soccer Phenomenon | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: Spanish | | This Is A Blu-Ray DVD Made For Blue-Laser Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture And Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Buena Vista |
| Release Date: 11/21/2006 |
| Running Time: 118 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2006 | | Catalog ID: 5346603 | | UPC: 00786936724974 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.40:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | USA Today
"[T]he film is capably acted and somewhat inspiring....Santiago's story of assimilation resonates..." 05/12/2006 p.5EBox Office
3 stars out of 5 -- "Its almost shameless embrace of style and sincerity offsets the structural flaws..." 07/01/2006 p.66 Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
"Goal! The Dream Begins" is a rags-to-riches sports saga containing all the usual elements, arranged in the usual ways, and yet it's surprisingly effective. We have the kid from Mexico who dreams of soccer stardom, his impoverished life in Los Angeles as an undocumented immigrant, his dad who scorns soccer, his grandmother who believes in him, the scout who gets him a tryout with a top British team, the superstar who befriends him, and even a pretty nurse. There is also a great deal of soccer, some of it looking real, some of it not. - Roger Ebert
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