Com375x—The Rhetoric of American Sports in Film

Professor Stephen C. Wood, Ph.D.

Communication Studies

The Rhetoric of American Sports in Film examines the way filmmakers use sports as fundamental rhetorical elements to communicate their vision of American culture. As such, the course examines not only “sports” films (e.g., Bull Durham, A League of Their Own), but non-sports films that use sports to shape their cinematic message (e.g., Hook, Cannery Row). The class will learn to deconstruct a film to analyze the message elements attached to cinematic sports. The semester will culminate in an original critical paper that synthesizes the use of sports in film through a detailed examination of one or more films.

Text:   Reel Baseball by Wood and Pincus (eds.), available from Dr. Wood on CD.

Supplemental Resources:

Baseball in Movies: A Comprehensive Reference by Hal Erickson (McFarland Publishers), 1992. [PN1995.9 B28 E7 1992]

The Cinema of Baseball by Gary Dickerson (Meckler) 1991. [dPN1995.9 B28 D5 1991]

Assignments:    

  1. Submit a 200-300 word mini-analysis on each film or set of films viewed as part of the class (7 mini-analysis to be submitted via email, word counts must be noted at the end of the paper). (25% of final grade)
  2. Film Clip Festival. (25% of final grade)
  3. A final film & sports critical research paper (10-12 pgs.). (25% of final grade)
  4. An oral & video presentation of elements in the final paper. (25% of final grade)

Tentative Semester Calendar

Week 1: An overview to the course; a synoptic history of sports in film, 1898 to 2002; view Sports on the Silver Screen first mini-analysis due by email. Reading assignment: Foreword, Intro to Reel Baseball, Reels 1, 2, 3, & 4 and Chapter 18.

Week 2: The Natural, a new era in baseball film and the mythic methodology; second mini-analysis due by email. Reading assignment: Chapters 1, 2 & 3.

Week 3: Field of Dreams, third mini-analysis due by email; reading assignment: Chapters 4, 5 & 6.

Week 4: Humor & Sports in Non-Sport films; view clips from assorted films; fourth mini-analysis due by email; reading assignment: Chapters 12 & 13.

Week 5: Violence in Sports in Non-Sport films; view clips from assorted films, fifth mini-analysis due by email; reading assignment: Chapters 14, & 15.

Week 6: Family Values in Sports in Non-Sport films; view clips from assorted films, sixth min-analysis due by email: reading assignment: Chapter 16.

Week 7: Student Video Clip Festival: Students bring in cued video clips reflecting the work of week 4 & 5. Students will screen and informally discuss their clips (time limit: 15-20 minutes.

Week 8: Student Video Clip Festival: part 2.

Week 9:  Babe Ruth and the sport hero movie; view Pride of the Yankees, Comin’ Home; fifth mini-analysis due by email; reading assignment Chapters 6 & 7

Week 10: Sport bioops, the genre of personality; view clips from The Stratton Story, Fear Strikes Out, Ali, etc.; sixth mini-analysis due by email; reading assignment: Chapters 8, 9 & 10.

Week 11: Baseball Goes to War; view clips from Up Periscope, Away All Boats, Memphis Belle, etc.

Week 12: A Blast From the Past: Early Sports Films; view College and clips from other early films; seventh and final mini-analysis due by email.

Week 13: Final Prep & Rehearsal for Student Video Presentations.

Week 14: Final Student Video Presentations (time limit: 15-20 minutes)--group projects encouraged.

Week 15: Final Student Video Presentations, Part 2.