*** Burke Favorite Scene ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPqYnC-SW5w
Quick Clarification
I know the AFI (American Film Institute) has done a top 100 lines of dialogue list… Entertainment Weekly recently did a top 100 characters of the last 20 years (which is “ree-DONK-u-luss” just by the way)… But I’m going to spare you the “Burke Marksity Top 50 Film Babes of ALL TIME” list, or my top film flubs and the like. I mean, who really cares? Your list would differ from mine, which would differ from my Brother’s, etc… Instead of these lists, every now and again when I happen to see these favorite scenes of mine on Cable, during a viewing or elsewhere, I’ll try and link them and give you my take.
It might help to watch the clip before you read the following… Regardless, this classic scene (again, my blog, my opinion) is from A League of Their Own, in which Tom Hanks plays a reluctant baseball manager named Jimmy Dugan. He’s been hired to manage an all-Ladies baseball team that’s part of a WWII all-Ladies league. While the movie is very entertaining, I think of this scene first and foremost when I think of the film. Though this clip is less than two minutes in length, it demonstrates so much of Hanks’ character: he is extremely aggravated to be in this position, to have to manage an (gasp!) all-Ladies team? Think of it! He’s incessantly hung over, his five o’clock shadow is visible at 11am and his constant spitting kind of demonstrates his disposition towards his job.
I love how he brings Evelyn over to him with a “Hey, can I talk to you a minute, got a sec?”, which kind of puts her at ease before he completely tears her apart. As a result of Jimmy’s tirade, Evelyn starts crying in front of the whole team and everyone in the stands. I love how Jimmy pauses, looks at her, and then asks her, “Are you crying?”. It’s hilarious to me just how incredulous he is that she’s crying. Dugan just cannot believe it. Hanks’ even gives her the worst example he can think of, when a manager called him a pile of pig shit in front of his parents – and STILL he didn’t cry! You know why? “Cause there’s no crying in baseball!”
Then, to top it all off, we have the soft spoken Umpire approach Jimmy and ask if everything’s all right. Jimmy tells him matter-of-factly, “She’s crying, sir!”. As if the Umpire will completely understand. Instead, the Ump says perhaps Jimmy “chastised her too vehemently”. As if having a hangover and an all-Ladies team to manage weren’t enough, now Jimmy’s got this guy telling him how to run his team? Well, Jimmy can’t help but give the Umpire his opinion as to the Umpire ‘s appearance… I hope you agree this is indeed a great scene!