GOAL!

I just want to let all of America know that come January 1st, you are in for a big treat. Especially if you like soccer or cute guys. Today was a much needed day off. It's been a long week, full of early mornings and late nights, and we were all exhausted. We decided to have a relaxing morning and use our night to see the tallest point in HK, Victoria Peak. Unfortunately when we woke up it was a totally crappy day. Our bedside card delivered daily with a weather forecast had LIED. It was cloudy, and visibility on the peak would have sucked, so we went out for sushi and a movie.

The movie we decided on was one I've been wanting to see for quite a while. The previews looked amazing, and I happen to love sports movies. Anything with people winning and having team pride makes me cry in the good way. Plus, soccer (football) is my favorite sport, and soccer players are my favorite athletes. Hence, Goal! seemed like the movie for me. This is the most popular summary on IMDB: Like millions of kids around the world, Santiago harbors the dream of being a professional footballer. However, living in the Barrios section of Los Angeles, he thinks it is only that--a dream. Until, one day an extraordinary turn of events has him trying out for Premiership club Newcastle United.

So I saw these previews full of cheering, exciting music, and a cute guy, and I was hooked. The movie was not disappointing. A wee bit predictable, cliched, and stereotyped (all Mexican people are poor, and they have to work hard as gardeners) but overall exciting and inspiring. I can't talk too much about it without giving things away, but I laughed and cried (a lot) and loved every second of it. If there was some American pride it just might pass Miracle as my fave sports movie. For now, they're tied. The moral of this story is, go see it. I bet it will be an international hit, since it's been released in pretty much every country other than the US already. January 1st - make it your new year's resolution!