Little Giants

Last updated

Little Giants
Little giants movie.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Duwayne Dunham
Screenplay by
Story byJames Ferguson
Robert Shallcross
Produced byArne Schmidt
Starring
Cinematography Janusz Kamiński
Edited by Donn Cambern
Music by John Debney
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • October 14, 1994 (1994-10-14)
Running time
106 minutes
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million
Box office$19.3 million

Little Giants is a 1994 American family sports comedy film directed by Duwayne Dunham and written by James Ferguson, Robert Shallcross, Tommy Swerdlow, Michael Goldberg from the story by Ferguson and Robert Shallcross. The film stars Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neill as Danny and Kevin O'Shea, two brothers living in a small Ohio town who coach rival Pee-Wee Football teams. [1] The film was produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. under their Warner Bros. Family Entertainment label.

Contents

Plot

Danny O'Shea has always lived in the shadow of his older brother Kevin, a Heisman Trophy winner and local football hero. They live in Urbania, Ohio. Kevin coaches the "Pee-Wee Cowboys" football team. Despite being the best player, Danny's daughter Becky, nicknamed Icebox, is cut during try outs solely because she is a girl. Also cut are her less-talented friends, Rashid Hanon, Tad Simpson, and Rudy Zolteck. After being ridiculed by the players who made the team, she convinces her dad to coach a new pee-wee team of their own.

At first, Danny is reluctant to do so, but later accepts in an attempt to show Urbania that Kevin is not invincible, and that there is another O'Shea in town capable of winning. Kevin reminds him of the "one town, one team" rule enforced by the pee-wee football League, and with the support of the locals, they decide to have a playoff game to determine the lone team that will represent Urbania. Alongside Becky, Hanon, Tad, Rudy, and Nubie (an intelligent boy who becomes assistant coach), Danny gathers other children that have never been given a chance and dubs the team the "Little Giants." One such player, strong-armed quarterback Junior Floyd, is the son of Danny's childhood crush, Patty Floyd.

Two old-timers, Orville and Wilbur, encourage the rivalry between Danny and Kevin, reporting to them that a new star player, Spike Hammersmith, has just moved to Urbania. Danny recruits him by tricking his overzealous father, Mike, into believing he is the famous "Coach O'Shea". However, Spike proves to be rude and arrogant and refuses to play on a team with a girl. The deception is later discovered and he switches over to Kevin's team. Kevin also encourages his daughter, Debbie, to become a cheerleader and later tells Becky that a quarterback will want to date a cheerleader, not a teammate. Believing it is her best chance to win over Junior and feeling exploited as her father's best player, she decides to quit the Giants and pursue cheerleading.

Just as Danny's team start to lose hope, a bus arrives carrying NFL stars John Madden, Emmitt Smith, Bruce Smith, Tim Brown, and Steve Emtman. They teach the kids about football and inspire them to believe they can win.

The day of the game, Kevin goads Danny into making a bet: If Danny wins, he gets Kevin's Chevrolet dealership; if Kevin wins, he gets Danny's gas station. Facing a 21-point halftime deficit, the Giants' spirits are lifted when Danny gives them a speech, inspiring them to each remember a time when they had a unique accomplishment. He reassures them that they only need to beat the Cowboys one time to prove themselves. With this, they begin to play better and make a comeback. Realizing that Junior is the main threat to the Cowboys, Mike Hammersmith orders Spike to take Junior out of the game; Spike injures Junior by spearing him with his helmet after the whistle, leading Kevin to reprimand Mike for his son's unsportsmanlike conduct.

Witnessing the attack on Junior from the sidelines, an enraged Becky drops her pompoms and suits up for the game. She makes an impact when she forces a fumble after a jarring hit on Spike. In the game's closing seconds with the score tied at 21, the Giants make a goal line stand when Becky stops Spike. With time remaining for one final play, their offense steps back onto the field and uses a trick play Nubie calls "The Annexation of Puerto Rico," inspired by Tom Osborne's famous “fumblerooski”. Kevin shouts out its actual name as it occurs, shouting "Fumblerooski, Fumblerooski!" The play includes three different ball carriers, utilizing the hook and lateral from Zolteck, to Junior, and finally to Berman, who scores the Giants' 99 yard game-winning touchdown.

Afterwards, Danny suggests that rather than having the Giants solely represent Urbania, they should merge with the Cowboys, so that both he and Kevin can coach the team. Danny and Patty rekindle their childhood romance. He also decides not to hold Kevin to the prior bet, on the stipulation that the town water tower be changed from "Home of Kevin O'Shea" to "Home of The O'Shea Brothers," reflecting a much earlier promise that Kevin made to Danny from their childhood at the beginning of the movie.

Cast

Production

The film was inspired by a 1992 McDonald's Super Bowl commercial [2] developed by Jim Ferguson and Bob Shallcross. According to The Baltimore Sun , [3] after seeing the commercial, Steven Spielberg contacted them and said, "I want that commercial made into a movie. I want my 'Home Alone.'" [4] It was filmed from May 10 to Sep 3, 1994.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. Stephen Holden remarked, in The New York Times , that "anyone who was ever rejected or picked last for a team can relate to the concept behind "Little Giants," a slickly contrived family movie about an inept junior football team that succeeds in spite of spectacular liabilities [...]"Little Giants," which was directed by Duwayne Dunham, devotes much of its energy to such comic antics as balls getting stuck into face masks, and wispy little kids practicing looking intimidating." [5] Hal Hinson of The Washington Post stated that "if "Little Giants" were in a beauty pageant it might win votes for Miss Congeniality, but it definitely wouldn't take the crown." [6] Conversely, the Los Angeles Times suggested that the film was "smarter than many of its ilk. Clearly a great deal of care and thought has gone into making special a picture that could so easily have been routine family fare." [7] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 36% approval rating with a 4.8/10 average rating, based on 11 reviews. [8]

Box office

The film had a budget of $20 million and failed to recoup it, with a total of $19.3 million in box office returns, [9] [10] [11] [12] making it a disappointment at the box office.

Year-end lists

Cultural references

In a 2010 NCAA football game, Michigan State defeated Notre Dame on a fake field goal touchdown pass in overtime to end the game. Head coach Mark Dantonio said the play was called "Little Giants". [14]

The uniforms worn by the Cowboys in the film were the same ones worn by the Dallas Cowboys during the 1994 season as part of the NFL's 75th anniversary. From 2004 to 2007, the New York Giants' alternate jerseys were red with white numerals, similar to the jerseys worn by the Little Giants in the movie.

Home media

On February 7, 1995, Warner Home Video released Little Giants on VHS and LaserDisc. The VHS tape includes a Merrie Melodies cartoon, One Froggy Evening , celebrating the 40th anniversary of Michigan J. Frog. On July 8, 2003, the film was released on DVD. On March 29, 2011, the film was re-released in a four pack: 4 Film Favorites: Kids Sports (along with Little Big League , Surf Ninjas , and Hometown Legend).

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Pee-wees Playhouse</i> American television series (1986–1990)

Pee-wee's Playhouse is an American comedy children's television series starring Paul Reubens as the childlike Pee-wee Herman that ran from 1986 to 1990 on Saturday mornings on CBS, and airing in reruns until July 1991. The show was developed from Reubens's popular stage show and the TV special The Pee-wee Herman Show, produced for HBO, which was similar in style but featured much more adult humor.

<i>Pee-wees Big Adventure</i> 1985 film by Tim Burton

Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his feature-film directing debut. It is the first installment of the Pee-wee Herman trilogy. Starring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol, along with E.G. Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger, and Judd Omen. Described as a "parody" or "farce version" of the 1948 Italian classic Bicycle Thieves, it tells the story of Pee-wee's nationwide search for his stolen bicycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pee-wee Herman</span> American comedy character

Pee-wee Herman is a comedy character created and portrayed by the American comedian Paul Reubens. He starred in films and television series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that quickly led to an HBO special in 1981. As the stage performance gained further popularity, Reubens took the character to motion picture with Pee-wee's Big Adventure in 1985, toning down the adult innuendo for the appeal of children. This paved the way for Pee-wee's Playhouse, an Emmy Award-winning children's series that ran on CBS from 1986 to 1991. Another film, Big Top Pee-wee, was released in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Bergevin</span> Canadian ice hockey player and executive

Marc Bergevin is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He is currently senior advisor to the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings. Bergevin played as a defenceman in the NHL.

"Tennessee Waltz" is a popular country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in January 1948. The song became a multimillion seller via a 1950 recording – as "The Tennessee Waltz" – by Patti Page.

In American football, the fumblerooski is a trick play in which the football is intentionally and stealthily placed on the ground (fumbled) by an offensive player, usually the quarterback. The offensive team then attempts to distract and confuse the defense by pretending that a ball carrier is running in one direction while another offensive player retrieves the ball from the turf and runs in a different direction, hoping to gain significant yardage before the defense realizes which player is actually carrying the football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pee Wee Ellis</span> American saxophonist (1941–2021)

Alfred James Ellis, known as Pee Wee Ellis due to his diminutive stature, was an American saxophonist, composer, and arranger. With a background in jazz, he was a member of James Brown's band in the 1960s, appearing on many of Brown's recordings and co-writing hits like "Cold Sweat" and "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud". He also worked with Van Morrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Mara</span> American ice hockey player (born 1979)

Paul Richard Mara is an American former professional ice hockey defender, and current head coach of the Boston Pride in the PHF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Garrett</span> American football player and coach (born 1966)

Jason Calvin Garrett is an American former football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback before becoming a coach. Garrett was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for 9+1⁄2 seasons from 2010 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Jeffcoat</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

James Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys over the Bills. After his playing career, he became a coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Keefe</span> Ice hockey player, coach, general manager

Sheldon Keefe is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Following retirement from active play, Keefe served as head coach of the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), as well as the Maple Leafs' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, guiding the latter to their first Calder Cup championship in 2018.

André Dupont is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Quebec Nordiques. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups while a member of Philadelphia's "Broad Street Bullies" teams in the mid-1970s. He also is often referred to by his nickname, "Moose".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Herr</span> American ice hockey player (born 1976)

Matthew Gregory Herr is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played for part of four National Hockey League (NHL) seasons.

Gregory Scott Gilbert is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Gilbert played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues between 1981 and 1996 before retiring to become a coach. Gilbert was the head coach of the Calgary Flames from 2001 to 2003. As a player he won the Stanley Cup three times, with the Islanders in 1982, and 1983, and with the Rangers in 1994

Shawna Langill Waldron is an American actress. Waldron is best known for her roles as Becky O'Shea in the 1994 sports comedy film Little Giants and as Bonnie Stiles on CBS television series Ladies Man.

Lee Roy Caffey was an American professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. Caffey is one of the top 100 Green Bay Packers of All-Time (#57). Caffey and teammates, Ray Nitchke and Dave Robinson, were named one of the top 10 best linebacking trios in the history of the NFL by ESPN. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and is one of Texas A&M’s top 10 best players in the NFL.

Larry David Floyd is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach. Floyd played for numerous professional teams during his career from 1982 until 1984, including twelve games with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Floyd also played roller hockey for the San Diego Barracudas in the RHI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowboys–Giants rivalry</span> National Football League rivalry

The Cowboys–Giants rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. The beginning of this rivalry is difficult to trace, but is perhaps best defined by the first game the two teams ever played back in 1960, which resulted in a 31–31 tie. In the early 1960s the New York Giants were beginning to wind down as an NFL powerhouse. After having been arguably the most dominant team in the Eastern Conference through the 1950s and early 1960s the Giants entered a period of poor play where they did not make the playoffs from 1964 to 1980. While the Giants dominated the Cowboys in the first few years of the rivalry, the Cowboys picked up steam and took control from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, winning 17 of the 20 meetings between the two teams in the 1970s. In the 1980s however the Giants struck back, and the rivalry has been relatively even handed ever since with intermittent spurts of dominance. The rivalry would also swing in favor of the Giants during the 2000s and early 2010s. Recent history has swung back in favor of the Cowboys, as they have beaten the Giants eleven out of the last twelve matchups since 2017. This is a unique rivalry in American sports in that no other Texas area team is in the same division as a New York area team, or has a consistent rivalry with one most likely due to the relatively far geographical distance between the two regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pee Wee Butts</span> American baseball player

Thomas Lee "Pee Wee" Butts was an American baseball player who played in the Negro leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Labanc</span> American ice hockey player (born 1995)

Kevin Labanc is an American professional ice hockey right wing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Sharks in the sixth round, 171st overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

References

  1. ↑ Judy Brennan (August 21, 1994). "PEEWEES' PLAYHOUSE : New Quarterback Takes 'Little Giants' Toward Goal". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ "McDonald's Super Bowl XXVI ad Pee Wee Football" . Retrieved February 15, 2022– via YouTube.
  3. ↑ "'Little Giants' a big hit not to be written off". The Baltimore Sun. October 21, 1994. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  4. ↑ "8 Things Even Football Fans Don't Know About The Super Bowl". HuffPost. January 30, 2015. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  5. ↑ Holden, Stephen (October 14, 1994). "Little Giants (1994) FILM REVIEW; Extra Points For Trying". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  6. ↑ "'Little Giants' (PG)". The Washington Post. October 17, 1994. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  7. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (October 14, 1994). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Giants': A Comedy Worthy of Cheers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ Little Giants (1994), archived from the original on April 7, 2021, retrieved July 6, 2021
  9. ↑ ROBERT W. WELKOS (October 18, 1994). "Weekend Box Office : 'Fiction' Outdraws 'The Specialist'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  10. ↑ ROBERT W. WELKOS (October 25, 1994). "Weekend Box Office : 'Pulp Fiction' Stays in No. 1". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  11. ↑ ELAINE DUTKA (November 1, 1994). "Weekend Box Office : 'Stargate' Has MGM Starry-Eyed". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  12. ↑ ROBERT W. WELKOS (November 8, 1994). "Weekend Box Office : 'Stargate' a Back-to-Back Champ". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  13. ↑ Arnold, William (December 30, 1994). "'94 Movies: Best and Worst". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Final ed.). p. 20.
  14. ↑ Peter Tirrell (October 29, 2010). "2010 Notre Dame at MSU "Little Giants" fake field goal called by George Blaha". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2017– via YouTube.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.