THE SPORTING CLUB (1971)

Title: THE SPORTING CLUB

Year of Release: 1971

Director: Larry Peerce

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Black Comedy

Synopsis: The chaotic, facetious goings-on of a Michigan shooting club, as seen through the eyes of one of its members, businessman James Quinn.

Within a film history context: Movies which have the activities of a sports club at their core have not been a common occurrence on cinema screens. One of the first documented was James Tinling's CHANGE OF HEART (1938). Charting the relationship between a married couple, the wife being a golf player, who lures her husband into the sport, it was a film which was filmed at an actual country club, giving it authenticity. PAT AND MIKE (1952), directed by George Cukor, afforded the audience some peeks at several sporting clubs in California, including golf, and tennis clubs, with several colorful characters among the comedy and romance. In total contrast, Ron Winston's BANNING (1967) was in a dramatic vein. A professional golf player assumes the job of instructor at a ritzy golf club, his financial problems forcing him into situations he never expected, with an eye on the ladies at the same time. THE SPORTING CLUB was the one film in the genre where viewers were shown a sporting club in detail, in its case, a shooting club.

While the other movies, particularly CHANGE OF HEART, and PAT AND MIKE, were casual with regards to the depictions of the inner workings of a sports club, with THE SPORTING CLUB, the personalities who inhabited this club were front, left and center. With the afore-mentioned movies, romance and comedy were the motivators of the narrative. In THE SPORTING CLUB, the irreverent, violent, eccentric, and anti-social behaviour, and tendencies, of club members were highlighted, the other movies conventional in comparison to the free-for-all of the shooting club members. BANNING had an increased concentration on country club comings and goings, similar in a small way to THE SPORTING CLUB, but BANNING's glossy presentation, and emphasis on romance, was nothing like THE SPORTING CLUB's farcical, over the top narrative. One of the most curious, strange movies about a sporting club ever made, THE SPORTING CLUB is mainly of interest due to its vast differences from the small number of films on the subject before its release in 1971.

Overview: Larry Peerce is an American director of fifteen motion pictures, an all-rounder who has tackled different types of movies with generally above-average results. Mr Peerce's first film, ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO (1964) was a realistic study of a woman who divorces her husband, and marries an African-American man, her former husband suing for custody of their child, motivated by racism. The next of Mr Peerce's important films was THE INCIDENT (1967). A tightly-directed, tense account of two thugs terrorizing passengers on a New York subway train, it offered its diverse cast excellent acting opportunities. More prominent was GOODBYE, COLUMBUS (1969). The tale of a young man who falls for an upper-class young woman, with all their difficulties and obstacles presented to humorous, yet maximum effect, it was one of the most popular films of the year. A SEPARATE PEACE (1972) was the introspective story of two roommates at a private boarding school in 1940s New Hampshire, starring John Heyl, and Parker Stevenson in the lead roles. 

Entirely different in tone was ASH WEDNESDAY (1973). A woman embarks on plastic surgery to save her rocky marriage, but her choice leads to more than a few surprises along the way. Next came THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (1975), one of Mr Peerce's most commercially-successful movies. A young skiing champion ends up paralyzed after a tragic accident, and finds her way back to another kind of normalcy for herself, and her family. Based upon the real-life story of skier Jill Kinmont, it was popular enough to lead to a sequel, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (1978), also directed by Larry Peerce. Thoroughly contrasting, and violent in nature was TWO-MINUTE WARNING (1976). A crazed sniper causes mayhem at a football game, with much derring-do and heroics captured by the movie. At the end of the 1970s arrived THE BELL JAR (1979). Based upon Sylvia Plath's 1963 novel set in the 1950s, which focused upon a young woman's mental breakdown in New England, it was one of Larry Peerce's most artistic, serious movies.

Larry Peerce directed four movies in the 1980s, concentrating more on television after this era. WHY WOULD I LIE? (1980) was the character study of a self-deceiving, dishonest man who becomes a social worker. His involvement in the life of a young boy, though, leads to romance with the boy's mother. LOVE CHILD (1982) was based upon the real-life of Terry Jean Moore, a woman in trouble with the law who does time in jail. Falling pregnant to a prison guard, there is a struggle to keep the baby, in light of these extraordinary circumstances. Mr Peerce's penultimate movie was HARD TO HOLD (1984). A musical which was a vehicle for singer Rick Springfield, it was also a romance, with a pop star falling for a child psychologist, but finding opposition from his former flame. Larry Peerce's final film, WIRED (1989) delved again into real-life territory, this time the life of John Belushi, but with low box office returns, and mixed critical reaction. As Larry Peerce's fifth movie, THE SPORTING CLUB holds the distinction of being his most disappointing motion picture for a number of reasons.

When seeing Mr Peerce's films such as THE BELL JAR, THE INCIDENT, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN and its sequel, and GOODBYE, COLUMBUS, to name several examples, one is struck by their strong structure and presentation, and attention to narrative events and continuity. With THE SPORTING CLUB, unfortunately, this is not the case. The story of a shooting club, and its wayward members could have been much better than what transpired on screen, but what is presented is unsatisfactory. To be fair to the director and screenwriter, the source novel was one which would have remained better unfilmed, and something that could not be adapted in a proper manner. They may have tried to be as faithful to the book as possible, but this does not wash away the sentiment that the final result is a mishmash of details and execution. Many examples of this abound in THE SPORTING CLUB.

Scenes that seem promising at the outset go nowhere fast, plot points are introduced only to be discarded and rejected, without any regard for events moving from point a to point b. There is a feeling that all the running around by the characters may have been seen as amounting to comedy, but, it never gels. The sexual content, while slight, is also out of place, and not only absurd but also, tasteless. For example, the movie begins with a character in a compromising position, but one never finds out who she is, and why it occurred. The climactic orgy is similarly low on the appropriateness scale, emerging out of nowhere. For these reasons, THE SPORTING CLUB is an incredibly frustrating experience as a film to witness, as one of the only things it is adept at is not providing a satisfying, fluent time for the spectator. 

It is difficult to believe that a director such as Larry Peerce, and screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., could have come up with such a hodgepodge of a film. It begs questions; maybe there was the view at the time that this might have been the next big thing, in light of its jitteriness and irreverence, but, it is a lamentable failure. Notable as one of the most convoluted films ever made, and not a high point on the filmographies of both its director and screenwriter, THE SPORTING CLUB is a movie which makes the viewer grateful for their other work, but also, shaking one's head at how such talented people could be involved in such a dire production in the first place.

Acting: THE SPORTING CLUB has several meaningful performances which are of note. In the lead role of mixed-up, sociopathic Vernur Stanton, Robert Fields contributes another striking acting portrayal to cinema. A dynamic actor who excels no matter the part or movie in which he appears, Mr Fields' Vernur is one of the film's strongest assets. As his friend James, Nicolas Coster does a good job, but the movie does not display his strength as a player. An actor who added zest to his work in film and, particularly, in soap opera Santa Barbara, here his intelligence has not been properly utilized. It does not wash that Vernur would push James around and get away with it, something which would not have occurred elsewhere. In contrast, William Roerick as Fortesque adds his inimitable persona to the movie. While his role is small, he makes an impact with his authority, and the charming way he trails off when delivering dialogue is always fun. The last acting of note was by Jack Warden as Earl, the sporting club gardener. As with Mr Roerick his appearance is too limited, but Mr Warden makes his presence felt in the dramatic, and especially, the comic sequences.

Soundtrack: THE SPORTING CLUB has a lean soundtrack with a minimum of music featured, but the tunes appropriately reflect what is taking place onscreen, in an ironic manner. The song 'For the Dear Old Flag I Die' is most notably showcased during the movie's opening credits sequence, after the explosion segment, and also, its closing credits. 'Great Balls of Fire' is played in the campfire scenes with Earl Olive and his entourage, an allegory for a number of outrageous sexual hijinks occurring alongside him.

Mise-en-scene: THE SPORTING CLUB has a very good grasp of mise-en-scene, with particular attention to the woodsy sporting club, which seems real, and the many outdoor segments set in the forest, and lakeside. The explosion of the sporting club is well-done, and effective as a set piece. For a film in such a frivolous vein, the colour is subdued, never garish, and easy on the eyes, a credit to cinematographer John Courtland.

Notable Acting Performances: Robert Fields, William Roerick, Jack Warden.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Male nudity, female nudity, adult themes, medium-level violence.

Overall Grade: E

Link: IMDB Page