I went to the movies last night and I saw the preview for this film. I have heard about this story all my life, and I am glad someone is making a modern version of it. There is an much older Mexican film version, but it doesn't get much airtime. But I must say that I was Appalled by what I saw in the preview.
First of all, let me say that I am sucker for a good underdog sports story. I come form a region where baseball is the top sport, as opposed to soccer, which is king in most of Mexico. One of our native sons is Fernando Valenzuela, who helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series. Among my favorites I can name Major League, Hoosiers, Glory Road, and the great German film Das Wunder Von Bern. But I am also a stickler for accuracy.
The film portrays the players as coming from an impoverished background, which is true. However, My jaw fell to the floor when I saw Monterrey depicted as a two-burro village where the children played ball in the dirt choked streets with pigs and chickens serving as bases. I went to college in Monterrey, and I lived there for four and a half years. Monterrey has been one of the leading industrial centers and largest cities in Mexico for over 100 years, well within the time frame of this story. An impoverished URBAN setting would have been more appropriate.
The scene that showed the players crossing into Texas from Mexico at a nearly-forgotten, out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere border crossing also made me gag. As anyone with basic elementary school geographical knowledge would know, there is a big river smack in between Texas and its neighboring Mexican States. It is called the Rio Grande, which, coincidentally, means "big river" in Spanish. There are a great number of automotive, pedestrian and rail bridges spanning this river.
The scenes in Texas seem to be something that would have take place in the 1940's rather than the 1950's. Texas was still very rural in the 50's granted, but the clothing styles and hairdo's on the women seem a decade out of place. There was plenty of bigotry in Texas at the time, and that seemed well depicted.
I normally do not take offense when my country is misrepresented like this in a film, mainly because some people just can't help being ignorant. I do admit that there are severe poverty issues here and yes, there are still many places that don't have pavement. But... COME ON!!!! Do your research!!!! Does anyone remember Ross Perot's claim that a Mexican's biggest ambition in life was to own an outhouse? Yours Truly Arturo Wagner Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico
