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Iverson (2014)
Iverson analysis
Iverson is an outstanding documentary about a man's life and how he became a NBA all star. This documentary gives an insight to the life of the basketball legend Allen Iverson. It explains where he came from and everything he did to get to the NBA. Every aspect of his life including things such as when he went to college, where he grew up, and even when and why he went to jail. There was many struggles I drain had, but his main struggle was with himself. This documentary was made to understand the life of one of the greatest basketball players to ever live. Much is to be learned from this film and is one of the most inspiring documentaries I have seen. Iverson is a documentary that can connect with every individual out there. Pathos is rhetorical concept that is used in films to connect with the viewer on an emotional level. It is the strongest rhetorical concept because it is very easy to connect with someone's emotions. It is very effective because when an inspiring or amazing thing happens, viewers instantly feel a sense of happiness and amazement. Pathos is used throughout the whole film by connecting people with Allen Iverson's struggles and his good times. Another expressive rhetorical concept is called logos. Logos uses facts, stats, and reasoning to appeal to viewers through logic. Logos is expressed through percentages and stats when it comes to sports in this documentary. Facts grab people's attention because people strive for information, and it's hard to stop watching when so much information is given to you. Throughout the documentary many stats regarding his basketball career are shown, and many facts about his childhood life are given. Many people from Iverson's past express what Iverson did in their lives. Ethos is a rhetorical concept that uses credibility to appeal to an audience. Evidence, ethics, and credibility are examples of ethos that are used in this film. Documentaries must have ethos in them so that people can believe them in prefer for them to watch them. Without credibility and evidence this documentary wouldn't be worth watching to most people. This documentary brings in Iverson's past coaches, friends, and family to obtain evidence and trustworthiness. In this documentary pathos was expressed a multitude of times. It is the most pronounced rhetorical concept in this documentary and the most appealing. The film explains Iverson's life from childhood to where he is now. During his childhood in the documentary, sadness was the most experienced emotion for the viewer. His childhood wasn't great and wasn't typical. He was around people his age that used drugs and people who weren't very good people. When Iverson explains how is father was involved in his life is the time where a lot of sadness is felt. He explains how his father wasn't there and was always in jail. People connect with that because they either had a similar experience in there life or can realize that it is hard to live without a father. As he gets into his basketball years is when a great amount of happiness and aspiration comes into the film. This is the point when viewers appeal the most to happiness, and it gives them a sense of fulfillment from this happiness. Watching him thrive in his basketball career connects them to the film. Credible facts in this documentary appeal to just about everybody. Facts and credible information is presented throughout this film. During the time when Iverson was in jail, the film explained how Iverson would receive bags and bags full of mail from various people. Also when he was in the NBA he won rookie of the year. NBA announcers explained his stats and how he scored higher per game than Shaq. Announcers and news reports from all over the United States shared information that Iverson was the player who started the clothing trend of baggy clothes and tattoo sleeves. After his career, he created a hardcore rap album. This album was reported by Iverson himself in the documentary that it was never commercially released. There have been a lot of people in Iverson's life. Ethos is the type of rhetorical appeal where credibility is used to appeal to the viewers. Credibility is built in the documentary through interviews and what Iverson said. His former college coach expressed how he took Iverson under his wing and made sure he did well in school. Every time Iverson messes up in school, his coach said he would set him straight. Iverson's childhood friend talked about how every morning at six o'clock Iverson would knock on his door wanting to play basketball. He also explained how Iverson loved any sport and put his heart into every one he played. Iverson had a though life growing up. He grew up in the hood and his mom struggled to provide while his father was in and out of jail. Despite these challenges he became a talented, hardworking individual who achieved his goals. He played football and basketball in high school an excelled at both. He had everything going for him until he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was at a bowling alley when a brawl broke out and he fled. Even though Iverson didn't take part in the brawl, he was accused of harming three people. He was sentenced to jail. Luckily the governor pardoned him after several months allowing him to finish high school. Following high school he was accepted into Georgetown University where he pursued his basketball dream. His coach made him do well in school and finish college. He was drafted to the 76ers as the first round pick. This point in his life was when he excelled the most. He was able to provide for his family for the rest of their lives while doing what he loved. He continued his career with the 76ers until he retired in October of 2013.
Forrest Gump (1994)
This is the most inspiring movie of all time.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field Director: Robert Zemeckis
***This may contain spoilers***
This is the most inspirational movie I have ever seen. Starring Tom Hanks, it is a story about the life of man named Forrest Gump who experiences many things. His experiences take place at a time when the world is constantly changing, and there is no telling where Forrest will end up next. Throughout his life's journey, he learns many lessons from all kinds of people. Forrest meets some of the most well known public figures of his time. Some include Elvis Presley, John Lennon, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon.
The movie starts off when Forrest is a young boy with braces on his legs. Bullies would pick on him everyday chasing him home until one day his braces started falling apart while he was running. When parts began to fly from his legs, he realized he was running and was overcome with joy. This was his turning point when he was a boy. He grew up like a normal person would and graduated high school. After that a football coach noticed his talents as a football player and Forrest received a scholarship to play college football. Around the time he graduated, the Vietnam war was happening. He was drafted and sent to Vietnam. He meets Bubba who was his best friend and he also meets another great friend named Lt. Dan. Forrest was shot in the war and while he recovered he played ping pong. After his time served in the military, he continued to play ping pong for the United States and made a lot of money. With this money he bought him a shrimp boat and became a shrimp boat captain. Lt. Dan became his first mate and they started shrimping. One day Forrest headed back home on news that his mother was very ill. He stayed with her until she passed away. To deal with the sorrow from his mother passing, he began to run across the country. He would only stop to eat and sleep and would run coast to coast until one day he stopped running. He then returned home and lived there for a while. Then one day he received a letter from Jennie and went to see her. When he got there she told him that she was sick and that he had a son named Forrest. They then moved back to Forrest's house and lived there until Jennie passed. Forrest then raised his son.
Forrest meets the love of his life when he was a boy and her name was Jennie. The love he has for her is what keeps Forrest going through life and takes him to all of the wonderful places he goes. She was a sweet girl who was Forrest's best friend. She was the one who told him to just run if something bad was happening. Her advice led to his braces coming off, his survival, and his freedom from people. She was Forrest's number one fan. No matter where she was or what she was doing she would help him if he needed it. As she grew up many things changed about her life, and she wasn't the best person. She moved off to college and got kicked out. Then she moved off and left Forrest to travel with some hippies, got addicted to drugs, but eventually she turned her life around to become a good person.
Tom Hanks' acting was superb. He played the role of an innocent, simple man who was in large events. The simplicity he brings to the role makes you think that Forrest is an actual person. The acting is delivered well and isn't swinging between different personalities. There wasn't a flaw in Tom Hanks' performance. Gary Sinise, who played Lt. Dan, was great in his role. He pulled off the crazy but intelligent leader that he was. For the little time that Mykelti Williamson played Bubba in the movie, you felt connected as if he was your best friend. Robin Wright played Jennie perfectly, portraying Jennie as an opposite to Forrest. Lastly, Sally Field played Forrest's mother perfectly. She was caring, informative, and helpful like a mother should be.
All in all Forrest Gump is an inspirational movie about a simple man who lived an extraordinary life. It is full of life lessons and proves that anybody can do anything.