"Murderball" is what they used to call the sport when it was first created decades ago. Now it's referred to as quadriplegic rugby. It's easy to see how it got its original name though, as the players ram into each other with their souped up wheelchairs, throwing their opponents face first onto the court floor, hurling obscenities at each other the whole time.
This film follows the lives of a group of (mostly) young men who comprise the US quadriplegic rugby team, and their voyage to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Not to be confused with the Special Olympics, as one of the men points out in the film! These guys are rough, tough athletes who are eager to prove their skills to team Canada due to a bit of a rivalry. The coach for the Canadian team was a star on the US team for years, who moved up north to coach after a bitter legal battle following his cut from the team.
It's truly a great documentary, as viewers are thrown into these men's lives, their dreams, and the amazing recoveries from the accidents and conditions that left them in a wheelchair. Not at all the traditional woe-is-me flick (a la Million Dollar Baby), this film details the triumphs and trivialities of their every day lives as Olympic athletes - who just so happen to be paralyzed.
This film follows the lives of a group of (mostly) young men who comprise the US quadriplegic rugby team, and their voyage to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Not to be confused with the Special Olympics, as one of the men points out in the film! These guys are rough, tough athletes who are eager to prove their skills to team Canada due to a bit of a rivalry. The coach for the Canadian team was a star on the US team for years, who moved up north to coach after a bitter legal battle following his cut from the team.
It's truly a great documentary, as viewers are thrown into these men's lives, their dreams, and the amazing recoveries from the accidents and conditions that left them in a wheelchair. Not at all the traditional woe-is-me flick (a la Million Dollar Baby), this film details the triumphs and trivialities of their every day lives as Olympic athletes - who just so happen to be paralyzed.