Paperback Hero

• Director: Peter Pearson
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Comedy Drama
• Movie Type: Sports Drama, Psychological Drama
• Themes: Small-Town Life, All Washed Up
• Main Cast: Elizabeth Ashley, John Beck, Keir Dullea, Dayle Haddon
• Release Year: 1973
• Country: CA
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

A small-time athlete is suddenly confronted by the real world in this thoughtful comedy drama from Canada. Rick (Keir Dullea) is the star player on a semi-pro hockey team in a small town on the Canadian prairie. While Rick has to hold down a job in a hardware store to pay his rent, his skills on the ice make him a local hero; he never has to pay for a beer or a meal if he doesn't want to, and he makes as much time as he wants with a number of women, though his loyal girlfriend Loretta (Elizabeth Ashley) is still convinced he'll settle down and marry her one day. To go along with his minor celebrity, Rick has constructed an outsized persona for himself, wearing a cowboy hat, carrying a pistol, and grooming himself in the model of Sheriff Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke. But Rick's world begins to fall apart when he first loses his job and then gets word that his team's owners can't afford to keep the franchise going. After the team's final game turns into an angry brawl and Rick is rejected by Joanna (Dayle Haddon), the college-age daughter of the team's manager, Rick takes a final stand in a foolish bid to prove himself. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast

Elizabeth Ashley - Loretta; John Beck - Pov; Keir Dullea - Rick; Dayle Haddon - Joanna; George R. Robertson - Burdock; Franz Russell - Big Ed; Patricia Scott - Hippie; Linda Sorenson - Mona; Ted Follows - Cagey; Margot Lamarre - Julie; Jacquie Presly - Marlene; Chester Robertson - Father; Winnie Rowles - Mother; Les Ruby - Jock

Credit

Tom Hall - Art Director, Marion Mills - Costume Designer, Peter Pearson - Director, Kirk Jones - Editor, Gordon Lightfoot - Composer (Music Score), Ron Collier - Composer (Music Score), Gordon Lightfoot - Songwriter, Don Wilder - Cinematographer, James Margellos - Producer, John F. Bassett - Producer, Gordon Lightfoot - Singer, Barry Pearson - Screenwriter, Les Rose - Screenwriter

Similar Movies

Slap Shot; Goin' Down the Road; This Sporting Life