The Expression Hub

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Joshua Jackson, Vincent LaRuso, Elden Henson,Shaun Weiss, Aaron Lohr, Kathryn Erbe, Scott Whyte

Directed By: Sam Weisman

Genre: Sports comedy-drama

“Our ability to handle life’s challenges is a measure of our strength of character.”

-Les Brown

Of late, I have been on a journey of self-discovery after years of people-pleasing and not listening to my inner voice for a long time. The last I remember I had heard to my inner voice was when I was in college. After that, it was just a period of people pleasing and listening to what others felt was right. This resulted in a lot of mistakes made and unnecessary baggage being carried on. But as I had written last week, I am trying to reclaim my self -worth once again and try to assert myself as an individual who has her own voice .After all, someone has aptly said, when one finds the courage to use his or her voice, it has the power to positively inspire and change the lives of others.

Was I a weak individual before this? No, but I did feel that my voice was being stifled after living up to the expectations of the society. But right now, I just want to be in that position where I give power to myself and focus more on developing myself into an individual I have always wanted to be. And by doing so, I do not want to feel guilty at all nor wallow in self-pity. I just want my work to speak for itself and live my life on my own terms and make my choices.

Does that mean I am not open to feedback? I am open to feedback and suggestions as well but if it is beneficial for me up to an extent and is not forced upon me . It is good to advice people but shouldn’t the one who is being advised be allowed to make the choice?

Well, these are some changes which I intend to make in my day to day life. Have you faced such moments in your life lately ? Do tell me in the comments section. I would be happy to listen to your stories. And maybe get some pointers about how I should be living my life more purposefully and authentically.

The reason why I wrote about this was because I happened to revisit one of my memories which always gave me strength to face life whenever life seemed overwhelming. This movie became my guiding light when I was growing up and maybe that is the reason why it holds a special place in my heart. Which piece of art am I talking about? Lets find out..

STORY LINE: D2: The Mighty Ducks is a sports drama and is the second part of the Mighty Ducks trilogy. It revolves around the life of Gordon Bombay who was a lawyer by profession but his love for ice hockey transitions his career as a coach. After leading a local team to victory, coach Bombay tries his hand in the minor league expecting that he will end up having a spot in the National Hockey League. However, a knee injury stops him from realizing his dreams.

Even though his career ends as a professional hockey player, life gives him another role and that is to coach Team USA for the Junior Goodwill Games. Initially, he is reluctant to take up the role but after a little convincing by his friend Jan and Don Tibbles, he does take up the role.

But being the coach of team USA means that a person becomes a celebrity as well thanks to sponsorships . So, the question is whether coach Bombay will fall into the trap of vanity or will he rise above the challenge and lead Team USA to victory?

SCRUTINY: This might seem like a simple story having ice hockey at its background. But the reality is that this movie is just not a movie. It has a lot of life lessons hidden behind it as well. This movie teaches the importance of sportsmanship as well as gives us lessons in pride and focusing on matters. It also teaches us to embrace our individuality as an individual by playing our strength and combining them to form a cohesive unit.

Emilio Estevez shines as coach Bombay but the real hero according to me was his friend and mentor Hans who taught him how to instill the love for the game in the kids. He is also the one who makes coach Bombay realize what his objective was . An old man who was pretty wise and who is a game changer.

Are there any negatives in the same? Well, not as such but there are a few scenes which are pretty unbelievable in nature. Like for instance , there is a scene in which the team members on their day off go for shopping . Teenagers are not allowed in most of the stores yet they end up window shopping in an elite boutique . How is that even possible?Or in a game where every second counts, who would have the time for a knuckle puck?To know what it is , do watch the movie and try to figure the mystery of the same for yourself. Also, when did a sponsor have so much influence on a team ? That he ends up giving a lot of instructions than the coach? Guess this is another mystery for you guys to unravel .

THE SENTIMENT: A good watch which will bring in a lot of nostalgic factor and maybe instill a love for ice hockey as well apart from giving you a few important lessons. But if there were no scenes which were a bit difficult to digest, this movie would have been a more better experience.

But sometimes, I guess you do have to keep your brains aside and just enjoy what a certain story has to deliver. So, if you can keep your logical brain aside while watching this, then this will not turn out to be that bad as an experience. Else just watch it for how a David beats a Goliath story vibe. That way you can enjoy the experience better.

Rating: ** and 1/2 stars

Quote-Unquote: “We’re not goons, We’re not bullies. No matter what people say or do we have to be ourselves” (Coach Bombay to his team)

Que: What is the name of the hockey player who comes to visit Team USA?

a. Mike Modano

b. Chris Chelios

c. Wayne Gretzky

d. Paul Kariya