My thoughts on an underated scene from The Mighty Ducks movie
So, there's this Disney movie the Mighty Ducks that came out in the fall of '92. I would have been 8 at the time. But I didn't see it until after it came out on video. By that time, I was 9. For a while after that, and after we taped it when it was on tv, I would want to watch it over and over and over again. Part of the reason I'd watch it over and over again was because I had a crush on the actors who played Charlie Conway and Adam Banks. I thought they were so cute looking at the time. And because I thought Charlie was one of the nicer kids of the bunch.
Anyways, you know that scene where McGil knocks Adam Banks out in the first movie, and then that Larson kid came to see if he was even Okay, and then stayed with him until the paramedics came to get Banks off the ice? I get it's just a movie but if I was him, after McGil said to him, "My Job". I would have been like, "McGil, You COULD HAVE KILLED HIM!!! I AM DONE WITH YOU AS A FRIEND, I'M DONE WITH RILEY AS A COACH, AND I'M DONE WITH PLAYING HOCKEY FOR THIS TEAM!! I QUIT!!!" It's just that after he asks Adam Banks if he's even ok, he just seemed so concerned about his well being, and then when he asked McGil after that, "What did you do?" He sounded pretty pissed at him. Just for that, I think his character should have just switched sides. And then if I were him, I also would told the Ducks that I was sorry for what happened. I know that maybe in the beginning, Banks would be mean to the people on the Ducks team, too when he was still playing for the Hawks and they were District 5. But I don't think that Adam Banks deserved to be injured like that.
Maybe if they made a D4, they could have his character resurface back and bring up that moment, admit that he was very genuinely concerned about Adam Banks when McGil did what he did, just because Coach Riley told him to do it, and that he felt bad about what happened as well as the rest of the Ducks team for that incident, that he never really wanted anyone to get injured like that and that maybe this Larson guy also feels like maybe he should have warned the players from the other team but was scared. And admits he feels like he should have went and warned them so that his teammates could protect him from that happening to him. And that he's now no longer friends with that McGil character. And that he's also sorry for being kinda mean to some of the other Ducks, as well. And maybe he could end up revealing that, McGil had also done something later on to stab him in the back too, which is why he's no longer friends with him. And part of the reason he was such a jerk was because he had been hanging out with him in the first place, and that maybe "Larson" also felt the pressure to fit in somewhere and was too scared to stand up to him. And that the person he is today is not who he was back then. Because when you're that age, fitting in is everything. And not being able to fit in anywhere is just so unbearable at that age. And then, maybe the members of the Ducks team it turns out, maybe let him know that they did remember seeing that Larson boy go up to see if Adam Banks was even okay, and they did remember seeing him waiting with Banks, until the Paramedics showed up and let him know that they liked the fact that at least he did that, and that they even truly appreciate what he did, there.They could say something in regards to that something like, "We do in fact remember seeing you do that. Thank you for doing that, by the way. What you did was greatly appreciated". And then this Larson guy could just smile and say, "I've been waiting for someone to tell me that for a long time." And then after he's been told that, maybe feels some kind of weight has been lifted. And maybe he never got that praise originally, because maybe his other team mates threatened him into choosing between staying friends with Adam Banks or being loyal to the rest of the Hawks team and told him that if he went against them, they'd beat him up.
And maybe as the conversations continue, some of the former players for the Ducks could also happen to talk about how serious of an issue that bullying has gotten to be, even among both kids and adults.
And maybe it could also be revealed that while they were playing in the Hockey Olympics game in D2, Larson watched them back home in Minnesota on TV and thought what the ducks got to do was so cool. Especially when they beat Iceland. And that he also noticed Julie Gaffney as the 2nd goalie for the Ducks and that he thought she was hot looking or pretty, or something. And maybe he could mention to them that while they were going to school at Eden Hall, he was going to a regular public high school but really wished he could have gone to school there, too. And that while he was going to school there, that him and McGil had the falling out and had pretty much stopped talking to each other in the 9th or 10th grade, and haven't spoken to each other, since. Or it could be revealed that McGil (Mike Ooms) had just recently passed away from cancer and that before he passed away, he had written them a letter apologizing to Adam Banks and the rest of the team for what he did to them, especially because his coach at the time told him to do that to Adam Banks, back in the day, and that he wishes them the best in life. And that he wanted this Larson person to also give them that letter for them to read. (Maybe I should just call him Mike, because that's what his real first name was in real life, out of respect for his memory.) Maybe another thing that Larson character could end up mentioning is that he thought their coach, Gordon Bombay seemed like a really nice guy and wishes that maybe he could have had him as a coach over Riley, and reveals that Riley didn't care quite as much for the players emotional well being. And then maybe Larson could also end up meeting Gordon Bombay, up close and personal. And then Gordon could share with him that, he used to play for the Hawks when he was a kid and had to deal with Riley, too. That the year when he played for them and his dad passed away, that the reason he might have tried to score a penalty shot to with the game only for it to hit the post, might have been that he might have been grieving over the loss of his dad at the time. And maybe they end up agreeing that the coach should have kept that in mind and should have maybe had more empathy for him on that subject. And maybe what could also end up happening is that Adam Banks tries to help him get to know the other members of the Ducks team better and help Larson find some common ground with them. And yeah, maybe their first reaction to seeing Larson again as an adult could be stand off-ish, like, "What's he doing here?" But then Adam Banks could possibly be the one to tell him like Bombay had told Adam Banks in the first movie when he switched teams, "They're a good group, once you get to know them. They will eventually come around. They just need to see that you've changed." And at some point, maybe he even gets to meet Julie Gaffney in person. And of course maybe this Larson guy ends up proving himself to them that he is a much nicer person today than he was back then. And then one of the guys (or girls) on the ducks team could end up saying to him, "You were right. You're not the same person you were back then." Possibly Charlie Conway? And maybe he even ends up with Julie by the end of the movie, as well?
But that scene in the first movie has always
pulled at my heart strings, even when I first saw the movie as a kid.
Probably because I can sympathize and empathize with the people on the Ducks team being bullied. I
don't know. I know this all sounds really lame. But I do know that when
we become adults, we might start regret doing things we did when we were
kids, that we later become not too proud of. Or we remember not doing things when we were kids that we begin to wish we shouldn't have done. Hell, if someone did something to me and wanted to apologize for not being nicer to me at the time, I would like that. I would accept their apology if they were being sincere. And for the record, I hate bullies. They can really make your life a living hell and they don't have to beat you up to make your life a living hell, either. Bullying sucks! Especially when you have disabilities. But as for that one moment there in the movie, I really think that is an under rated moment in the movie and I really feel in a way, it should have gotten more recognition, and I think that the character who did what he did there, even though they were playing opposite of each other at that time, should have gotten more attention and praise for what he did, there. Perhaps if society knew just how serious bullying was or could be back then, maybe that moment would have gotten better recognition for it?
It's just too bad there's no way to contact anyone behind the scenes of the Mighty Ducks movies or any of the actors and actresses themselves. Even if I did, I highly doubt anyone would like what I had to say, here as well as ideas for what could happen if they were ever to make a D4:The Mighty Ducks Reunion. That's just a fantasy. Besides, I don't even know if any of the surviving cast members from All 3 Mighty Ducks movies are even familiar with the subject of autism, let alone might know someone who might have a family member with autism.
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