Hollywood took the Hill back to 1950. When will we get it back?
By Traci Angel
When is that soccer movie that was filmed on the Hill going to be released? Good question. Many who work and live on St. Louis’ Italian-American enclave, the Hill, remember weeks during the summer of 2003 when the neighborhood was transformed into a Hollywood set. The film, The Game of Their Lives, is based on the story of the underdog 1950 U.S. World Cup soccer team, which had five members from St. Louis, including four from the Hill area. The movie was supposed to be released last fall, but is instead expected to open in theaters next month. The delay stems from the production company Bristol Bay, formerly Crusader Entertainment, hoping to self-distribute the movie, which can be a more complicated process, says Jerry Jones, director of the Missouri Film Commission. Jones speculates that the company also gambled with the success of The Phantom of the Opera, which opened over Christmas and features Gerard Butler, who also stars in The Game of Their Lives. Butler’s popularity as the phantom could mean better marketing for the film. So will St. Louis host a Hollywood premiere? “We would like to, but a decision hasn’t been made,” Jones says.
