It's Good to Be Alive (1974)

The touching, and at times tragic, story of Roy Campanella. I thought Paul Winfield was terrific as Campy, and Lou Gossett and Ruby Dee were good too! (hey, didn't Ruby play Jackie Robinson's wife too? Lucky Dodgers...) I really liked the use of actual player footage of Roy in flashbacks, seeing ol' #39 swinging the pine! And I thought seeing Roy himself at the beginning and ending was a nice touch! But my favorite scene of all was the fly scene! The terror, panic, and realization of helplessness really came out in that few minutes! Really well done!

We get a front row seat to serious trials and tribulations as Roy Campanella, Major League Baseball's first black catcher, struggles to rehab from a car accident that left him paralyzed below the shoulders. We get some flashback moments to show how Roy got to where he did, but the focus is on his life after the accident, dealing with his own agonies and those of his family as they all try to cope, sometimes well, often times not.There are some trite/cliché moments in the movie (including a scene very reminiscent of the Lou Gehrig farewell speech), but even those hold up well due to the quality of the acting, and the realism of the direction (Kudos to Michael Landon in his directorial debut!).Solid acting performances by all the players, and a realism (I'd like to use the word "gritty" even though it isn't quite right, but neither is any other adjective I can think of) that hit me right in the gut.I think even those who don't like sports movies in general, but who appreciate a good real life drama, would enjoy this mostly "lost" TV movie. I'd never even heard of this before I saw it the other night, and it deserves a wider audience strictly on its merits, and even more so as an important piece of history many probably don't know about.

While it's "what a movie". I've got to wonder more : what a music score ! It's a very good TV. (Paul Winfield)'s performance is effective apart. (Louis Gossett Jr) did a great job as usual. I can't forget some scenes. Or the great meaning of the whole thing. However, I must give my heart for (Michel Legrand)'s music! It has the overzealous expression of the hero's glory days and the touching case of him later, then the rebirth of the hero inside of him once more. All of that while being a catchy, so memorable, tune as well.I don't run into that often in cinematic movies so how about TV ones! Believe it or not, maybe 15 years ago, I was out of reaching the soundtracks of movies easily, so I recorded the music out of the movie on a tape. I recall memorizing many of the movie's lines since they were mentioned on a magic music I used to hear daily. Ever since I put it on the list of my dream soundtracks to be bought in the future. This is indubitably one of the best music scores ever written for a movie.At the same time I recall being crazy about another melody of (Legrand) which's the title track of a TV series named (Love at First Side). Well, this is one series which I can't find in the mighty IMDb till now ! Finally, without this music (It's Good to Be Alive) can't be that highly good and alive.

Extraordinary film of the life of Brooklyn Dodger star, Roy Campanella, with a solid performance by Paul Winfield as Campanella. Roy campanella was baseball's's first black catcher, World Series champion, and Hall of Famer, he is a legend. This is a great sports movie in the tradition of Pride of the Yankees, as it tells the story of a baseball hero whose life has turned tragic. Louis Gossett Jr. does a fine job as Sam, Campanella's physiotherapist.The movie begins with Campanella wrestling with his decision of whether to stay in Brooklyn, or relocate his family to Los Angeles with his team, the Dodgers. This illustrates how petty ones problems are as compared to other peoples lot in life, and sets the stage for what is to come. The film uses flashbacks effectively to tell Roy's story. Ruby Dee is excellent as Campanella's wife, who tries to cope with the struggles her husband is going through. This film uses actual Dodger baseball film, and it is surprising how close Winfield resembles Campanella! Unlike the Lou Gerig, Gary Cooper film, this film focuses more on Campanella's rehabilitation than with his glory years. This creates a moving film that shows Roy's extraordinary courage in the face of despair. Without giving anything away, there is a scene with just Winfield and a fly that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Anyway, why have I not heard of this film before, and why is it not mentioned on lists of great sports movies? Don't miss this classic film!