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MURDERBALL

"Overcoming Physical Challenges"

What You Need To Know:

MURDERBALL is a documentary about a group of American quadriplegic men who play the full-contact sport of quad rugby, which is played in armored wheelchairs. Quad rugby is affectionately known as “murderball.” Taking place from 2002 through the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece, the documentary focuses on the intense rivalry between the United States team and the Canadian team. It tells several stories within this context about the American players and an American quadriplegic coach, Joe Soares, a former American player who now coaches the up-and-coming Team Canada in order to prove himself. The movie also shows how a visit by the USA team boosts the spirits of a new quadriplegic victim, Keith Cavill. Everything comes to a head in the Paralympic finals between the two world-class teams.

The drama of all these stories is exciting and ultimately heartwarming. MURDERBALL contains, however, plenty of strong foul language, a couple crude sexual references and nude scenes from an educational sex documentary for newly injured quadriplegics. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution, therefore, for adults only. The language could have been bleeped and the sex scenes eliminated to make the movie more appropriate for both adults and teenagers.

Content:

(Pa, B, P, LLL, V, SS, NN, AA, M) Mixed pagan worldview with some immoral pagan elements and positive moral elements, including a morally uplifting premise and a couple positive references to God, and some patriotic, pro-American, pro-military elements, including quadriplegic sport team visits American soldiers; at least 34 mostly strong obscenities, including many “f” words, and no profanities; rugby-type violence on armored wheelchairs; briefly depicted fornication, man takes off semi-nude woman’s panties and two or three crude sexual references in dialogue; brief upper female nudity, rear female nudity, and upper and rear male nudity; alcohol use and references to drunkenness; no smoking; and, revenge and tough quadriplegic father has trouble relating to his son, but there are positive feelings of parental love shown throughout.

More Detail:

MURDERBALL is a documentary about a group of American quadriplegic men who play a full-contact sport known as quad rugby, which is played in armored wheelchairs. “Murderball” is the original name for the sport.

The movie begins at the 2002 World Championships in Sweden. The USA team has dominated the sport for 10 years. The Canada team’s new coach, however, is Joe Soares, a former all-star who was cut from the 2000 USA team because he was too old. One of Joe’s former players taunts Joe in the finals, “How does it feel to betray your country?” Canada beats the USA team by one point in the final seconds, which leaves the American team depressed.

The rivalry between Team USA and Team Canada is personified by the intense rivalry between Joe and USA team spokesman Mark Zupan. Each man on the USA team, including Mark, has to come to terms with the sobering reality of physical and emotional obstacles. Quad rugby is a way to regain their self-respect, and perhaps to work out their anger.

The intense rivalry between Joe and the USA team, along with Joe’s drive to prove himself, eventually causes Joe to have a heart attack. The movie focuses on Joe’s relationship with his family and son in the wake of his heart attack and on Mark Zupan trying to renew his friendship with his best friend, Chris Igoe, who drove the car that caused the accident that injured Mark. The movie also shows how a visit by the USA team boosts the spirits of a new quadriplegic victim, Keith Cavill. Everything comes to a head in the 2004 Paralympic finals in Athens, Greece between the American and Canadian teams.

The drama of all these stories is exciting and ultimately heartwarming. MURDERBALL contains, however, plenty of strong foul language, a couple crude sexual references and nude scenes from an educational sex documentary for newly injured quadriplegics. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution, therefore, for adults only. The language could have been bleeped and the sex scenes eliminated to make the movie more appropriate for both adults and teenagers.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.