If you watch "Jim Thorpe--All-American" expecting to see a full account of the famous athlete's life, you'd be disappointed to know that it's pretty incomplete. However, it does capture the essence of the man and his many foibles (it IS a warts and all bio-pic). Plus, while Burt Lancaster looked almost nothing like the man, his athleticism was a definite plus (Lancaster having been an acrobat and very physical specimen). It's enjoyable, that's for sure.
The film begins during Thorpe's childhood and difficulties his parents had getting him to stay at the residential Indian school. I have no idea if this really occurred--but it was pretty cool. Then the film jumps ahead to his entering Carlisle College--at which he distinguished himself as an amazing athlete. To Hollywood-ize Thorpe's life, the film makers created a romance. While it IS true that he married this woman, Thorpe was married three times and had many kids--whereas the other two marriages and all but his first child were omitted. I really don't see why--and it did seem dishonest only mentioning the one kid who died tragically.
The rest of the film is reasonably accurate but also a bit sketchy at times. It DID show his many failings but again, this was very sketchy. The problem for me is that although Lancaster was dynamic, the film entertaining and the ending inspiring, it was woefully incomplete. In fact, his life was so much more complex and interesting that it is perhaps a better made as a mini-series--as 105 minutes isn't enough. Good...but not worthy to truly be called the life story of Jim Thorpe.
The film begins during Thorpe's childhood and difficulties his parents had getting him to stay at the residential Indian school. I have no idea if this really occurred--but it was pretty cool. Then the film jumps ahead to his entering Carlisle College--at which he distinguished himself as an amazing athlete. To Hollywood-ize Thorpe's life, the film makers created a romance. While it IS true that he married this woman, Thorpe was married three times and had many kids--whereas the other two marriages and all but his first child were omitted. I really don't see why--and it did seem dishonest only mentioning the one kid who died tragically.
The rest of the film is reasonably accurate but also a bit sketchy at times. It DID show his many failings but again, this was very sketchy. The problem for me is that although Lancaster was dynamic, the film entertaining and the ending inspiring, it was woefully incomplete. In fact, his life was so much more complex and interesting that it is perhaps a better made as a mini-series--as 105 minutes isn't enough. Good...but not worthy to truly be called the life story of Jim Thorpe.