A League of Ordinary Gentlemen
New York Premiere

A League of Ordinary Gentlemen

| USA | 93 MINUTES | English

This humorous and endearing look at the world of professional bowling opens with an examination of the cultural perceptions that surround the sport. Footage from the days of mullets and beer guts is interwoven with commentary from a diverse array of observers, including Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone; journalist Bernie Goldberg; and former NBA All-Star, bowling fan, and "Round Mound of Rebound" Charles Barkley. Tracing the historical arc of the professional bowling tour, the film includes archival footage from the sport's glory days in the 1950's and 60's, through its near extinction in 1997. The story takes a dramatic twist when three retired Microsoft executives purchase the Professional Bowler's Assoication (PBA) and install Steve Miller, a former Nike marketing executive, as CEO. Miller immediately sets about modernizing the PBA, transforming it into a slicker, more media-friendly package. In addition to Miller, the movie focuses on four bowlers, each of whom offers a different perspective on life on the PBA tour: Pete Weber, bowling "bad boy" and son of legendary bowler Dick Weber; Walter Ray Williams Jr., a straight-laced six-time world horseshoe-pitching champion with 36 PBA titles to his name; Chris Barnes, a young father of newborn twins, who must leave his wife and sons at home and hit the road to compete for winnings on the tour; and Wayne Webb, a 20-time PBA champion who has fallen on hard times and hopes to squeeze one more good season out of his career to stave off bankruptcy.

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