The Deadliest Season

In "The Deadliest Season", we have yet another example of a fine film which is sadly missing from the home video market. Made-for-TV movies are so often under-rehearsed, undistinguished productions wherein the characters portrayed are rarely striking or memorable. All the lead players in this film deliver standout performances which give their characterizations the feel of real, highly distinctive individuals. The cinematography, lacking the slick, glossy quality of so many big-budget features, is nonetheless effective in conveying an almost "documentary" feeling which seems to add to the feeling that one is viewing a slice of reality. Michael Moriarty digs deep for his scenes of high emotion which climax the film, far deeper than one ever expects in the TV-movie genre. One is mesmerized by the fine details of his portrayal of a hockey player, without much education, a simple kind of guy but with much decency and no will to harm anyone. The central issue of violence in professional sports remains an important concern today. Such films as this one intensify my frustration that there is no way to ferret out information as to who holds the rights to such titles. One wants so badly to appeal directly to such parties, begging them to release a decent DVD version of the movie.