The Best of Men: Difference between revisions
add ref |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{one source|date=August 2012}} |
{{one source|date=August 2012}} |
||
| ⚫ | '''''Best of Men''''' is a factually based 2012 [[television film]] which describes the pioneering work of Dr. [[Ludwig Guttmann]] with [[paraplegic]] patients, which led to the foundation of the [[Paralympic Games]], starring [[Eddie Marsan]] and [[Rob Brydon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9481115/The-Best-of-Men-BBC-Two-review.html |title=The Best of Men, BBC Two, review |publisher=Telegraph |date= |accessdate=2012-08-16}}</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | '''''Best of Men''''' is a factually based 2012 |
||
==Plot== |
==Plot== |
||
Ludwig Guttmann (Marsan) is a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, while his patients were injured British servicemen, initially bewildered at finding themselves under the care of one of "the enemy". |
Ludwig Guttmann (Marsan) is a Jewish refugee from [[Nazi Germany]], sponsored to stay in the United Kingdom by [[Council for Assisting Refugee Academics|CARA]],<ref>http://www.academic-refugees.org/events/30/how-cara-helped-ludwig-guttmann-founder-of-the-paralympics</ref> while his patients were injured British servicemen, initially bewildered at finding themselves under the care of one of "the enemy". |
||
| ⚫ | |||
leads him to clash with the existing staff of nurses and doctors at the hospital, |
|||
who are accustomed to merely managing the decline of their patients. |
|||
| ⚫ | On arrival at the hospital, the patients are kept under [[sedation]], and immobile in bed, a regime leading to [[bedsore]]s, infection, and, in many cases, death. Dr Guttman insists that the best [[prognosis]] for the patients is if they are as mobile as possible. This leads him to clash with the existing staff of nurses and doctors at the hospital, who are accustomed to merely managing the decline of their patients. |
||
| ⚫ | As he gradually wins the staff over with his determination and optimism, |
||
| ⚫ | As he gradually wins the staff over with his determination and optimism, Guttmann faces a further problem in the hopelessness of some of the patients, particularly exemplified by the youngest inmate, William Heath (MacKay), who joined the army from school. William's despair is contrasted with irrepressible humour of [[veteran]] Wynn Bowen (Brydon), who offers a constant series of irreverent comments from his bed. |
||
| ⚫ | Guttman hits on competitive exercise and sport as a way of both encouraging physical exercise and building self esteem. Now in wheelchairs, the patients compete at [[hockey]] and [[wheelchair basketball|basketball]], and begin to re-connect to the outside world. The patients visit a local [[pub]] and challenge the regulars to [[arm-wrestling]]. The previously suicidal William engages in sport |
||
so enthusiastically that he breaks a leg, to the consternation of the other medical staff. Wynn is scheduled for a reunion his wife in [[Wales]], although this makes his composure crack over worries about his sexual performance. After Dr Guttman tells him "there is more than one way to skin a cat", he returns, jubilantly proclaming that he "skinned the cat!". |
|||
| ⚫ | Guttman hits on competitive exercise and sport as a way of both encouraging physical exercise and building self esteem. Now in wheelchairs, the patients compete at [[hockey]] and [[wheelchair basketball|basketball]], and begin to re-connect to the outside world. The patients visit a local [[pub]] and challenge the regulars to [[arm-wrestling]]. The previously suicidal William engages in sport so enthusiastically that he breaks a leg, to the consternation of the other medical staff. Wynn is scheduled for a reunion his wife in [[Wales]], although this makes his composure crack over worries about his sexual performance. After Dr Guttman tells him "there is more than one way to skin a cat", he returns, jubilantly proclaming that he "skinned the cat!". |
||
The film closes with captions describing how the Stoke Mandeville Games became the Paralympics, and how Dr Gutmann was awarded a [[knighthood]]. |
The film closes with captions describing how the Stoke Mandeville Games became the Paralympics, and how Dr Gutmann was awarded a [[knighthood]]. |
||
== |
==Cast== |
||
*[[Ludwig Guttmann|Dr Ludwig Guttmann]] - [[Eddie Marsan]] |
|||
*Private William Heath - [[George Mackay]] |
|||
*Cpl Wynne Bowen - [[Rob Brydon]] |
|||
*Sister Edwards - [[Niamh Cusack]] |
|||
*Dr Cowan - [[Richard McCabe]] |
|||
*General Blake - [[Nicholas Jones]] |
|||
*Sgt "Q" Hills, PTI Instructor - [[Tristan Sturrock]] |
|||
*Mr Heath - [[Nigel Lindsay]] |
|||
*Mrs Heath - [[Rachael Spence]] |
|||
*Nurse Carr - [[Leigh Quinn]] |
|||
==Production== |
|||
Written by [[Lucy Gannon]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01m1jqd|title=The Best Of Men|publisher=BBC Two|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref> |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
||
Revision as of 22:31, 2 September 2012
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (August 2012) |
Best of Men is a factually based 2012 television film which describes the pioneering work of Dr. Ludwig Guttmann with paraplegic patients, which led to the foundation of the Paralympic Games, starring Eddie Marsan and Rob Brydon.[1]
Plot
Ludwig Guttmann (Marsan) is a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, sponsored to stay in the United Kingdom by CARA,[2] while his patients were injured British servicemen, initially bewildered at finding themselves under the care of one of "the enemy".
On arrival at the hospital, the patients are kept under sedation, and immobile in bed, a regime leading to bedsores, infection, and, in many cases, death. Dr Guttman insists that the best prognosis for the patients is if they are as mobile as possible. This leads him to clash with the existing staff of nurses and doctors at the hospital, who are accustomed to merely managing the decline of their patients.
As he gradually wins the staff over with his determination and optimism, Guttmann faces a further problem in the hopelessness of some of the patients, particularly exemplified by the youngest inmate, William Heath (MacKay), who joined the army from school. William's despair is contrasted with irrepressible humour of veteran Wynn Bowen (Brydon), who offers a constant series of irreverent comments from his bed.
Guttman hits on competitive exercise and sport as a way of both encouraging physical exercise and building self esteem. Now in wheelchairs, the patients compete at hockey and basketball, and begin to re-connect to the outside world. The patients visit a local pub and challenge the regulars to arm-wrestling. The previously suicidal William engages in sport so enthusiastically that he breaks a leg, to the consternation of the other medical staff. Wynn is scheduled for a reunion his wife in Wales, although this makes his composure crack over worries about his sexual performance. After Dr Guttman tells him "there is more than one way to skin a cat", he returns, jubilantly proclaming that he "skinned the cat!".
The film closes with captions describing how the Stoke Mandeville Games became the Paralympics, and how Dr Gutmann was awarded a knighthood.
Cast
- Dr Ludwig Guttmann - Eddie Marsan
- Private William Heath - George Mackay
- Cpl Wynne Bowen - Rob Brydon
- Sister Edwards - Niamh Cusack
- Dr Cowan - Richard McCabe
- General Blake - Nicholas Jones
- Sgt "Q" Hills, PTI Instructor - Tristan Sturrock
- Mr Heath - Nigel Lindsay
- Mrs Heath - Rachael Spence
- Nurse Carr - Leigh Quinn
Production
Written by Lucy Gannon,[3]
References
- ^ "The Best of Men, BBC Two, review". Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
- ^ http://www.academic-refugees.org/events/30/how-cara-helped-ludwig-guttmann-founder-of-the-paralympics
- ^ "The Best Of Men". BBC Two. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
 | This film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |