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Gaming has come a very long way in how the greater entertainment world portrays it. For decades, gamers were served lackluster movie and TV show adaptations. It was clear those projects were being made by people mostly unfamiliar with the games, and were fronted by companies just trying to make a quick buck off the brand’s popularity. It’s only in the last 5 years or so that we’ve seen a change in the Hollywood machine, which has finally resulted in some quality game-related releases. It took far too long to get here, but better late than never.
Going hand-in-hand with that has been a considerable improvement in how gaming as a hobby has been portrayed in films and shows. For years you’d see actors mashing away at controllers in absolutely ridiculous ways, their strange movements matched with sound effects that made no sense. Sure, seeing someone use a GameCube to play something that sounded like Space Invaders might not irk the average viewer 20+ years ago, but gamers were frustrated in seeing such factually incorrect scenes. Thankfully, just like the game-to-movie/show adaptations themselves, how games are showcased within those spaces has seriously leveled up.
To what do we owe this revamped approach to games in all aspects of film and show-making? It’s most likely the natural progression of things thanks to the passage of time. The kids who were flummoxed by bad game movies and inane gaming displays in the past are now the ones spearheading those projects. They’re behind the camera, in the writers’ room, and acting these scenes out. Gaming is much bigger now than it has ever been, and it’s very much part of the zeitgeist. With gamers working their way into all facets of the entertainment industry, it’s no surprise all depictions and adaptations of games have vastly improved.
This greater understanding of games in Hollywood has led to better handling of the hobby in general. Decent-to-great film/TV adaptations of games are coming out left and right nowadays, and seeing someone play a game in a scene isn’t out of the ordinary. As a matter of fact, we even see gaming used as a way to convey a plot point or further a scene. Almost gone are the days where someone playing a game was used for a one-off joker or nothing more than set dressing. Gaming is being woven into storytelling to make strong statements, and the pinnacle of that approach just popped up in a brand-new series.
Michael Schur has made quite a name for himself in TV, and his star is only rising with each passing year. Schur has been a writer, producer or involved with some of TV’s most beloved projects in recent years. The Office, Parks & Rec, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place; Schur’s achievements with both audiences and critics alike have made him one of the most sought-after people in Hollywood, as the man keeps cranking out hit after hit. It seems that upward trajectory is still without setback, as Schur’s most recent series, A Man on the Inside, has once again arrived to critical and commercial acclaim.
While Schur’s shows have all been different in terms of overall plot and performances, there are common threads that run through each. If you’re tuning in to one of Schur’s creations, you can bet you’ll be hit with some really smart jokes, a loveable cast of characters, some hard questions that explore humanity, and no doubt some tears as well. A Man on the Inside has all of that in spades, especially when it comes to sad, but sweet moments. (Slight spoilers for A Man on the Inside ahead)
A Man on the Inside is inspired by a real-life story of an older man who infiltrated a nursing home to determine if the seniors in care were being mistreated. A Man on the Inside tweaks things a bit, with the nursing home spy Charles (played by Ted Danson) sneaking his way into the facility to find out who’s behind the theft of a valuable necklace. Much like the real-life story, Danson’s character ends up connecting with a lot of the residents and finding out quite a bit about himself along the way.
A Man on the Inside is 8 episodes long, and it’s the 6th episode that gives us an incredibly poignant moment that uses gaming as a backdrop. Without revealing specifics, Charles has had a rather rough handful of days at the nursing home, with newfound friends struggling in a variety of ways. It doesn’t help that Charles also brought his own baggage into the job, as he’s still having a serious amount of trouble processing the passing of his wife, an Alzheimer’s sufferer. All of these stressful situations cause Charles to take a step back from his spy mission to spend some much-needed time with his daughter and grandchildren.
While Charles may be completely bent out of shape, he’s not really one to openly talk about his feelings. This is why he heads to his daughter’s house, as he’d rather just surround himself with loved ones and forget his troubles. Of course, Charles doesn’t bother to let his family know the real reason for the visit, which only makes things worse. We all know how well ignoring problems works out, as they almost always find a way to show themselves, and often not in the most opportune situations. That’s exactly what happens with Charles, and it comes about through, of all things, a round of Rocket League.
Charles is more than happy to spend time doing whatever his grandkids want, and at one point during his visit they get him to play some Rocket League. The whole gang is sitting in the living room laughing it up, poking fun at each other with what’s going on in the game. It all plays out just as you’d expect, with shots of the family getting into the game and gameplay footage interspersed. Then, Charles gets a call that takes him away from the game for a moment, and it brings him right back to his troubles.
The call Charles has is all about the tough week he’s had trying to crack the case, along with the sad state of affairs with some of his fast friends at the home. This causes Charles to explain that he was having a difficult time dealing with it all, so he stepped away from the mission for a day with family and to clear his head. With that explained to his overseer on the mission, Charles goes right back to his family and their game of Rocket League.
Just a few seconds later, we see Rocket League footage where Charles ends up scoring a goal. He is overcome with emotion, cheering and screaming about his victory. It’s such a huge outburst that his grandkids look on and chuckle a bit, but then they notice there’s something more to the reaction. Charles’ elation over his victory brings forth what look like tears of joy, but it’s clear there’s more to them. When asked if he’s okay, Charles responds by saying, “I’m just happy for my soccer car and his little hat…that’s all.” Then Charles chuckles, looks to the sky…and starts to bawl. The way things play out from here lead to Charles explaining to his family the real intentions for his visit and how he’s had a rough go of things lately.
It’s hard to think of any other moment in a movie or TV show where videogames are portrayed this accurately, or used this well to advance a plot. This is a staggeringly beautiful, sad, and human moment that’s all facilitated by Rocket League. Of course, Rocket League has little to no importance in the actual events of Charles’ life, but with him trying to keep all of his emotions bottled up, scoring a point in a random videogame ends up being the key to opening the floodgates.
Enough can’t be said of Danson’s acting in this scene either, which only heightens the entire experience. We often see Danson in comedic roles, and there’s no doubt he’s unbelievably talented in that regard. What we don’t usually see is Danson stretching his acting chops with something that requires a completely different set of talents and range, and he really puts on a show here. It’s just a few seconds in one scene, but Danson does a phenomenal job that will leave nary a dry eye for most viewers as well.
Michael Schur has shown himself more than capable of penning heart-wrenching moments in his various shows, so it’s no surprise to see it happen in A Man on the Inside. We’ve also seen Schur dabble with videogame-like topics before, as The Good Place and its unseen point system was inspired by gaming. Now through A Man on the Inside, it seems like Schur is not only well aware of real-life videogames, but also respects them enough to showcase them as the linchpin in a key moment for the series.
There will no doubt be many more gaming adaptations in Hollywood’s future, and we’ll see plenty of games themselves pop up in shows, movies and so on. Again, playing games is now viewed (more or less) as a regular way of keeping yourself entertained, just as with reading, listening to music and so on. There are plenty of great gaming moments ahead, both in terms of adaptations and acknowledgements, but it’ll likely be quite some time until another show or movie manages to use gaming for such a moving, sentimental message.
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