Metro ball: A screenplay, on a young man from Tanauan City, blinded by baseball glory

• Main Author: Montinola, Jose Felipe P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: College athletes > Philippines > Drama; Baseball players > Philippines > Drama; Communication
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2862
• Institution: De La Salle University

The thesis is a full-length screenplay that attempts to move past the limitations set by the meritocratic nature that past sports films have adhered to. Sports films have seldom broken away from this utopian narrative, focusing on hard work and achievements while ignoring discussions on social identities (Baker). The screenplay tackles issues that affect the landscape of student athletics from scholarship envy, athlete piracy, and imperical Manila. The thesis reviews the challenges faced by students athletes, while researching on the obstacles that have lead to the scarcity of Philippine sports films. By taking advantage of the country's affinity for sports, films that are similarly stylized as their real world counterparts are easily identifiable by their viewers, allowing them to tackle multiple themes or lessons when represented metaphorically in a sports setting.