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Goal! The Dream Begins

Play trailer Poster for Goal! The Dream Begins PG Released May 12, 2006 2h 1m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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43% Tomatometer 81 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Santiago Muñez, a Mexican cook in Los Angeles, gets a chance to follow his dream of playing professional soccer. A talent scout with contacts in the United Kingdom spots him and offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance: If he can find a way to England, he can try out for the Newcastle United team. Gavin Harris, a star player, takes young Santiago under his wing and helps him prove himself to his disbelieving father.
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Goal! The Dream Begins

Goal! The Dream Begins

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Critics Consensus

Impressive sports action sequences are the highlight, as the run-of the-mill story invokes every known sports movie cliche.

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Critics Reviews

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Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle The action on the field won't be enough to sate the most soccer-crazed viewers. Rated: 2/5 Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Trevor Johnston Time Out The combination of button-pushing uplift, sundry sweeping helicopter shots and a bombastic score that sounds like it came on a free transfer from a Tony Scott movie proves as resistibly synthetic as the CGI-enhanced heroics on the pitch. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review John Monaghan Detroit Free Press Everything here is beyond predictable. Rated: 2/4 Jun 9, 2006 Full Review Tom Dawson The List Of the actors, it's Alessandro Nivola in the role of a playboy midfielder who provides Goal!'s most entertaining performance. It's a pity then that the world he inhabits in the film is depicted in such cartoonish terms. Rated: 2/5 Apr 27, 2019 Full Review Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) There is a bulky bundle of sports movie cliches to sort through here if you do intend to follow the rise of wizardly soccer winger Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker)... Rated: 2.5/5 Jun 15, 2018 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Director Danny Cannon ("I Still Know What You Did Last Summer") captures every bit of Kuno Becker's star quality although the committee-written script remains slack. Rated: B- Apr 19, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mark M The movie's story is rather unconventionally conveyed but overall it's entertaining Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/10/25 Full Review Jerod S Movies like this should make you want to play soccer when you're done watching them. This one was an uninspired foreigner playing ball in England. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/08/24 Full Review Osmar I lot of people give it low rating because they think the main part of the movie is football but its more than that. This movies gives hope to those undocumented players in the USA. It shows them that its possible to make it pro. Non Mexicans will do not understand this, but it really is a good movie, not just about soccer but following your dreams. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/31/23 Full Review Herry S Most original American dont understand to watch this film about English Premier League, This the best option to watch if you knew about all the E.P.L teams, I watch more than couple of times never be bored because more Football scene instead telling the story. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/13/23 Full Review Audience Member he kickada da ball in da goal... and i like dat Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member THE BEST SPORTS FILM EVER BEEN MADE! Period. Whoever says Goal is bad is either knows shit a bout football, or has watched too much bend it like beckham. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Goal! The Dream Begins

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Cast & Crew

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Danny Cannon

Director

Kuno Becker

Santiago Muñez

Alessandro Nivola

Gavin Harris

Stephen Dillane

Glen Foy

Anna Friel

Roz Harmison

Marcel Iures

Erik Dornhelm

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Goal! The Dream Begins

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Movie Info

Synopsis Santiago Muñez, a Mexican cook in Los Angeles, gets a chance to follow his dream of playing professional soccer. A talent scout with contacts in the United Kingdom spots him and offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance: If he can find a way to England, he can try out for the Newcastle United team. Gavin Harris, a star player, takes young Santiago under his wing and helps him prove himself to his disbelieving father.
Director
Danny Cannon
Producer
Mike Jefferies, Mark Huffam, Matt Barrelle
Screenwriter
Mike Jefferies, Adrian Butchart, Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais
Distributor
Buena Vista
Production Co
Lawrence Bender Productions, Touchstone Pictures, Revolution Films, Milkshake Films
Rating
PG (Partying|Language|Sexual Situations|Some Thematic Material)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 12, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.3M
Runtime
2h 1m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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