A League of Ordinary Gentlemen poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Walter Ray Williams, Pete Weber, Wayne Webb, Chris Barnes, Steve Miller ... see more see more... , Chris Barns , Walter Ray Williams Jr.

Can one of America's least glamorous sports survive a media-savvy makeover...and can it survive without one? In the 1950s and '60s, bowling was one of America's most popular sports, with millions spen... read more read more...ding their spare time on the lanes and watching professional bowling on television. However, the game's popularity took a nosedive in the 1980s and '90s, and matters only got worse when network television dropped regular bowling coverage. Eventually, the Professional Bowlers Association was bought out by a group of Microsoft executives, who pumped five million dollars into the organization and hired former football player Steve Miller to give the game a PR makeover in hopes of attracting a new audience. In A League of Ordinary Gentlemen, documentary filmmaker Chris Browne follows four professional bowlers -- Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Chris Barnes, and Wayne Webb -- as they scrape out a living on the pro bowling circuit and try to make sense of Miller's attempts to give the game a higher profile, with the solid play of Williams, who has won the PBA championship a whopping 39 times, often overlooked in favor of the "bad boy" showboating of Webber. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

68% liked it

353 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

34 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Christopher Browne

Release Date: May 27, 2005

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 21, 2006

Get It:

Stats: 37 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

A League of Ordinary Gentlemen
Upload a Photo | View All A League of Ordinary Gentlemen Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (37)

  • dukeakasmudge
    October 19, 2009
    dukeakasmudge
    Youd think a documentary about bowling would be boring but I was suprised how much I enjoyed this flick.Great documentary

View All A League of Ordinary Gentlemen Reviews

Critic Reviews

Joshua Land
August 19, 2005
Joshua Land, Village Voice

After a few flourishes of Errol Morris-like editing, first-timer Browne settles into a tone resembling the ESPN telecasts so crucial to the PBA's revenue stream, thriving on the intrinsic drama of com... Full Review

Tom Long
July 8, 2005
Tom Long, Detroit News

The film is part nostalgia, part wary tale of wasted youth and part underdog struggle.

Robert Denerstein
July 8, 2005
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Manages to be funny, sad and as informative as you'd want any movie about bowling to be.

Michael Booth
July 8, 2005
Michael Booth, Denver Post

It's a curious movie, in the best sense, acknowledging that everybody is obsessed with something, then finding out why this particular group of people is obsessed with this particular pastime. Full Review

Jeff Strickler
July 7, 2005
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Amusing and insightful. Full Review

June 9, 2005
Los Angeles Times

Informative and endearing film. Full Review

Mike Clark
June 3, 2005
Mike Clark, USA Today

Its 98 minutes are as easy to enjoy as picking up a spare, and we don't mean a tire around the waist. Full Review

Ronnie Scheib
June 2, 2005
Ronnie Scheib, Variety

First-time helmer Chris Browne's sense of humor captures perfectly the contradictions, absurdities and drama at the intersection of class, media, money and sports without dissing any of his player/sub... Full Review

David Edelstein
May 27, 2005
David Edelstein, Slate

You're left with a haunting vision -- of a go-for-it, romantic, fame-and-fortune template featuring quasi-athletes who can't seem to climb out of the lower middle class. Full Review

Kyle Smith
May 27, 2005
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The dork factor is cheerfully acknowledged by the hip documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen, a witty look at the sport's quest for cool.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • I Am
    I Am (100%)

More Movies like A League of Ordinary Gentlemen

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

A League of Ordin... : Watch Free on TV

A League of Ordinary Gentlemen Trivia

  • What sport is the film A League of Ordinary Gentlemen about?  Answer »
More A League of Ordinary Gentlemen Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for A League of Ordinary Gentlemen. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All A League of Ordinary Gentlemen Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add A League of Ordinary Gentlemen to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?