ABSTRACT
The 2005 film Goal! The Dream Begins exemplifies both the traditional synergy between sports and movies as well as how the dynamics of globalization are impacting both forms of popular culture. Goal!’s use of a story about football, a Hollywood style, and its emphasis on international marketing and distribution, demonstrate a global conception of audience; its immigration theme also represents an awareness of the social impact of globalization. Goal! is fairly accurate in how it shows the specifics of the immigration experience. Goal! follows the pattern for most sports films by offsetting the overly simplistic formula for success by to some degree realistically portraying the business of professional football – as well as Santiago’s experience of immigration – that make up the world in which the story takes place. Goal! is also a film that exemplifies the increased influence of globalization on commercial sports and movies.
