pressure to present herself as a trophy. It is the way in which this requires us to examine the assumptions we made about her that makes it a truly subversive moment.

The assumptions we make about women is a running theme throughout this movie. Shane and Annabelle clearly have a connection, and gradually get to know each other over time. She drives him back to his boat after the striking players overturn his truck and, though he is disturbed by her dangerous driving, he is amazed by the depth of her knowledge about football in general, and about the other teams that the Sentinels will be playing. When he goes to find her in the bar in which she works, he assumes she is a waitress, but she is, in fact, the owner. She is a cheerleader because she loves the game. None of these are presented as ‘gotcha&...

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