Sports
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William Houston
11/13/1999
The Globe and Mail
Metro
S5
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Wrestling's good, bad, ugly
The Life and Death of Owen Hart, airing Tuesday at 8 p.m. on the Arts and Entertainment channel, is not an expose of pro wrestling. It is the story of "a normal man" working in a dirty job, told so well that World Wrestling Federation boss Vince McMahon, by merely playing himself, reveals the core ugliness of the business.
Hart's widow, Martha, has filed suit against McMahon and WWF. In one scene, he attempts to intimidate a reporter who suggests proper precautionary measures were not taken before Hart plunged to his death in a Kansas City arena.
"I resent your tone, lady," McMahon says. "Don't try to put yourself in the spotlight, okay?"
Toronto filmmakers Sally Blake and Paul Jay won a Gemini for their documentary on Owen's brother Brett Hart. Part two of the Hart saga is another winner.