American Underdog
American Underdog
Starring Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin, Dennis Quaid, Chance Kelly
Directed by Andrew & Jon Erwin
Starring Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin, Dennis Quaid, Chance Kelly
Directed by Andrew & Jon Erwin
"Hate it or love it, the underdogs come out on top" is a quote by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and it's solid truth: underdogs are people who are seen as being lesser, being weaker, not being able to fulfill their full potential: and that's what gives them the strength to prove everyone wrong. Beethoven was deaf. Helen Keller was deaf and blind. Abraham Lincoln was defeated for state legislature, failed in business, was defeated for Speaker, lost his nomination to Congress, lost renomination, defeated for the Senate, defeated for being chosen Vice President, and again lost the bid for Senate before becoming the most influential and memorable President of the United States. Throughout history there's people - famous and not - who rose above the mediocre life people thought they'd have and proved their worth, and in the world of football, there's no bigger underdog story than that of Kurt Warner.
All his life, Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) has had a dream to play for the NFL, and after his fifth year of college at the University of Northern Iowa, he gets a chance to enlist in the NFL draft. Meanwhile he meets and falls in love with single mother of two Brenda (Anna Paquin), who's one son Zack (Hayden Zaller), is legally blind and whom the doctors didn't give much hope for survival - but he's continually defied the odds. Kurt and Brenda's romance blossoms, and he becomes a stepfather for her children, while continuing to pursue his dream despite getting older and working at a grocery store. He eventually agrees to play arena football, where he's picked up by a scout for the St. Louis Rams, and is finally given a chance to prove himself thanks to their head coach, Dick Vermeil (Dennis Quaid). Seizing his opportunity, Kurt goes all in to prove that he can overcome the odds and be a true underdog story.
The thing about biopics is that there's really no spoilers given, because everyone knows their story. If Kurt Warner never rose to prominence and became a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and Hall of Fame quarterback, there would never be a movie made about him. We all know the eventual outcome, but sometimes it's not the destination that's important, but the journey to get there. While most football biopics focus more on the sport and the player, "American Underdog" instead centers around Kurt's budding romance with Brenda, making her more than just a mere supporting character or the one who is constantly worried that their loved one could get seriously hurt and begs them to quit. They're partners, and even though they hit their own rough patches, they eventually see things through together and serve as each other's biggest cheerleader.
While the film focuses on their relationship, it skimps a bit on how Warner managed to go from a mild-mannered stockboy to playing quarterback and winning his first Super Bowl championship, except the numerous times he says he deserves it because he's worked so hard for it - literally millions of other wannabe players have done the same thing, but they never got their big shot. Warner seemingly got opportunities dropped into his lap out of nowhere, which is a rarity even if he was a college ingenue, but he was years outside of college before being picked up by the Rams, which was extremely unheard of (and obviously what makes his story an underdog one). It would've been more prudent to see the behind-the-scenes events that led him to get to that point, but it was also refreshing to see a relationship take center stage over the generic meteoric rise to fame.
Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin have undeniable chemistry on screen, and their performances serve as the heart and soul of the movie. They're incredibly wholesome despite Brenda's walls she put up after her first divorce, and while they had their own struggles they continually came back together time and again. It's these moments that show Warner's true character, as he feels responsible for taking care of Brenda and her kids as if they were his own, and you sense the hardships they face as Warner pursues his dream - a truly heartbreaking scene involving their car breaking down in the middle of a snowstorm shows the true character of Kurt Warner, and his never-give-up attitude that got him to the place he ended up in the end.
Much like another film that the Erwin brothers directed - "I Can Only Imagine" - I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. Going into it, I didn't really know a lot about Kurt Warner because I was never a sportsball guy, but once again the Erwins managed to deliver a story filled with emotional depth and tear-jerking moments that weren't manipulative, but rather a natural overflow of the excellent story and performances I saw on screen. While not an extraordinary film, it's still an uplifting, crowd-pleasing true story about something we all agree on - underdogs are the best people to root for, because in a sense we're all underdogs in our own lives, trying to reach dreams that others deem impossible, but we press on regardless - much like Kurt Warner.
Focusing more on the personal life of Kurt Warner than his football career, "American Underdog" shows that it's not too late to achieve your dreams, and due to impeccable performances, proves that sports films can be more than just highlight reels.
The Score: A
All his life, Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) has had a dream to play for the NFL, and after his fifth year of college at the University of Northern Iowa, he gets a chance to enlist in the NFL draft. Meanwhile he meets and falls in love with single mother of two Brenda (Anna Paquin), who's one son Zack (Hayden Zaller), is legally blind and whom the doctors didn't give much hope for survival - but he's continually defied the odds. Kurt and Brenda's romance blossoms, and he becomes a stepfather for her children, while continuing to pursue his dream despite getting older and working at a grocery store. He eventually agrees to play arena football, where he's picked up by a scout for the St. Louis Rams, and is finally given a chance to prove himself thanks to their head coach, Dick Vermeil (Dennis Quaid). Seizing his opportunity, Kurt goes all in to prove that he can overcome the odds and be a true underdog story.
The thing about biopics is that there's really no spoilers given, because everyone knows their story. If Kurt Warner never rose to prominence and became a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and Hall of Fame quarterback, there would never be a movie made about him. We all know the eventual outcome, but sometimes it's not the destination that's important, but the journey to get there. While most football biopics focus more on the sport and the player, "American Underdog" instead centers around Kurt's budding romance with Brenda, making her more than just a mere supporting character or the one who is constantly worried that their loved one could get seriously hurt and begs them to quit. They're partners, and even though they hit their own rough patches, they eventually see things through together and serve as each other's biggest cheerleader.
While the film focuses on their relationship, it skimps a bit on how Warner managed to go from a mild-mannered stockboy to playing quarterback and winning his first Super Bowl championship, except the numerous times he says he deserves it because he's worked so hard for it - literally millions of other wannabe players have done the same thing, but they never got their big shot. Warner seemingly got opportunities dropped into his lap out of nowhere, which is a rarity even if he was a college ingenue, but he was years outside of college before being picked up by the Rams, which was extremely unheard of (and obviously what makes his story an underdog one). It would've been more prudent to see the behind-the-scenes events that led him to get to that point, but it was also refreshing to see a relationship take center stage over the generic meteoric rise to fame.
Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin have undeniable chemistry on screen, and their performances serve as the heart and soul of the movie. They're incredibly wholesome despite Brenda's walls she put up after her first divorce, and while they had their own struggles they continually came back together time and again. It's these moments that show Warner's true character, as he feels responsible for taking care of Brenda and her kids as if they were his own, and you sense the hardships they face as Warner pursues his dream - a truly heartbreaking scene involving their car breaking down in the middle of a snowstorm shows the true character of Kurt Warner, and his never-give-up attitude that got him to the place he ended up in the end.
Much like another film that the Erwin brothers directed - "I Can Only Imagine" - I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. Going into it, I didn't really know a lot about Kurt Warner because I was never a sportsball guy, but once again the Erwins managed to deliver a story filled with emotional depth and tear-jerking moments that weren't manipulative, but rather a natural overflow of the excellent story and performances I saw on screen. While not an extraordinary film, it's still an uplifting, crowd-pleasing true story about something we all agree on - underdogs are the best people to root for, because in a sense we're all underdogs in our own lives, trying to reach dreams that others deem impossible, but we press on regardless - much like Kurt Warner.
Focusing more on the personal life of Kurt Warner than his football career, "American Underdog" shows that it's not too late to achieve your dreams, and due to impeccable performances, proves that sports films can be more than just highlight reels.
The Score: A
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