American Underdog movie review

This inspiring sports drama is now available in theaters nationwide.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 52 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

I know I’m late to this party. This sports movie based on a true story was actually released over a month ago, but I haven’t had time to watch it until now. I’m so glad I was finally able to see it. It’s one of those underdog sports movies that we’ve seen many times before, but they always make you want to try a little harder in your life and go for your dreams. It definitely fits into the underdog sports movie formula, yet I never tire of watching that kind of movie.

As you watch all of the struggles that Kurt Warner went through in his life to get where he is today, remember these fun facts: Kurt Warner is the only undrafted player to be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP, as well as the only undrafted quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. He is also the first quarterback to win the Super Bowl during his first season as the primary starter. Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and is the only player inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame.

The film is directed by the Erwin brothers: Andrew and Jon.

THINGS I LIKED:

I adore Zachary Levi. Who doesn’t? There’s a sweet moment where his character meets a little boy named Zach and says, “That’s a great name!” He does a great job and has beefed up to be completely believable and awesome as a star football player. It was also nice to see his dramatic side. He’s so doggone likable that it’s easy to root for him as an actor and as the character on the screen.
It was lovely seeing Academy Award winner Anna Paquin again. The last time I saw her was in the 2019 Oscar-nominated movie The Irishman (the Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray].
Football fans will love watching real footage from previous Superbowl games. If you’re not a big football fan, you’ll still have plenty to watch, as the movie is more about the man, his challenges, his family, and his perseverance.
It’s a football movie, so of course, Dennis Quaid is in it! This is his fourth football film! I love it when casting does a great job of selecting actors that look like the real people whose lives they’re portraying. This movie does just that.
The movie features Iowa as the setting for many of the events. My husband and I flew out to Iowa a few months ago just to see what it was like and to visit the graves of some of his ancestors who were buried there in the 1800s. His father attended Iowa State and we arrived in time for a tour of the campus as we watched the huge line of cars rolling in for the homecoming football game. Football is no joke in Iowa!
I definitely understood the scene that illustrated the perilous situation of looking for a gas station when Kurt and Brenda were driving in Iowa. There are endless cornfields in that state with hardly any gas stations around, especially as you travel from town to town. You really have to be prepared before you drive out of the city!
One of the things I love about this film is how Kurt Warner truly understood what’s most important in life. It’s not winning a bunch of football games or awards; it’s having people you love to spend your life with as you go through the ups and downs. The proposal and wedding scenes gave me all the teary-eyed feels.
Lovely soundtrack.
Keep watching to the very end of the final rolling credits to see one last, touching video clip of the real people featured in this movie.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some might think the film is a little too heavy-handed and manipulative. Maybe, but I didn’t mind at all.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

The movie will inspire you AND your kids. It’s great to see a movie that you can watch together with your family.
An unmarried couple lives together for a time.

THEMES:

Courage
The ability to be steady amidst adversity
Persistence
While this isn’t a typical Christian movie, faith was a large part of the story: faith in God and faith in one’s self
Patience

FUNNY LINES:

“How does it feel to make out with a future professional athlete?” – Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) “It was better before you said that.” – Brenda Meoni (Anna Paquin)

INTERESTING LINES:

“Stay in the pocket!” – coach
“I like a man who knows WHY he loves things.” – Brenda Meoni (Anna Paquin)
“I’m a work in progress.” – Brenda Meoni (Anna Paquin)
“I just wonder why God would give me a dream that will probably never come true because that’s kind of cruel, you know?” – Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi)
“If this is your dream, you have to go fight for it.” – Brenda Meoni (Anna Paquin)
“Sometimes you got to do what you gotta do until you can do what you want to do.” – Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi)
“Life’s not what you can achieve but what you can become.” – Larry (Danny Vinson)
“Destiny…it belongs to the underdogs.” – Dick Vermeil (Dennis Quaid)