80 for Brady (2023) Paramount/Comedy-Drama RT: 98 minutes Rated PG-13 (brief strong language, some drug content, some suggestive references) Director: Kyle Marvin Screenplay: Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern Music: John Debney Cinematography: John Toll Release date: February 3, 2023 (US) Cast: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Tom Brady, Billy Porter, Rob Corddry, Alex Moffat, Guy Fieri, Harry Hamlin, Bob Balaban, Glynn Turman, Sara Gilbert, Jimmy O. Yang, Ron Funches, Matt Lauria, Sally Kirkland, Alex Bentley, Patton Oswalt, Retta, Marc Rebillet. Box Office: $39.3M (US)
Rating: ***
The Avengers are all well and good for the geeks and fanboys out there, but the new comedy 80 for Brady features an impressive line-up of its own. Let’s call them legends without superpowers. The football-themed comedy features no less than four acting all-stars: two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda (Klute and Coming Home), Tony-winning comedienne Lily Tomlin (The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe), two-time Oscar winner Sally Field (Norma Rae and Places in the Heart) and EGOT* honoree Rita Moreno (West Side Story). This awesome foursome, along with football superstar Tom Brady, helps 80 for Brady score a touchdown.
Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Kyle Marvin, 80 for Brady is inspired by a real-life group of friends who call themselves the “Over 80 for Brady Club”. They’re devoted to each other and their beloved New England Patriots, one player in particular (guess who?). Their love of the game stems from a dark time when Lou (Tomlin) was going through chemo with the support of her besties Trish (Fonda), Betty (Field) and Maura (Moreno). One particularly rough day (in 2001), the TV gets stuck on a football game because they can’t figure out how to work the remote. It happens to be the very same Sunday a relative unknown named Tom Brady takes the field for the first time. From that day on, the ladies are hooked on Brady. They never miss a game. They even have their own rituals (e.g. a cup of tea, changing a light bulb on a ladder, spilling a bowl of chips).
Our tale takes place in 2017 when the Pats took on the Atlantic Falcons in Superbowl LI (or 51). The ladies would love nothing more than to go to the game in Houston, but it’s next to impossible to get tickets much less afford them. These things can go for $10,000 a pop. As fate would have it, they get their hands on Superbowl tickets. Lou claims she won them in a radio contest, but it’s obvious there’s more to that story. In any event, it’s off to the ball game for the four octogenarians (well, three of them are, Betty is only 75).
It’s a wild (but not too wild) time leading up to the big game. There’s none of the R-rated shenanigans of Girls Trip. No grapefruits were abused or misused during the making of 80 for Brady. This is your grandmother’s or mother’s Girls Trip. It always stays well within the bounds of PG-13 territory. That doesn’t mean the ladies don’t get into their share of trouble like accidentally consuming too many edibles at a party or flirting with age-inappropriate guys. In the most predictable plot development, the tickets get misplaced at one point setting off a panicked hunt. Even when 80 for Brady takes the road most traveled (which is often), it’s still legitimately funny. It doesn’t go for cheap laughs involving old lady stuff; instead, it finds humor in the characters’ efforts to live their dream of seeing their idol in action.
What’s even better about 80 for Brady is that it successfully mixes drama into the comedic story. Much of the credit goes to the well-written screenplay by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern who also wrote the intelligent screenplay for the teen comedy Booksmart. There’s a lot at stake for Lou. For her, this weekend is about more than watching a game. It involves a letter from her doctor containing test results. What if it’s bad news? If that’s the case, she wants one last hurrah. It’s serious, but Marvin doesn’t allow 80 for Brady to get weighed down by it. He keeps things light and enjoyable.
It helps a lot that the characters are very likable. Say what you will about Fonda (and many of you already have), but she’s a good actress. Her character Trish is a former spokesmodel for a car dealership who now writes erotic fan faction about Patriots team member Rob Gronkowski. She’s also unlucky in love, getting in too deep too fast only to get her heart broken each time. Maybe her luck will change with Dan (Hamlin, Clash of the Titans), the hunky ex-player she meets in Houston. Betty is a retired statistics professor whose time is monopolized by her super-needy husband Mark (Balaban, Waiting for Guffman). She just needs time to herself. Recently widowed Maura spends most of her time at a retirement home in order to ease her loneliness. She has an admirer in Mickey (Turman, Cooley High), a resident with charm to spare. This lady is a real piece of work who cleans up when it comes to making bets. You should see her in action at a poker table. These golden girls are GOLDEN! You can’t help but root for them.
80 for Brady has a terrific supporting cast with Hamlin and Turman leading the pack. It also has great cameos by the hilarious Billy Porter (camping it up as usual) and celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Sara Gilbert (The Conners) should have been given more to do as Lou’s concerned daughter, but it’s great casting as I can definitely see her as a younger Tomlin. That brings me to the main cast. As I said, they’re all GREAT! It’s always a pleasure to see the magnificent Rita Morena, still spry at 91. Field, all I can say is I still like you, I really like you. Tomlin tones down her act a bit to play a sympathetic character with a ton of inner strength. It’s she who delivers the obligatory pep speech when the chips are down for Brady and the Pats. She has great chemistry with Fonda, her co-star in the comedy classic 9 to 5 and the popular Netflix show Grace and Frankie. I already pointed out how good Fonda is here.
Of course, I’m not ending my review of 80 for Brady without talking about Tom Brady who also serves as one of the producers. Now I don’t know a lot about football. I’ve never seen Brady play. I only know about him what I hear from others on social media. He doesn’t appear to be well-liked; I’m not sure why. What I can say for sure about him is he has real screen presence. He’s pretty good in 80 for Brady. He has a nice scene with Tomlin near the end.
I guess the most important thing about 80 for Brady, the main reason I recommend it, is that it’s funny. It works almost all of the time. There’s a humorous bit involving Betty kicking butt at a hot wings eating contest. Not every joke lands, but enough do that it doesn’t matter in the end. This is that rare movie that sports fans can watch with their moms and grandmothers. It’s a lot of fun!
*= EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony)
