American Underdog (2021) Lionsgate/Drama RT: 112 minutes Rated PG (some language, thematic elements) Director: Andrew and Jon Erwin Screenplay: Jon Erwin, David Aaron Cohen and Jon Gunn Music: John Debney Cinematography: Kristopher Kimlin Release date: December 25, 2021 (US) Cast: Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin, Hayden Zaller, Ser’Darius Blain, Dennis Quaid, Chance Kelly, Simeon Castille, Bruce McGill, Adam Baldwin, Cindy Hogan, Morgana Shaw, Danny Vinson, Nicholas Harris, Steven Chester Prince, Dean Denton, Kevin Downes, Cora Wilkerson. Box Office: $26.5M (US)
Rating: ***
The message of American Underdog is simple- if you trust in the Lord, good things will eventually happen. That’s how Kurt Warner, the “American underdog” of the title, went from supermarket stock boy to two-time NFL MVP. The incredible thing is he was nearly 30 when he took the field for the first time with a professional team, the St. Louis Rams to be exact. His is one of the greatest success stories in football history.
American Underdog is directed by the Erwin Brothers, two of the biggest names in Christian cinema right now. They’re no stranger to sports dramas or biopics; their previous credits include Woodlawn and I Can Only Imagine. They more or less continue their winning streak with their latest effort which hits all the familiar beats of the sports drama genre. At the same time, it’s not your typical football movie. Sure, there’s plenty of gridiron action including a big game at the end. However, American Underdog focuses more on Kurt (Levi, TV’s Chuck) and the indirect path he took to stardom. It was a road rife with blocks, detours and potholes.
The primary focus of American Underdog is Kurt’s relationship with future wife Brenda (Paquin, X-Men), a calendar model he spots at a bar. He’s so intrigued by her, he learns to barn dance even though he hates country music. It turns out she’s a divorced former Marine with two children, one of whom is disabled. As they grow closer, she reveals how important her faith is to her. As a child, a lady she knew from church told her she’d be special someday. It stuck with her.
Although not a football fan, Brenda encourages Kurt to realize his dream of playing professionally. After he fails to make the cut with the Green Bay Packers, he returns home to Iowa and takes a menial job to help make ends meet at home. Life is rough for a while. Kurt and his family unit suffer their fair share of hardships and setbacks. He ultimately accepts an offer from Coach Jim Foster (McGill, The Last Boy Scout) to play arena football. He performs well enough to pique the interest of the Rams who invite him to try out for the team. The rest, as they say, is football history.
There are those who will avoid American Underdog on the basis of it being faith-based entertainment. I get it. Audiences go to the movies to be entertained, not to hear a sermon. There was a time when I wouldn’t be caught dead at a religious picture (obviously, that’s changed). Although strong in its faith, American Underdog isn’t overly preachy. It doesn’t condemn non-believers either. It presents a picture of a man discouraged by life who undergoes a spiritual awakening. It doesn’t come right out and say his acceptance of Christ is responsible for his change in luck, but that’s the general idea and the target audience knows it. In any event, my point is don’t skip American Underdog just because you don’t like faith-based films. It doesn’t beat you over the head with religion.
As a sports drama, American Underdog is pretty good even though it tends to dwell on cliched depressing stuff. Here’s a perfect example. In the dead of a big winter snowstorm, Kurt comes home to a house with no heat and an extremely sick child. While driving to the hospital, his truck breaks down and he has to walk several miles to a gas station with only a few dollars and change to his name. He even has to borrow a gas can from the owner. A greater tragedy occurs later, but I’m not getting into it. What I trying to say is that the whole middle section of American Underdog is unrelentingly depressing. Of course, one has to know sorrow and suffering before he can truly appreciate happiness and success. I don’t know if that’s a real saying, but it definitely applies here.
ANYWAY, American Underdog has some decent sports action. The climatic game, Kurt’s 1999 debut as starting quarterback for the Rams, is exciting and well executed. Cinematographer Kristopher Kimlin smartly avoids the stylish editing flourishes that render such scenes undecipherable and headache-inducing. For me, it’s educational. I never even heard of arena football until I saw American Underdog. The movie gives the viewer a quick primer on the rules of that version of the game. It’s interesting.
The acting is fine, but I have a bit of an issue with the casting of the two leads. Levi and Paquin are both fine actors, but at 38 and 41 respectively, they’re too long in the tooth to play Kurt and Brenda at this stage of their lives. Add to that a couple of ugly wigs and you have an unfortunate big hiccup in an otherwise decent movie. Fortunately, the supporting cast, which includes Dennis Quaid (I Can Only Imagine) as Rams head coach Dick Vermeil, makes up for it in a big way. Blind young actor Hayden Zaller makes a solid debut as son Zack. Chance Kelly (American Sniper) also does a great job as tough offensive coach Mike Martz who doesn’t think Kurt deserves a place on the team.
While hardly one of the best films of the year, American Underdog is far from one of the worst. It’s a decent feel-good film. It’s engaging and a little bit exciting. It’s worth the price of a matinee ticket.
