I’m embarrassed to say that I enjoyed AMERICAN UNDERDOG more than I thought I would. Predictable sports movies are a cinematic staple. It’s rare, though, when a buy-the-books film “stays in the genre pocket” to create a worthy time for the audience like AMERICAN UNDERDOG does.
If you’re going to see this inspired by a true story football movie to watch football, you’ll be disappointed. Instead, the film focuses on Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) and Brenda Meoni’s (Anna Paquin) relationship. Despite some ridiculously cheesy dialogue and on-the-nose Christian faith moments, the two actors’ portrayals are sincere enough to carry the film to a touchdown.
What cheesy dialogue did you ask? Here’s a sampling of three of the most cringe-worthy:
- “Destiny, it belongs to the underdogs.”
- “Winning isn’t winning, if I don’t have you by my side.”
- “You ever feel like your life is leading you up to one moment.”
Don’t go into AMERICAN UNDERDOG expecting to see anything life-changing. But, do go into it expecting to be inspired by Kurt Warner’s true story.
AMERICAN UNDERDOG is currently in theatres.
