For the likely countless times sports fans over the years said that they should make quarterback Kurt Warner’s story into a movie, they finally did. And it’s just as good as imagined.
‘American Underdog’ is a biopic that, kinda like the man himself, somehow rises above the mediocrity that it was probably destined for (i.e. Hallmark sentiment territory) and emerges as a winsome crowd pleaser. Now, I’m a little biased, for I’ve been a fan of these guy for years; Warner, if you aren’t familiar with the context of his remarkable tale, went from being an undrafted QB from Iowa to stocking shelves in a grocery store, somehow found himself in the Arena Football League, and scrapped his way onto the roster of the St. Louis Rams where he became an overnight superstar – arguably the best at his position during his era in the National Freakin’ Football League.
It’s a story that oozes Hollywood magic, perhaps one even so ridiculously implausible that if it weren’t true, the script just might get tossed out. But it happened. And it makes for pretty darn compelling cinema.
Zachary Levi, a.k.a. Shazam, portrays Warner, and at times, the dude’s close to a dead ringer – and like the real-life retired athlete, Levi is also immensely likable. We won’t focus too much on his throwing motion, ’cause….well….this IS Hollywood, and I’m sure there’s room for suspension of belief at some point in the ride
What really makes it tick isn’t JUST the fact that ‘American Underdog’ is about a football player, but also a husband and father with a dream. Written and directed by brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin, these boys serve up a script that is sensitive in all the right places, including the juggling act known as presenting an accessible faith-based film. I use the term ‘accessible’, for when the heart is in the right place and the message is a clear one, you don’t have to necessarily come at audiences with a mallet to get your point across – i.e., ‘American Underdog’ never feels ‘preachy’, it just plain works.
Special shout-out’s to career scene stealer Anna Paquin, who plays Warner’s wife Brenda, and Dennis Quaid as Rams legendary coach, Dick Vermeil. Both performances could’ve easily dissolved into impersonations – neither do. They have heart. But in this film, there’s obviously a lot of that going around!