‘American Underdog’ tells NFL QB Kurt Warner’s amazing story
The beauty of Kurt Warner’s story is that it’s so unlikely it’s nearly impervious to clichés.
The strength of “American Underdog,” Andrew and Jon Erwin’s film about Warner’s life in football and with his wife, Brenda, is that they realize this and let the story speak for itself.
That works, for the most part, because to succeed football movies have to avoid clichés the way quarterbacks avoid blitzing linebackers; it’s impossible to do so completely, but they do their best to stay out of harm’s way.
“American Underdog” (in theaters Christmas Day) definitely delivers a feel-good, never-give-up message – a staple of not just sports movies but many movies in general. A happy ending isn’t essential, as anyone who has cried their way through “Brian’s Song” can tell you. The journey is where the inspiration lies.
‘American Underdog’ doesn’t rely on clichés. Mostly
But with few exceptions, “American Underdog” doesn’t fall into the sentimental trap that its message sometimes sets.
Part of that has to do with Zachary Levi’s portrayal of Warner and, especially, Anna Paquin’s performance as Warner’s wife, Brenda. And part of it is that their relationship, also unlikely, is as much a part of the film as on-field failure and redemption.
Warner famously failed in his first attempt at playing professional football and wound up stocking groceries in an Iowa supermarket. After stints in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe (neither of which is still in business), he caught on with the then-st. Louis Rams. When starter Trent Green injured his
knee in a preseason game, Warner became the surprise starter.
He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Rams, win two NFL MVP awards
and later took the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
(The film ends with Warner’s Super Bowl win with the Rams; his career with the Cardinals is never seen and is mentioned only in end-credit cards.)
Warner was born in Iowa and played at the University of Northern Iowa. When the film begins, he’s riding the bench, more confident in his own abilities than the coach is in him. But a breakout senior year leads to the possibility that he might be drafted by an NFL team.
He isn’t.
The Green Bay Packers invite him to training camp and cut him. But he refuses to give up on football, though it seems the sport has given up on him.
Warner takes a job stocking groceries when Jim Foster (Bruce Mcgill), the owner of the Iowa Barnstormers of the decidedly minor-league Arena Football League, invites Warner to play for the team. Warner is offended, but with money somewhere between tight and nonexistent, he relents, and proceeds to wow the league.
When Warner joins the Rams, his story changes. So does the film
Eventually, Warner gets a shot with the St. Louis Rams.
The way the story plays out is classic: “The Greatest Show on Turf,” winning the Super Bowl. Warner is named MVP of the league and the Super Bowl.