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American Underdog

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This article is about the film. For the book American Underdog: Proof That Principles Matter, see Dave Brat § Publications. For the album, see American Underdog (album).
American Underdog
A football player prepares to throw the ball.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKristopher Kimlin
Edited by
  • Sean Albertson
  • Andrew Erwin
Music byJohn Debney
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
  • December 15, 2021 (2021-12-15) (TCL Chinese Theatre)
  • December 25, 2021 (2021-12-25) (United States)
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million
Box office$26.5 million

American Underdog is a 2021 American biographical sports film about National Football League (NFL) quarterback Kurt Warner. Directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin, the film follows Warner's journey as an undrafted player who ascended to winning Super Bowl XXXIV.[1] It stars Zachary Levi as Warner, alongside Anna Paquin as his wife Brenda and Dennis Quaid as his head coach Dick Vermeil.

The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 2021, by Lionsgate. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed over $26 million. American Underdog was nominated for the GMA Dove Award for Inspirational Film/Series of the Year at the 2022 GMA Dove Awards.[2]

Plot

The film starts out with a young Kurt Warner who watches Super Bowl XIX. He makes a lifelong commitment to become a Super Bowl and MVP quarterback.

Several years later, Kurt is playing his fifth year for the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Panthers football team with coach Terry Allen, and nothing was going Warner's way. Allen threatens to bench Warner after repeatedly not staying in the pocket after dropping back to pass, which would effectively end Warner's NFL dream. After a brutal practice following the coach's orders, Kurt continues to be the starter and his numbers climb to a point where he has a chance at the Draft.

Meanwhile, Kurt becomes attracted to a woman he sees dancing at a country bar. He decides to learn how to dance to impress her. He finds out her name is Brenda and that she is a single mom with two kids and is a nursing student struggling financially. Even though she doesn't think it will work out, Kurt becomes persistent and walks three miles to her house to get her number and finds out that she was a Marine corporal and that her son is disabled. He instantly bonds with the children and they decide to give it a try.

With his last season of college football over, Kurt anxiously awaits the draft. He doesn't get picked and wonders why God gave him a dream that he would never obtain. He later finds out that the Green Bay Packers gave him the chance to try out. The tryout goes badly and Kurt goes home dejected. Becoming homeless, he moves in with Brenda and lives in the basement. He takes a job at a Hy-Vee grocery store, working nights stocking shelves. He finds out that success is not found on the football field, but how one acts when confronted with disappointments.

Brenda's parents sell the house and move to another state, putting them in a tough situation, and the couple continue to struggle. At one point, their car runs out of gas and Kurt walks several miles in a blizzard to get to the nearest gas station.

Kurt gets approached by Jim Foster, who offers him the quarterback position for the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers. Kurt agrees after he finds that no one in the NFL is interested in him.

Arena football is different as it is smaller and much more fast-paced. He loses his first game but wins the next game. Kurt and Brenda's relationship is strained from the long commute, and they briefly break up. Brenda's parents are killed in a tornado and she and Kurt decide to get back together. They get married and Kurt finishes the 1996 Arena Football League season with the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl X, a heartbreaking loss when his completed pass on the last play of the game comes up one yard short of the end zone.

Kurt is given another chance when he gets invited to a tryout by the St. Louis Rams. He doesn't think he will make it as he is having to re-adjust to normal football and the offensive coordinator, Mike Martz, berates him relentlessly for every mistake. The head coach, Dick Vermeil, believes in him and tells Kurt he made the team. When starting quarterback Trent Green goes down with an injury in the 1999 NFL preseason, Kurt eventually becomes the starting quarterback.

In his first game, Kurt and the Rams face a strong Baltimore Ravens defense led by linebacker Ray Lewis. After a turnover on his first drive, Kurt picks the Ravens' defense apart. With a 27–10 lead, the Rams go into victory formation, and Warner takes a knee to end the game. He immediately gives thanks to God for the opportunity and kisses Brenda in the stands.

The Rams would post a 13–3 record that season and become known as The Greatest Show on Turf because of the high-powered offense led by Warner. The Rams would go on to defeat the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. During the game, Kurt would throw the most passing yards in a Super Bowl, breaking Joe Montana's record. Doing so helped him win Super Bowl MVP and be crowned the NFL MVP, making him the first undrafted player to be named either of those in NFL history.

The credits show that he would play in two other Super Bowls, become enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, and he and Brenda continue to live happily married with seven children.

Cast

Production

A biopic about Kurt Warner was announced in February 2020, when Andrew and Jon Erwin were hired to direct the film, under the title American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story.[3] In September 2020, it was announced Zachary Levi would star as Warner.[4][5] In January 2021, Anna Paquin and Dennis Quaid were among the additional cast added to the film.[6][7]

Filming began on January 25, 2021, and concluded on March 6. Shooting occurred in Atlanta and Oklahoma City.[8] The film's title was later shortened to American Underdog, with the release of the film's marketing and the announcement of the Christmas release date.

Release

The film was released on December 25, 2021.[9] It was previously scheduled to be released on December 18, 2021,[10] but was delayed from a previous December 10, 2021 date, due to the delayed filming schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11][12][13] The film premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles in December 15, 2021.[14]

Home media

The film was released on digital rent on February 4, 2022 and was released through Blu-ray and DVD on February 22, 2022.[15]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, American Underdog grossed $26.5 million at the box office,[16] against a budget of $25.0 million.[17] It was given a wide release in 2,814 theatres, in competition with A Journal for Jordan and the wide expansion of Licorice Pizza. After making about $1 million from advanced screenings the week prior to its official opening,[18] it spent seven weeks in the Top 10 at the box office.[19]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 69 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "American Underdog sticks to the standard inspirational sports drama playbook—and proves once again that it can be very effective in the right hands."[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[21]

Comparisons to real events

A few events from Warner’s actual career were either omitted or different in the film. While the film is correct in showing Kurt Warner's first game as the starting quarterback was the Rams' 1999 season opener against the Ravens, it stayed silent on his brief play late in the Rams' week 17 game of their 1998 season against the 49ers,[22] completing four of his eleven attempts for 39 yards.[23] Warner had technically been part of the Rams longer than Trent Green, though veteran Green was signed in February 1999 to play with the Rams,[24] while arena player Warner had signed with the Rams as a prospect in December 1998 and was dispatched to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, rather than kept for the Rams training camp.[25] He and Brenda also lived in the basement of Kurt’s parents Cedar Rapids home, not Brenda's.

See also

References

  1. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (July 1, 2020). "Zachary Levi To Play Football Hall Of Famer Kurt Warner In 'American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story'". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  2. ^ Longs, Herb (August 10, 2022). "Watch: Nominations For 53rd Annual GMA Dove Awards Announced - TCB". The Christian Beat. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  3. ^ Erwin Brothers To Direct Kurt Warner Biopic, ‘Friday Night Lights’ Scribe David Aaron Cohen To Write
  4. ^ Garrison, Greg (2020-08-15). "Why 'Shazam' star was cast as NFL QB by Alabama filmmakers". al. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  5. ^ Martin, Annie (July 2, 2020). "Zachary Levi to play NFL's Kurt Warner in new film". UPI. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  6. ^ Amanda N'Duka; Anthony D'Alessandro (January 13, 2021). "Anna Paquin Set To Star In 'American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story' Opposite Zachary Levi". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  7. ^ Dennis Quaid, Virginia Madsen Plus More Board ‘Kurt Warner’ Biopic From Lionsgate And Kingdom Story Company
  8. ^ American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story
  9. ^ Lutz, John (August 27, 2021). "'American Underdog': New Release Date Revealed for Kurt Warner Biopic Starring Zachary Levi". Collider. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  10. ^ Stu Jackson (July 7, 2021). "American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story set to hit theaters Dec. 10, first look unveiled". Los Angeles Rams. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Renner, Brian D. "Everything You Need to Know About American Underdog (2021): Jul. 16, 2020 - added Zachary Levi as Kurt Warner to movie credits". Movie Insider. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  12. ^ "2021 New Movie Releases: The Full Movie Release Date Schedule For Next Year". CINEMABLEND. 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  13. ^ "Updated List Of Major Movie Release Delays And Early Digital Releases Due To Coronavirus". CINEMABLEND. 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  14. ^ "American Underdog Premiere, la".
  15. ^ "'American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story' Sets a Blu-ray Release Date". Collider. 19 January 2022.
  16. ^ "American Underdog". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 2023-07-22.Edit this at Wikidata
  17. ^ "American Underdog (2021) Review". www.jasonsmovieblog.com. February 1, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 21, 2021). "With 'Spider-Man' Hoarding Christmas Box Office, Is There Room For 'Matrix', 'Sing 2' & 'King's Man'?". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  19. ^ "American Underdog | Domestic Weekly". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  20. ^ "American Underdog". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2023-07-22. Edit this at Wikidata
  21. ^ "American Underdog". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  22. ^ "St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers - December 27th, 1998". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  23. ^ "Kurt Warner Game Logs". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  24. ^ Thomas, Jim (February 16, 1999). "Green is in, and Banks is out". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. C1. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  25. ^ "Two Players That Prove Cancelling NFL Europe Was a Bad Idea". AmericanFootballInternational.com. 5 December 2019.
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