Up to this moment in “American Underdog” — with four minutes left in the new film about Kurt Warner — the whole movie has felt like a swirling tornado, constant and continuous emotion — football and love and family amid suffocating sacks from Ray Lewis and stranded cars in snowstorms and, even, an actual tornado.
But, finally, Warner has done it. He’s won it. His first game as an NFL starting quarterback. And the St. Louis Rams are in “victory” formation.
Starting from behind the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive line, the camera slowly floats forward toward the Rams’ offensive line, toward the center, and then, yes, behind center.
Zachary Levi as Warner stands simultaneously triumphantly and humbly. You hear the gentle strums of an acoustic guitar. Then the soft singing voice of Josh Ritter: “I had a dream last night, I dreamt that I was swimming …”
The moment really was beautiful. To use a holiday-themed phrase — it tied a bow around it.
Released on Christmas Day, this movie tells the story that many of you watched unfurl in real time.
In 1999, a St. Louis kid is handpicked to play quarterback for the hometown team but suffers an injury. Trent Green’s replacement is career underdog — a quarterback at the University of Northern Iowa who then worked at a Hy-Vee grocery store before a journey in the Arena Football League. Warner wins his first game of 1999, many after and then, of course, the last game.
OK, so was the movie, you know, good?
This isn’t one for the sports movie pantheon. But it’s still a sports movie worth seeing, if only for the St. Louis stuff. And while the movie might be fit for the cheese section of the Hy-Vee, the biggest takeaway is a genuine one — the film reminds you how a strong teammate can make you stronger.
Of course, I’m not talking about football. The love story of Brenda and Kurt Warner is the story of this movie, and as you watch, it confirms that Warner’s buy-in to Brenda and her family (two children from a previous relationship) gave Kurt this … clarity. His bond with them strengthened him. He was fueled by this love, emboldened by this love and, really, maximized by this love.
And thus, when he got the chance to start for the Rams, it was a no-brainer to him that he’d succeed, because his head was in the right place.
He was ready for his moment.
He just needed his moment to happen.
Watching Kurt and Brenda (played by Anna Paquin) reminded me of what I cherish about my teammate. It was fitting to experience “American Underdog” during Christmas, because the holiday is so special for my wife and daughter (well, for my wife — as of now, our daughter calls it “Mitt-mas”). Watching Kurt and Brenda feed off each other was soul-nourishing and empowering.
Their journey was relentless; their journey was rewarding.
The movie also captured Warner’s connection with Brenda’s son, Zack, who is blind. It was touching to watch Kurt’s kindness toward Zack, how he emphasized empathy. The first time my eyes welled up was during the wedding scene, but it was because of the bride and groom. At the reception, young Zack held a microphone and gently sang a song to Kurt. It was “Keeper Of The Stars” by Tracy Byrd: “It was no accident me finding you, daddy. Someone had a hand in it, long before we ever knew.”
One of the better acting jobs in the film was by Dennis Quaid, who played Rams coach Dick Vermeil. Quaid nailed the mannerisms of the old coach. The sincerity. The twinkle in his eye. And the famous line — “We will rally around Kurt Warner — and we’ll play good football.”
They went on to play the greatest of football, on turf or otherwise.
Of course, this made me sad (and mad) that the team is gone, that our city can’t properly pay homage to the Super Bowl champs the way we remember and honor baseball champions of 2011 or 1982 or the 1967. But in a way, this film is an everlasting homage to Warner and the fellows. And there really is a lot of cool St. Louis sports stuff in the film, from Warner’s relationship with icy offensive coordinator Mike Martz to the famously “Who IS this guy?” cover of Sports Illustrated, except with Levi’s face superimposed.
It was surprising that the directors made a point to show how Kurt Warner’s Arena Bowl win ended with a tackled player lunging for the goal line, yet they didn’t play off the symmetry by showing how Warner’s Super Bowl win ended. In fact, they didn’t even show “The Tackle” by St. Louis’ Mike Jones. The final football play in the film is, yes, Warner’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce in the fourth quarter.
Still, the final four minutes of the movie make for a blissful finish, complemented by the singer Ritter’s soundtrack. The song is called “Change Of Time.” It’s quite lovely.
And while the trailers for the film were stocked with different lines from Kurt and Brenda, perhaps the line that captures the movie’s essence came from Brenda’s father. In a private moment with Kurt, he said: “Life isn’t about what you can achieve, it’s about what you become. It’s a journey, son. It’s not an event.”
Warner’s life is defined by events — becoming the Rams’ starter, winning the first game, making the Super Bowl, winning the Super Bowl, Hall of Fame. But his journey is the story. And now it’s a movie.
