| American Underdog | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kristopher Kimlin |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | John Debney |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release dates |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million |
| Box office | $26.5 million |
American Underdog is a 2021 Americanbiographicalsports film aboutNational Football League (NFL) quarterbackKurt Warner. Directed byAndrew and Jon Erwin, the film follows Warner's journey as an undrafted player who ascended to winningSuper Bowl XXXIV.[1] It starsZachary Levi as Warner, alongsideAnna Paquin as his wife Brenda andDennis Quaid as his head coachDick Vermeil.
The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 2021, byLionsgate. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed over $26 million.American Underdog was nominated for theGMA Dove Award for Inspirational Film/Series of the Year at the2022 GMA Dove Awards.[2]
A young Kurt Warner watchesSuper Bowl XIX. He then makes a lifelong commitment to becoming aSuper Bowl and MVP quarterback.
Several years later, Kurt is playing his fifth year for theUniversity of Northern Iowa (UNI)Panthers with coachTerry Allen, and nothing is going Warner's way. Allen threatens to bench him after repeatedly not heeding his coaching, 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 where he could have a chance at theDraft.
Meanwhile, Kurt becomes interested in a woman he sees dancing at a country bar, so decides to learn how to dance to impress her. Brenda is a single mom with two kids and is a nursing student who is struggling financially. Even though she doesn't think it will work out, Kurt is persistent, walking three miles to her house to get her number. He finds out she was a Marine corporal. Kurt instantly bonds with her disabled son, convincing her they should be together.
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. Later, theGreen Bay Packers give him the chance to try out, but it goes badly and Kurt goes home dejected. Becoming homeless, he moves into Brenda's basement. He takes a job at aHy-Vee grocery store, working nights stocking shelves. He discovers success is not found on the football field, but how one acts when confronted with disappointment.
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 the snow to get gas.
Kurt gets approached byJim Foster, who offers him the quarterback position for theArena Football League'sIowa Barnstormers. Kurt agrees after discovering no one in the NFL is interested in him.
Arena football is different. The field is smaller and the play is much more fast-paced. He loses his first game but wins the next. 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 marry and Kurt finishes the1996 Arena Football League season with theIowa Barnstormers inArenaBowl 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 invited to another tryout for theSt. Louis Rams. He doesn't think he will make it; he is having to re-adjust to normal football. Offensive coordinatorMike Martz berates him relentlessly for every mistake. Head Coach,Dick Vermeil, believes in him and tells Kurt he made the team. When starting quarterbackTrent Green goes down with an injury in the1999NFL preseason, Kurt eventually takes his place.
In his first game, Kurt and the Rams face a strongBaltimore Ravens defense led by linebackerRay 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 post a 13–3 record thatseason, becoming known asThe Greatest Show on Turf due to the high-powered, Warner-led offense. The Rams went on to defeat theTennessee Titans inSuper Bowl XXXIV. During the game, Kurt breaksJoe Montana's record for throwing the most passing yards in a Super Bowl. Doing so helped him win Super Bowl MVP and be crowned theNFL 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,Super Bowl XXXVI andSuper Bowl XLIII. He becomes enshrined in thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, and he and Brenda continue to live happily married, with seven children.
Abiopic aboutKurt Warner was announced in February 2020, whenAndrew and Jon Erwin were hired to direct the film, under the titleAmerican Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story.[3] In September 2020, it was announcedZachary Levi would star as Warner.[4][5] In January 2021,Anna Paquin andDennis 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 inAtlanta andOklahoma City.[8] The film's title was later shortened toAmerican Underdog, with the release of the film's marketing and the announcement of the Christmas release date.
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 theCOVID-19 pandemic.[11][12][13] The film premiered at theTCL Chinese Theatre inLos Angeles on December 15, 2021.[14]
The film was released ondigital rent on February 4, 2022, and was released throughBlu-ray andDVD on February 22, 2022.[15]
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 awide release in 2,814 theatres, in competition withA Journal for Jordan and the wide expansion ofLicorice 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]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten 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 aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[21]
A few events from Kurt Warner's actual career were either omitted or different in the film.
The film's football scenes while Warner is in college show him playing forNorthern Iowa Panthers in an outdoor stadium during games and practice. The Panthers have played indoors at theUNI-Dome since 1976.[22] Also, while no actual facts are given about Warner's status in school, the condensed storytelling shows him watching others play and not starting games, but also during what seems to the same season, he states it's his last year and he needs to get on the field. He made zero starts during his first three seasons and then started all 12 games his senior year, winning 1993 Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
During his time in theArena Football League with theIowa Barnstormers (1995-97), the film depicts them playing their games atWells Fargo Arena inDes Moines. Wells Fargo didn't exist then. The Barnstormers played atVeterans Memorial Auditorium until 2001.
While the film is correct in showing 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 their1998 season against the 49ers,[23] completing four of his eleven attempts for 39 yards.[24] 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,[25] while arena player Warner had signed with the Rams as a prospect in December 1997 and was dispatched to theAmsterdam Admirals ofNFL Europe, rather than kept for the Rams training camp.[26]
