My All American
DVD
Review
by Kam Williams
Uplifting
Biopic About Late College Gridiron Great Arrives on DVD
Freddie
Steinmark (Finn Wittrock) was just about the last person you'd expect
to see on a football field. But the pint-sized safety somehow made up
for it in heart, what he lacked in muscle and stature.
He was
trained by his father (Michael Reilly Burke) to always give 110%,
which led to his being recruited out of high school by Darrell Royal
(Aaron Eckhart), the legendary coach of the University of Texas. At
UT, Freddie was a fan favorite who helped lead the Longhorns to the
national title during the 1969 season when the team went undefeated.
Unfortunately,
the diminutive defensive back's euphoria proved to be short-lived,
for he would receive some very grim news from the doctor just a
couple days after spearheading a come from behind victory over
Arkansas in a contest considered "The Game of the Century."
He'd been playing with pain for weeks, and that nagging leg injury
he'd been ignoring was diagnosed as cancer.
Suddenly,
Freddie found himself facing the toughest battle of his life. But
luckily, he had the support of his family and friends, especially
Coach Royal, teammates Bobby (Rett Terrell) and James (Juston
Street), and his high school and college sweetheart, Linda (Sarah
Bolger).
Freddie
Steinmark's abbreviated career and his ensuing intrepid fight against
the disease which would cost him, first, a leg and, then, his life is
the subject of My All American, a bittersweet biopic written and
directed by Angelo Pizzo. While the movie marks Pizzo's directorial
debut, he is no stranger to the inspirational, sports saga genre,
having penned the screenplays for such similarly-themed, fact-based
dramas as Hoosiers (1986), Rudy (1993) and The Game of Their Lives
(2005).
This film
is likely to resonate most with the faith-based demographic, as its
admirable protagonist is truly a throwback, a devout Christian who
not only went to church every day but remained faithful to his
girlfriend, despite all the groupies at his disposal. Decent acting
trumps a fairly formulaic plotline, here, particularly Aaron Eckhart
as a sermonizing coach waxing romantic about why Freddie was "My
All American."
An
uplifting testament to an old-fashioned, real-life hero that time
forgot.
Very Good (3
stars)
Rated PG for mature themes, mild
epithets and brief partial nudity
Running time: 119 minutes
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Home Entertainment
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