American Underdog – A Charismatic Sports Biopic

Inspiring sports dramas are a dime a dozen, more or less relying on the same set of conventions in the hopes of eliciting emotion to connect with audiences. Because of this crowded subgenre, films have to work hard to stand out. In the case of the aptly-titled American Underdog, a relatable story driven by a charismatic and likeable lead performance by Zachary Levi propel the film in spite of its derivative and cliched nature. This biopic of retired hall of fame quarterback Kurt Warner is certainly an American underdog story that many are sure to connect to and see themselves in. Warner was a boy with a dream to be a quarterback in the NFL and a Super Bowl MVP came from humble beginnings in Iowa before embarking on a journey full of ups and downs before finally making it and earning a hall of fame career, winning a Super Bowl and 2 MVP awards. Though the story was a predictable one, audiences can’t help but cheer for Warner (Levi) and want him to succeed.

The argument could be made that Levi is too old to play Warner (they are only 9 years apart in age) but that is a minor issue overall. In the end, what got Warner through those ups and downs was his character and determination. He was the quintessential everyman who cared for others and believed in himself so much so that he was not going to give up on himself. Perhaps there were times when that belief waned as other circumstances got in the way. Luckily, Warner had his family and also found himself a support system in the form a woman named Brenda (Paquin) for whom he would later marry and her two children, Jesse (Cora Wilkerson) and Zach (Hayden Zaller). He loved them and they joined Warner’s journey as he supported them while still pursuing his own dream which presented its own set of challenges.

Playing college in a lower division school in Northern Iowa, this put Warner behind the eight ball in terms of getting recognition from NFL teams and being drafted by one of them. Not being drafted forced him to work that much harder to get recognized, becoming a journey in and of itself as he did whatever he could to get by to support himself and his family while biding his time until he finally got his big break during the 1999 season as a backup quarterback for the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) and a preseason injury to starting quarterback Trent Green that thrust him into the starting role. Suffice it to say that it wasn’t easy as it wasn’t always clear that he would make it but all that adversity would help to shape him into the man and football player he eventually became, gaining the maturity and confidence he needed to step up and take the reigns, leading a team known as “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

As mentioned, what lifts American Underdog above the derivative story beats and cliches was that relationship between Kurt and Brenda and her family. Those wholesome moments grounded the film nicely and gave Warner some humanity. The strong chemistry between Levi and Paquin as Kurt and Brenda, rose above the mediocre material albeit somewhat and created some touching moments though the latter was pretty much used to prop up the former and not much else. Ultimately, the best part of the film was Levi’s performance as Warner. While the journey and story beats may be predictable, his likeability and charisma overcame that as it became easy to still create an emotional connection with the character which is needed for a kind of film like this.

At the end of the day, American Underdog is another inspiring sports drama that does just enough to stand out though admittedly barely. That being said, fans of Warner may find some entertainment here.