LIMA — The fabled story of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner is well-known in football circles: The player went from the University of Northern Iowa to stocking supermarket shelves to arena football, before finding paydirt with the St. Louis Rams.
He wasn’t drafted but overcame formidable odds to become a Super Bowl champion in 2000, win league MVP honors (twice) and become a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Warner’s remarkable journey has emerged on the silver screen, courtesy of brothers Jon and Andrew Erwin, who crafted “American Underdog” with respect and diligence. There is, frankly, too much reverence at turns in sterilized form, but that’s typical of biopics.
Zachary Levi stars as the quarterback, who has confidence to burn, even if those around him don’t think he has a legitimate shot at earning a spot on an NFL roster.
While pondering the future, Warner meets his future wife Brenda (credible Anna Paquin), an ex-Marine and single mother of two young kids. The couple’s relationship proves challenging, as Warner stubbornly holds onto his dream – before accepting an offer to try playing arena football for Arena Football League founder Jim Foster (excellent Bruce McGill).
His new gig pays the bills and Warner lights up the scoreboard so often, it catches the attention of the Rams coach Dick Vermeil (Dennis Quaid), who sees himself in the QB and thus offers a contract.
By now, anybody who follows pro football or has considered seeing “American Underdog” likely knows that Warner ultimately led the 1999-2000 Rams to a Super Bowl win over Tennessee.
The on-screen particulars are handled well enough from a technical standpoint; camera angles won’t cause any confusion to those viewers with a modicum of football knowledge. Tight editing keeps the in-game highlights to a minimum and the film’s running time is less than two hours in the bargain.
As is often the case with sports-themed movies, there will be no avoiding the standard feel-good frames and contrived drama, but the filmmakers don’t stack the ham too high. Sugary syrup gets added in moderation.
To my eyes, the elite sports pictures include “Hoosiers,” “The Pride of the Yankees” and “Miracle.” It’s exclusive fraternity that doesn’t have any football films, though perhaps an argument could be made for “Brian’s Song.” Without question, “North Dallas Forty,” “The Blind Side,” “All the Right Moves” and serious-minded “Concussion” have their charms.
Although “American Underdog” doesn’t soar to those heights, it is on par with and – in some cases – rises above football productions of a similar nature. Its message of faith and persistence is delivered with authority, not unlike a tightly thrown spiral.
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